Activision Blizzard Studios Expands Pioneering Skylanders Franchise Into Television
June 16 2016 - 11:30AM
Business Wire
New Animated Television Series “Skylanders
Academy” to Debut on Netflix
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced that
“Skylanders Academy,” the first production by Activision Blizzard
Studios—its newly created television and film studio—will premiere
in Fall 2016 on Netflix, the world’s leading internet television
network.
“Over the last five years, millions of families around the world
have welcomed Skylanders® characters into their homes. Now, they’ll
be able to watch their favorite characters come to life on
Netflix,” said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision
Blizzard. “We couldn’t have found a better home for ‘Skylanders
Academy’ and look forward to sharing our extraordinary characters
with Netflix audiences around the world.”
The series follows the heroic adventures of the Skylanders team,
a group of heroes with unique elemental skills and personalities
who travel the vast Skylands universe, protecting it from
evil-doers and showing the next wave of Academy cadets how to do
things the “Skylander way.” Created by Toys For Bob, the $3 billion
Skylanders franchise has sold through more than 250 million toys
since pioneering the toys-to-life category in 2011, and earlier
this month Activision revealed Skylanders Imaginators™, the latest
innovation in the franchise.
“‘Skylanders Academy’ gives us the opportunity to approach
narrative storytelling with the same level of quality and
excellence that millions of Skylanders fans have come to expect
from the game,” said Activision Blizzard Studios Co-President
Stacey Sher. “We’re inspired by our fans’ excitement for these
characters and have worked hard to bring these characters to life
with stories our fans will love.”
Activision Blizzard launched its studio last year to create
original content based on the company’s intellectual property, and
“Skylanders Academy” is the first production by Sher and studio
Co-President Nick van Dyk. The two-season Netflix partnership is
another important step in Activision Blizzard’s strategy of
enhancing its franchises and broadening their appeal.
Produced under the supervision of showrunner Eric Rogers
(“Futurama”), “Skylanders Academy” features the voices of Justin
Long (“Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “Ask Me Anything”) as Spyro,
Ashley Tisdale (“Phineas and Ferb,” “High School Musical”) as
Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (“Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul”) as
Eruptor and Norm MacDonald (“Saturday Night Live”) as Glumshanks.
Additional voice talent includes The Diamond Minecart, Susan
Sarandon, Daniel Wu, Parker Posey, James Hetfield, Catherine
O’Hara, Bobcat Goldthwait, Chris Diamantopoulos, Jonny Rees,
Harland Williams and Richard Horvitz.
Sher and van Dyk are joined by Sander Schwartz, the Emmy
award-winning producer of animated hits including “The Batman,”
“The Aquabats! Super Show!” and “Justice League: The New Frontier,”
as the show’s executive producers. “Skylanders Academy” is animated
by the internationally acclaimed TeamTO studio in France.
“Activision Blizzard Studios’ enviable mission is to work with
our extraordinary portfolio of franchise intellectual property and
bring it to broader audiences on new platforms,” said van Dyk.
“We’re excited to reach this strategic partnership and for the
future of ‘Skylanders Academy.’”
For the latest on news and announcements from Netflix, please
see the Netflix Media Center.
About Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc., a member of the S&P 500, is the
world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment
company. We delight over 500 million monthly active users around
the world through franchises including Activision’s Call of Duty®,
Destiny and Skylanders®, Blizzard Entertainment’s World of
Warcraft®, StarCraft®, Diablo® and Hearthstone®: Heroes of
Warcraft™, and King’s Candy Crush®, Pet Rescue® and Farm Heroes®.
The company is one of the Fortune “100 Best Companies To Work
For®.” Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision
Blizzard has operations throughout the world, and its games are
played in 196 countries. More information about Activision Blizzard
and its products can be found on the company’s website,
www.activisionblizzard.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements: Information in this press release involving the
company’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding
the future, including statements about the expected release date of
“Skylanders Academy,” are forward-looking statements that are not
facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that
could cause actual future results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this
release include unanticipated product delays and other factors
identified in the risk factors sections of the company’s most
recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this
release are based upon information available to the company as of
the date of this release, and the company assumes no obligation to
update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be
incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future
performance of the company and are subject to risks, uncertainties
and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may
cause actual results to differ materially from current
expectations.
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Activision Blizzard, Inc.Elizabeth Ashford, 415-279-2639
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