Toronto-based media company Boat Rocker has teamed up with Los Angeles-based animation prodco The Operating Room to develop a Stuffed series.

The project is based on the hit webcomic and book series of the same name created by Erik McCurdy. The story centres on the outrageous and absurd adventures of an irrepressible little girl and her plush toys.

It adds to Boat Rocker’s kids and family slate, which also includes Dino Ranch for Disney, and the upcoming Daniel Spellbound for Netflix, and Amber Brown for Apple TV+.

A Good War opened for doc series

Vancouver-based Cedar Island Films has acquired the exclusive rights to Canadian public policy consultant Seth Klein’s book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, with plans to adapt it into a limited documentary series.

The book was published by ECW Press in September 2020. The documentary series will be developed and produced by Cedar Island Films, with Andrew Williamson and Henrik Meyer serving as executive producers. Ruth Nanda (Emergency Room: Life + Death at VGH) is attached as showrunner with Michael Bourquin (Moosemeat & Marmalade) as series director.

WGC Screenwriting Awards names special award recipients 

Carolyn Saunders, Matt Huether, Michael Amo, and Anthony Q. Farrell will receive special honours at the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Screenwriting Awards, which will be held in a virtual ceremony hosted by Nile Séguin on Monday (April 25).

Saunders will get the $5,000 Sondra Kelly Award, which is presented to a mid-career woman screenwriter for research/development on a self-initiated project. Huether is getting the Alex Barris Mentorship Award, which recognizes screenwriters who make “an outstanding commitment to mentor others.”

Amo is the recipient of the Denis McGrath Award for Service to the WGC, which honours “a writer who has demonstrated a record of exceptional service to the Guild and the Canadian screenwriting community.” Farrell is being honoured with the Showrunner Award for his career achievements, including The Office, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Secret Life of Boys, Overlord and the Underwoods and The Parker Andersons / Amelia Parker.

Prends ça court! establishes new Villeneuve prize

Next week’s Prends ça court! Gala celebrating Quebec-made short films will hand out a new Denis Villeneuve Coup de Cœur prize, worth $20,000 in cash. The prize is in partnership with Rodeo FX, the Quebec Film and Television Council, the Université du Québec à Montréal, Air Canada, Agence Claude Girard and Oscar-nominated Dune filmmaker Villeneuve.

Villeneuve will hand out the award to one of the 55 short films included in the selection for the gala’s 18th edition on April 29 at the Cinémathèque Québécoise. The gala is part of the 40th edition of the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma festival.

WildBrain CPLG rebrands lifestyle division

Halifax-headquartered WildBrain’s entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency has rebranded its lifestyle division to the new name Aspire. WildBrain CPLG says the rebrand includes an expanded mandate to accelerate growth of the agency’s corporate and lifestyle brands portfolio, with plans for ASPIRE to grow with new hires.

Victoria Whellans will continue to lead the newly rebranded division and take on a new role as commercial director for Aspire (previously group brands director, lifestyle). Aspire will develop brand extensions, creating new consumer touchpoints and open incremental revenue streams for partners.

CPAC offering France 24 election coverage

Cable public affairs channel CPAC has partnered with France 24 to offer Canadians coverage of the French presidential election. Programming began on Wednesday (April 20) with the debate between incumbent president Emmanuel Macron of the centrist Republic on the Move party, and Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally.

Coverage continues with France 24’s live runoff election results on Sunday (April 24). The election comes at a crucial time amid the war in Ukraine.

Image credit: The Operating Room