Jellyfish Originals’ Stan & Gran Goes Into Production

Announces new co-production partner and global distributor for mystery-busting animated adventure series.

Posted: 1 Feb 2024

Jellyfish Originals, the kids and family content division of award-winning global animation & VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures, announces that production will commence next month on its inaugural original series Stan & Gran.

Bangalore-based Xentrix Studios has partnered as Co-producer and will be providing animation services for the show. Banijay Kids & Family Distribution (the commercial arm and dedicated sales division for Banijay Kids & Family) is on board as global distributor alongside existing co-production partner Jollywise Media.

The 52 x 11 episodic series created by Jon Mason has been commissioned by Channel 5’s preschool strand, Milkshake!.

Recent production hires include Howard Read (Danger Mouse, Horrible Histories, Deep in the Bowl) as Head Writer, Peter Griffiths (LEGO: Nexus Knights, Rosie’s Rules, The Ocean Calls) as Producer and Simone Giampaolo (Only a Child, Bad Dinosaurs, The Legends Family Adventure, Obki the Eco Alien) as director. Natalie Llewelyn and Jon Mason are also serving as Executive Producers on the series.

Commenting on these latest developments, Managing Director of Jellyfish Originals, Natalie Llewellyn, said, “Moving into production is a major milestone for Jellyfish Originals and represents the culmination of over five years of tireless development, distribution, and financing efforts. We are thankful to key stakeholders such as Jollywise, Xentrix, Banijay and Milkshake! for their belief and commitment to this project, and we look forward to working together to deliver a high-quality animated series with global appeal.”

As part of its production financing, Jellyfish Originals has secured pre-buys with Nickelodeon UK, ABC Australia, RTE Ireland, SVT Sweden, BBC Alba and S4C Wales. It has also brokered music publishing and AVSR secondary rights deals with ReelMuzicWerks and Compact Media respectively.

Xentrix Studios’ CEO, Nandish Domlur, said,

“We are delighted to partner with Jellyfish Pictures to ‘bring to life’ this endearing concept by Jon Mason. Our talented team is excited to be a part of the storytelling process of Stan & Gran as together we bring it to a global audience”.
Nandish Domlur
CEO, Xentrix Studios

Julia Rowlands, SVP Sales, Co-Productions and Acquisitions, Banijay Kids & Family Distribution added:

“Children’s unique relationships with their grandparents is a poignant, universal theme that resonates with global audiences and cultures. Stan & Gran layers this brilliantly with comedy and charm, which is striking a chord with our buyers worldwide.”
Julia Rowlands
SVP Sales, Co-Productions and Acquisitions, Banijay Kids & Family

Stan & Gran is a funny and heart-warming CG animated series following the mystery-busting adventures of Stan Breakwater, a curious and excitable young nature lover, and his fun-loving, dynamic Gran, as together they investigate the strange goings-on in the fictional British coastal village of Porthole. Stan & Gran blends comedy and intrigue with factual entertainment and focuses on core themes including discovery, exploration, nature, science, and inter-generational relationships.

About Jellyfish Originals

Jellyfish Originals is an internationally renowned creator, incubator and producer of original children’s programming and a subdivision of the award-winning animation & VFX Studio, Jellyfish Pictures. Jellyfish Originals manages the development, rights management, financing, and commercial exploitation of original animated properties. An adaptation of author and presenter Dermot O’Leary’s book series, Toto the Ninja Cat is currently in development.

About Jellyfish Pictures

Founded in 2001, Jellyfish Pictures is a London based BAFTA, Emmy and Annie award winning global VFX and animation studio.

Delivering critically acclaimed work for clients including Disney, Netflix, DreamWorks, Apple TV+, HBO, Sky, the BBC and Amazon, the company has undergone rapid growth in recent years.

Jellyfish Pictures has produced high-quality CG animation for feature films Spirit Untamed and How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, plus top-rated children’s animated series; Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed, Floogals and Bitz & Bob. Jellyfish Pictures is also currently in production on an animated series for Netflix EMEA/Lime entitled Wereworld, based on a popular book series by Curtis Jobling, a feature adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Twits for Netflix Features Animation, and an untitled feature for DreamWorks Animation.

Jellyfish Pictures’ VFX credits include blockbuster movies such as The Creator, Asteroid City, and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Last Jedi, with television projects that include work on Stranger Things, The Book of Boba Fett, The Rig, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and The Witcher: Blood Origin. The VFX output for 2024 includes Ellen Kuras’ Lee, starring Kate Winslet, Constellation for Apple TV+, Netflix’s The Gentlemen, and the upcoming series Nautilus.

Jellyfish Pictures continues to lead the industry’s acceleration into the virtual studio model with its pioneering achievements in technology recognised as the recipients of the first Broadcast Tech and Innovation award for ‘Excellence in Virtualisation’.

www.jellyfishpictures.com

About Jollywise Media

Jollywise are a world class creative digital studio who specialise in developing and building interactive content, games and digital experiences that entertain and educate. The multi award winning team of creative technologists work for some of the biggest brands on the planet and believe passionately in the power of digital to tell stories.

About Xentrix Studios

Xentrix is a leading CG animation studio with a strong body of work in Emmy nominated TV shows, feature films and branded 4D / 5D theme park rides. It boasts a very talented and diverse team with over 20+ years of experience. Xentrix has built a stellar reputation, having worked with all the leading production houses in Hollywood, Europe and Asia.

About Banijay Kids & Family Distribution

A global leader, Banijay Kids & Family is the dedicated division for children’s entertainment at media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay. With world-class production, distribution, marketing, digital, licensing and merchandising capabilities, the company is home to some of the biggest kids properties in the world, including successful and long-running franchises Totally Spies! and Mr Bean.

Led by CEO Benoît Di Sabatino, 2023 was a record breaking year for the business, with its highest-ever number of shows in production, and a healthy pipeline of premium kids and family entertainment, with new titles including Shasha & Milo and Super Happy Magic Forest.