News bytes: Sony's Aquaverse, Last Kids on Earth game, TV sales, events and executive news

Sony and Amazon Falls open the first Columbia Pictures theme park in Thailand
Dubbed "Aquaverse", the new themed water park will be built on a 14-acre lot in the seaside resort of Bangsaray, approximately 20 minutes from Pattaya and 90 minutes from Bangkok. The rides and attractions will begin opening in October 2021, inspired by popular entertainment brands Columbia / Sony, such as:

• Hotel Transylvania Child-friendly area - The biggest attraction of the Aquaverse water park with over 100 water games, water buckets, water rockets and more!
• Surf's Up in surfer's paradise - Ride a powerful wave and show us what you can do in the exciting water park attraction with our double Flowrider!
• Cloudy with the possibility of meatballs Swallow Falls River Adventure - Take a break from the excitement of the day by visiting the Aquaverse along the lazy river and meet the fantastic Foodimals featured in the hit film.
• Living Wave pool - Relax in a giant wave pool inspired by the upcoming animated musical. The wave pool area is the perfect place to host musical events and live performances, where famous artists and world-class international DJs will take to the stage.
• Men in black Thrill rides - Aquaverse's most thrilling rides and attractions can be found here, including hair-raising rides in the water mountains, one of which has a 12-meter free-fall ride that plunges you into a MIB Wormhole.
• ghost Buster Supernatural experience - Enter the Ghostbusters portal and zip through ghost traps as you descend a mountain of water with your best friend or dare to enter the world's first and only fully enclosed water dome on a family raft ride.
• Bad guys race way - Experience the thrill of the chase and step on the metal around the new outdoor go-kart tracks at a neon-themed Miami racecourse.
• Jumanji Jungle Adventure - Take on the world of Jumanji through wild jungle-themed water slides, visiting Jaguar Mountain while being chased by Mandrills before diving into Jumanji's pool!

The game "The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom" was launched on June 4th
Outright Games partnered with Atomic Cartoons (Thunderbird Ent.) And the Stage Clear Studios development store to create a kid-friendly monster action game, under a partnership run by global agent Cyber ​​Group Studios.

Set in the world of best-selling graphic novels and Emmy-winning animated series, Staff of Doom immerses fans in an entirely new story as they explore the town of Wakefield and face off against hordes of zombies. Players guide Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk as they search for the missing pieces of a powerful relic and try to overcome Malondre, the queen of slime monsters, as she tries to summon Rezzoch, the ancient world destroyer. At launch, up to four players can switch to offline co-op mode, with an online multiplayer patch to follow. Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and Steam.

ITFS goes 100% digital
Following a similar decision by the sister event's FMX conference, the Stuttgart International Animated Film Festival (May 4-9) has canceled on-site events and film screenings due to coronavirus guidelines. Originally planned as a hybrid edition, the 28th ITFS will be expanded and enhanced with new features, such as a VR hub to take attendees to a digital Schlossplatz and extended access to the media library, from May 3-16.

"On-site meetings and exchanges between the general public and industry guests are not only traditionally the focus of the Festival, but will remain so, although in the future the sections of the online program will be used to expand the audience community. nationally and internationally, "said Dieter Krauß, Commercial CEO. "The program planned for the 2021 Festival will be offered online as much as possible, to bring the Festival to the home screens."

YMA honors three outstanding women
The Canadian Youth Media Alliance awards its 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award to the veteran of children's animation Michelle Melanson Cuperus which, over the past 30 years, has produced hundreds of episodes and garnered more than 50 awards, including the Canadian Screen Award, Emmy and BAFTA nominations. Cuperus has worked with PBS, Nelvana, CBC, Cookie Jar Ent. and Radical Sheep Prod. on series included Rescue Heroes, Cyberchase, Stella and Sam e The Berenstain Bears. She is also the founder of the animation network / mentoring organization Women Drawn Together.

YMA also honors identical twins and award-winning live-action children's producers Georgina and Rennata López (Lopii Productions) with the Emerging Talent Award. These distinguished professionals will be honored in a virtual gala that will be streamed from CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto on May 26th.

ADK Emotions NY welcomes the new president and CEO
The subsidiary based in New York and licensees of the global franchise beyblade burst appointed Shunichi Ogawa in place. An experienced and respected executive who joined ADK in 2005, managing marketing and advertising for various brands, Ogawa previously served on the board of directors of ADK Emotions NY and now oversees the corporate division of CEO for North America, China and Asia. He will work alongside COO Daichi 'David' Wakabayashi as a pastor beyblade burst and other emerging anime IPs in their global expansion.

Former president Shuji "Shawn" Wada will continue to lead the company and will remain on the board of directors for both the Tokyo and New York offices. Now in its third decade, ADK Emotions NY recently moved into a new office space in Midtown Manhattan.

Dandelooo Collab Author Jean-Claude Mourlevat Honored
The French children's author won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2021, awarded by the Swedish government to outstanding contributors to children's and teen literature. Mourlevat's novel La rivière à l'envers (Editis Group) has sold over one million copies in France and numerous other countries, and was recently published in English by Andersen Press.

Dandelooo is adapting the book into an animated series The river upside down (9 x 26 '). Commissioned by Canal + France, the 2D series will be produced at Dandelooo Valence Ooolala's animation studio in collaboration with Canal + Family. Directed by Paul Leluc (The wolf, the long vacation), written by Jean Regnaud (Ernest & Celestine) and Marie de Banville (Tobie Lolness), the series aimed at children ages 8-12 is expected to be delivered in early 2022. Dandelooo will be responsible for worldwide distribution.

Byte TV and streaming:

• Omen Studios secured a slew of deals for preschool success Counting with Paula (300 x 11 ′). New partners: TV3 (Catalonia), free-to-air / digital, S4-5; ZooMoo networks, World-wide multilingual Pay TV, S3; Future Today's Happy Kids TV (United States, Can., United Kingdom), S5; Enfan TV by Me Interactive (Japan), S4-5; Kidoodle. tv (streaming worldwide), S1-3; is Amazon (NorAm), S4.
• spacetoon has extended its partnership with Hasbro's aeon in a multi-year deal that will bring three of eOne's most successful series to MENA. Transformers: Rescue Bots, Power Rangers Beast Morphers e My little pony: pony life will be available on Spacetoon's free-to-air channels in the region and on the Spacetoon GO streaming service.
• APC Kids has resumed distribution for S4 of the global preschool hit Kid-E-Cats (156 x 5 ′), commissioned by CTC Media (Russia). The co. it will manage rights outside of Russia, the CIS and China.
• Illuminated Film Company signed an agreement with Commercial ABC for the first two seasons of Dave Spud's Junk World (children 6-11, 78 x 11 ') in Australia and New Zealand.

Event Byte:

• EXP GamingFest returns this weekend for a virtual edition, Fri. 9 April and Saturday 10 April.
• Wizard World Signature Series presents the creators of X-Men: The Animated Series, Eric and Julia Lewald, in a virtual panel on Saturday, April 17 at 13pm PT.
• Key Buyer Event: Digital, the international online audiovisual market outside Russia (held in English), sets the dates of its third edition for 8-10 June 2021.
• SMOF 2021 (Stop Motion Our Fest) asks to participate in the fourth edition of the only dedicated stop-mo celebration in Argentina, July 28-August. 1. Deadline: June 10th.
• British Game Awards Winners were announced recently. Ade won five awards and two went to each Animal crossing, Sackboy: a great adventure e The Last of Us Part II.