Animaccord, the Russian company behind one of the world’s top five children’s shows, animation series “Masha and the Bear,” has revealed plans to expand into longer-form content, including a feature film, as well as podcasts, tech-driven content and custom-made content for social media platforms.
More than a decade after its launch, the show “just keeps giving and giving,” Animaccord CEO, Claus Tomming, told Variety. The time was right to boost its universal appeal still further, he said, and “expand the storytelling.” He added that all successful franchises at some point “face the challenge of renewing and evolving in terms of your audience,” and that the development of so many new media platforms offered an opportunity for the brand.
Having previously only created seven-minute episodes of the show, Animaccord will produce four stand-alone themed specials in 4K with running times of 22 minutes. “Masha and the Bear: Masha’s Christmas,” set to be released by the end of this year, will introduce 12 new characters, including one called January, seen here for the first time (below). The second special is dedicated to the topic of ecology. The focus of the other two will be announced at a later date.
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