Toronto: What do Russia and Las Vegas have in common? If you answered ‘a high demand for children’s movies,’ you’ve probably been talking to the distributors of Bailey’s Billion$, the G-rated feature from Toronto’s Devine Entertainment that, next month, will debut in Canada, the U.S. and on 20 screens in Mother Russia.

‘They’re dying for kids films in Russia,’ says producer and director David Devine. ‘They just don’t get them there.’

The film, about a talking dog who becomes CEO of an animal rights group, was recently picked up by Cult Productions, a U.K. outfit that deals with Russia.

And Vegas? Apparently Sin City is growing so fast that there’s not enough entertainment for the booming preteen population, says Devine, quoting a few stats. Billion$ will start its platform release in Vegas and three other U.S. cities on Aug. 5 via Boston’s Echo Bridge Entertainment, coinciding with a Canadian release by Odeon Films.

The $11-million film is Devine’s first big kick at the feature-making can and shot in late 2003 with Dean Cain, Laurie Holden, Tim Curry, Jennifer Tilly and the voice of Jon Lovitz. Post included editing by Rik Morden and music by composer Lou Pomanti, who recorded the score with some 50 musicians at London’s Angel Studios.

The picture builds on Devine’s history of kid-aimed educational shows, most notably its 6 x 60 series on famous inventors, artists and composers. Devine will shoot another six hours – this time about celebrated authors – starting this fall, and is eyeing locations in Argentina and Cuba.

Havana, he notes, is easy to dress as 19th century Paris, which could come in handy for the episode about Alexandre Dumas. The Writers’ Specials is a copro with France’s Istar and Screen People in Montreal and will air on TVO, Knowledge Network and, in France, on TPS Jeunesse and France 5.

In the meantime, Devine hopes Billion$ will cash in on the general lack of G-rated films, noting, ‘You can count on one hand how many come out in a given year.’