Spotlight Pictures
L.A.-based Spotlight Pictures has acquired the international sales rights to writer-director Daniel DiMarco’s feature-length crime drama, Juggernaut (pictured). Produced by Matthew Cervi’s Mad Samurai Productions (The Colony), the film tells the story of Saxon Gamble (played by Jack Kesy) who returns home after learning of his mother’s suicide. Knowing that his brother may have been involved, Gamble sets out to take his revenge. Spotlight launched international sales at the European Film Market in Berlin. Executive producers on the project are Ben Silverman, Dave Valleau, Rich Mento and Jason Upton. Ines Eisses is coproducer on the film, which shot in B.C. in May 2016. It received funding through the Harold Greenberg Fund’s Script Development program in 2014. In Canada, the film is distributed by LevelFILM.

Nat Geo Kids Latin America
Nat Geo Kids Latin America has picked up season one of the children’s series Dot (52 x 11 minutes), produced by Industrial Brothers in association with The Jim Henson Company and CBC. Aimed at four-to-eight year-old audiences, the show follows an inquisitive and tech-savvy girl who uses technology to solve problems and have fun with her friends. The series is based on the book by Randi Zuckerberg, who executive produces alongside Matthew Fernandes, Arthur Spanos and Tammy Semen of Industrial Brothers and Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company. The Jim Henson Company handles all media rights for the series outside of Canada and all consumer products rights globally.

eOne
eOne is gearing up to launch its preschool superhero series PJ Masks on three of China’s leading VOD platforms this spring. Tencent, iQIYI and Youku will all begin airing the first season of the 52 x 11-minute show in the coming months, marking the toon’s debut in the Chinese market. To coincide with the show’s regional premiere, eOne is currently assembling a consumer products program in China. The brand already boasts 600 licensees in multiple territories. PJ Masks first launched internationally in March 2016 on Disney Junior and currently airs in more than 85 countries. Recent broadcast pick-ups for the series include TVCultura (Brazil), RTL Kockica (Croatia) and DR Ramsajang (Denmark). A third season of PJ Masks is currently in production.

9 Story
9 Story Distribution International has licensed the animated children’s series Luo Bao Bei (52 x 11 minutes) to Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s ABC Kids channel. The series, about a bright seven-year-old girl whose vivid imagination helps her understand the world around her, is produced by China-based Magic Mall Entertainment. 9 Story Distribution International holds the global distribution and merchandising rights, excluding China. ABC Kids acquired the series in both English and Mandarin and began airing the episodes last week to coincide with Chinese New Year.

With files from Alexandra Whyte, Kidscreen