EXCLUSIVE: The outfit behind hit kids show Octonauts, Wanda-owned Vampire Squid Productions, is launching sci-fi family comedy animated series, Miles & Mu.
According to producers, the original IP, which is launching as a 26 episode x 12 minutes first season, is being produced using AI-assisted 3D animation technology.
The synopsis reads: “Set in ‘Maimai City’, a near-future coastal town where advanced technology meets everyday neighborhood life, the series follows Miles, a five-year-old boy with a big imagination, and Mu, an alien scout sent to Earth on a mission to conquer the planet who crash-lands and finds himself in need of Miles’s help. The two form an unlikely duo, setting off on a series of funny and heartfelt adventures.”
Alan Zhang, chief director at Wanda Studios, is leading the creative team for the show and is directing all 26 episodes, which are currently in production. The series is targeting children aged 5–12 and will feature episodes “rooted in real-life stories”. The plan is to carry on the motto of Octonauts: ‘Explore, Rescue, Protect’.
Terry Chow, Wanda VP and VSP COO, is handling global sales and is looking for potential co-pro and distribution partners. The aim is to build the show into a franchise including merchandising, toys and publishing.
Chow said: “Octonauts showed us that great family content travels. Kids in China, the UK, and the U.S. all connect with the same story for the same reasons. The Miles Family is built on that same belief — a series that uses sci-fi as its backdrop and family as its heart, told in a way that speaks to audiences everywhere. VSP is dedicated to heartfelt, authentic storytelling, with the goal of building this new work into a modern classic. We look forward to working with the best global partners to bring Miles & Mu to the world — and into the hearts of families everywhere.”
As we revealed earlier this year, Chinese giant Wanda Studios completed a deal to buy-out Sony from its $49M stake in Octonauts rights holder Vampire Squid Productions (VSP), giving the Chinese giant full ownership of the franchise.
This followed a long-running legal dispute during which Sony sued Wanda for not following through on an agreement to acquire the remaining 49% stake in VSP previously held by Sony-owned Silvergate Media.
