Corus Entertainment-owned animation house Nelvana has signed a first-look deal with Indigenous writer and illustrator Kyle Charles (pictured) to develop original film and TV concepts.

As part of the two-year agreement, Charles will pitch ideas aimed at both kids and adults to the producer/distributor for joint development.

A member of the Whitefish Lake First Nation, Charles’s work includes books This Place: 150 Years Retold, Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 and Batman: The Detective. He has also written and illustrated short stories for publications such as Heavy Metal and OnSpec Magazine.

Nelvana hasn’t entered into a first-look deal since it partnered with Up Studios in 2018. The company is on a mission to build out its slate of feature films, franchise efforts and preschool series in an effort to find its next hit.

“Kyle is a seasoned artist with a great ability to tell thoughtful stories through illustration and we are so proud to welcome him to the Nelvana team,” said Athena Georgaklis, head of development at Nelvana, in a statement. “With an impressive series of original concepts already presented to our team, we’re eager to tap into Kyle’s expertise in creating action heroes that translate from book to screen, while adding new voices and perspectives to the work we do as creators and storytellers.”

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen