NELVANA INKS NEW INTERNATIONAL SALES FOR ORIGINAL PRESCHOOL SERIES MILLIE MAGNIFICENT

Nelvana Reveals First Look of the Highly Anticipated CG-Animated Series Here

Kids Can Press Announces a Fourth Book in the Most Magnificent Book Series, Slated to Publish in 2025  

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For Immediate Release

TORONTO, June 10, 2024 – Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor, and licensor of children’s animated and live action content, today announced five international sales for its new endearing preschool series, Millie Magnificent (52×11). To date, new broadcast partners include YLE (Finland), RTS (Switzerland), SVT (Sweden), HOP! (Israel), and Cinetel (Hungary), in addition to the previously announced Canal+ (France) and Treehouse/STACKTV (Canada).

Inspired by the best-selling books by Ashley Spires and Nelvana’s award-winning short film The Most Magnificent Thing, Millie Magnificent follows avid creator, problem-solver, and innovator Millie Sparks. With a load of determination and spark of imagination, Millie and her ‘creato-crew’ – best friends Ben and Maya and Millie’s adorable dog Wallace – strive to find the most magnificent solutions to their neighborhood’s challenges. Each episode fosters creativity and imagination for preschoolers by actively promoting critical thinking, problem solving and the valuable process of trial-and-error. Through engaging storytelling, characters dive into relatable issues centered around community and home life while addressing the challenges of navigating complex and big emotions in a way that resonates with children. “Ever since we announced the series greenlight, we’ve received a magnificent response to Millie’s adventures from broadcasters all around the world,” said Mellany Welsh, VP and Head of Nelvana and Kids Can Press. “With episodes currently delivering, we are blown away by the beautiful animation and we’re excited to reveal a first look at the series. The whole team at Nelvana has done a brilliant job bringing Millie to life in a new way, while maintaining the themes of learning and perseverance from the books and short film that fans adore.”

Millie fans can look forward to a new book in the Most Magnificent series, with The Most Magnificent Team, launching in 2025, from BC author-illustrator Ashley Spires and Kids Can Press, Corus Entertainment’s award-winning, internationally acclaimed children’s book publisher. The fourth book in the series explores the ups and downs of working with others and follows best-selling titles The Most Magnificent Thing, The Most Magnificent Idea, and The Most Magnificent Maker’s A to Z, which combined have sold close to one million copies worldwide. The books feature the same grit and determination as seen from our heroine and her friends, with heartwarming, teachable moments for young readers.

In addition to the massively successful book series and upcoming animated series, Nelvana and Kids Can Press have also made sparks with The Most Magnificent Thing short film, which has been officially selected to participate in nearly 100 international film festivals and has earned close to 30 awards and nominations, including shortlisted for the Bologna Ragazzi 2022 Crossmedia Award, winning Best Short Film for Children at ANIMAYO 2020, the Golden Sheaf Award Winner for Children’s & Youth Production at Yorkton Film Festival, and 1st Prize Children’s Jury Award for Best Animated Short Film at Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. The short film also resonated with kids all over the world, having been distributed worldwide and aired in Canada, USA, Australia, France, Switzerland, French Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, China, and Hong Kong.

For broadcast and licensing opportunities, email nelvana.distribution@corusent.com.

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About Nelvana

Entertaining kids for over 50 years, Nelvana is a world-leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated and live-action content. Nelvana produces a stable of award-winning and globally renowned brands that focus on comedies, preschool and action series, and ancillary consumer products programs. Nelvana’s content airs on Corus Entertainment’s kids channels in Canada and in over 180 countries around the world. The Nelvana library has well over 5,000 episodes of programming and has received over 70 major international program awards including Emmys® and Canadian Screen Awards. Visit the Nelvana website at nelvana.com.

 About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, digital and streaming platforms, and technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, and children’s book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with streaming platforms STACKTV, TELETOON+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. Corus is the domestic advertising representative and an original content partner for Pluto TV, a Paramount Company, which is the leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service. For more information visit www.corusent.com.

About Kids Can Press
Kids Can Press is a leading Canadian-owned children’s publisher, part of the Corus Entertainment family, and a recipient of the distinguished Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publisher, North America. For over 50 years, Kids Can Press has published acclaimed and award-winning picture books, nonfiction, middle grade, and young adult fiction titles that have been translated and sold around the world. kidscanpress.com.

 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Stacey Grimshaw, Sr. Publicity Manager

Corus Entertainment
(416) 479-6082
stacey.grimshaw@corusent.com