David Devine of Toronto’s Devine Entertainment has announced spring and summer production worth approximately $10 million, following word earlier this month that a California-based distributor, CIC Productions, has guaranteed an advance of $5.25 million. Devine says production will start in May on a 6 x 60 tv series, The Grimm Brothers: Tales for the American Family.

The live-action specials, produced and created by Devine and Richard Mozer, will be crafted by many of the same people who have worked on series such as The Composers Specials and The Artists Specials. Heather Conkie is signed on as writer on The Fairy Tale Project, with Rik Morden as editor and Cameron Porteous as production designer.

Devine says this series will be produced and delivered in 2000.

In other news, u.s. video chain Hollywood Video has ordered 3,500 copies of Devine Entertainment’s Degas and the Dancer for rental in its more than 1,600 stores in 44 states.

The order came as part of a film festival promotion organized by Kids First! The Coalition for Quality Children’s Media, which recently named Degas one of its top five videos of 1999.

‘We see the sale to Hollywood Video as a first step in establishing the Devine video library in major retail and video outlets,’ says Devine. Susan Tolusso