DiC and Nickelodeon to bring original animated movies of Dennis the Menace, Gadget ..

[Pavan]

DIC TO OFFER THE LARGEST SLATE OF ORIGINAL ANIMATED FEATURES IN MARKET HISTORY

"INCREDIBLE DIC MOVIE TOONS" PACKAGE CONTAINS 39 FILMS WITH SUBJECTS RANGING FROM STARS FROM THE DIC LIBRARY, CLASSIC BOOKS AND ORIGINAL STORIES

DIC Entertainment is bringing to MIP, the largest package of original feature length animated movies, in the history of the market. There are 39 films in the package with the first thirteen available for delivery beginning in the fall of 2002, according to Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO.

Domestically in the U.S. the films have been licensed to NICKELODEON. The block, 'Sunday Movie Toons,' will launch in October and run from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Nick officials said. This is not only the biggest production order DIC has had in its twenty year history it is the biggest animated feature order in the history of the art form.

"We have put together a team of incredibly talented award winning writers, producers and directors," said Heyward. "They are currently in production on the first thirteen films, which includes movies based on some of the most powerful and recognized titles in family entertainment. Among the first years' titles are INSPECTOR GADGET, SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH, ZORRO, DENNIS THE MENACE, BEN HUR, THE TIME MACHINE, THE LOST WORLD, TREASURE ISLAND, ARCHIES, THE MASK OF ZORRO, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and MADELINE."

"We have chosen a mix of movies that will appeal to all the various kid demographics," said Heyward. "The essence of this package, is that they are all original, and all based on powerful brands. There is simply no other package of this magnitude that exists."

The Incredible DIC Movie Toons will be sold as a thirty-nine-movie package, thirteen a year, and will be delivered over a three-year period beginning in the fall of 2002.

Andy Heyward and Mike Maliani, DIC chief creative officer, will executive produce the films while Eric Lewald, DIC senior vice president of creative affairs will be the supervising producer. The writers have been responsible for many of the most successful animated long-forms of the last ten years.

The Incredible DIC Movie Toons represents an extension of DIC's normal business which has historically been the production of half hour episodes, and occasionally animated movies as individual offerings.