LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Netflix, Grace: A
Storytelling Company (Grace), Thunderbird and Beyond Screen
Production announced today that the highly anticipated children's
series BEAT BUGS will come to Netflix this summer.
BEAT BUGS features original characters and a world created
by Josh Wakely, who will direct,
write and produce the series, following a deal with Sony/ATV Music
Publishing for worldwide rights to record covers of the Beatles
song catalogue for this production. Australian Netflix members will
be able to enjoy the series on Netflix soon after its premier on
Seven Network.
BEAT BUGS incorporates songs from the Lennon/McCartney
'Northern Songs' catalogue, to tell uplifting and life-affirming
stories filled with hope and melody. World-leading artists,
animators and writers have come together to work on this
extraordinary show. The Beat Bugs are charming, funny, adventurous,
and have a knack for getting themselves into mischief and mayhem.
Each of the five friends (Jay, Kumi, Crick, Buzz, and Walter) has a
distinctive personality, and they display the charm and energy of
five knockabout, lovable kids. They are best friends who band
together to explore and learn in an overgrown suburban backyard,
which to them is their entire universe.
The show will feature some of the most well-known Beatles songs
woven into the narrative of each episode, with Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay, Sia, The Shins, Of Monsters and
Men, Chris Cornell, Regina Spektor, James
Corden, and Birdy each recording their rendition of an
iconic song. Further artists joining the project are expected to be
announced in the coming months. Among the songs featured include
Help!, All You Need Is Love, Come Together, Penny Lane, Yellow Submarine, Lucy In the
Sky with Diamonds, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band, and Magical Mystery Tour.
"Personally I'm very grateful to be part of Josh's vision," said
Eddie Vedder. "A tremendous
show for kids that combines beautiful animation with great stories
and obviously some of the best songs ever written."
"It's a rare occasion to be presented with a truly one-of-a-kind
children's show that is so perfectly suited to Netflix," said
Andy Yeatman, director of original
kid's content at Netflix. "Josh and his team have not only
developed a compelling children's show filled with life lessons,
but they've built a show that will transcend generations and have
parents and grandparents enjoying right alongside their little
ones."
Josh Wakely says: "Bringing
BEAT BUGS to life on Netflix and having a platform to
re-imagine this universally acclaimed music for families around the
world is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Our partners
have been fantastic in making this concept a vivid reality, and
this is a great example of the innovative and fresh storytelling at
the heart of Grace's ethos."
This marks the first project from Wakely's independent film and
television production and development banner, Grace: A Storytelling
Company (Grace) – which he co-owns with BEAT BUGS Executive
Producer, Trevor Roy. In addition,
award-winning film and TV production group Thunderbird has come on
board as a co-production partner, alongside Beyond Screen
Production. Atomic Cartoons, a Thunderbird-owned studio, is working
on animation for the series. The series is represented
worldwide by Beyond Distribution.
About Netflix
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the
world's leading Internet television network with over 75 million
members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours
of TV shows and movies per day, including original series,
documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they
want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen.
Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without
commercials or commitments.
About Grace: A Storytelling Company
Grace is a global
independent film and television development and production banner
led by filmmaker Josh Wakely.
Grace's output is distinguished by innovation, and imaginative
creative and business partnerships, combined to cultivate
transformative storytelling. Based out of Australia and the US, Grace is committed to
producing intelligent, elevated, talent-driven film and television
projects to the worldwide audience.
About Thunderbird
Thunderbird is a Vancouver-based TV and film production company
with offices in Los Angeles,
Toronto and London. Thunderbird produces award-winning
programming for Canadian and International markets through its
group of companies, which includes Vancouver-based Reunion Pictures, Great
Pacific Media and Atomic Cartoons, UK-based theatrical distributor
Soda Pictures, and a joint venture with Lionsgate, Sea to Sky
Studios, which is dedicated to creating quality scripted content
for the US and International market.
About Beyond
Beyond International Limited (ASX:BYI)
is a leading international producer and distributor of television
and digital content and is one of the largest independent
distributors of home entertainment product in Australia. The Company is headquartered in
Sydney and listed on the
Australian Stock Exchange. Beyond has produced over five
thousand hours of television programs for broadcast internationally
including Mythbusters, Taboo, Selling Houses Australia, Deadly
Women and Facing Evil. The company has production offices in
Sydney, San Francisco and Los Angeles and produces programs for
Australian, US and international broadcasters. Beyond's
international distribution business markets an extensive program
catalogue sourced from third party producers and internal
production. This business unit is headquartered in Dublin, with sale offices in London and Sydney. The Home
Entertainment operation focuses on digital and DVD distribution and
has an extensive catalogue of product, which is distributed
throughout Australia and New
Zealand. The Digital Marketing business performs online
search optimisation, website creation, development and performance
and online media sales within Australia and New
Zealand.
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SOURCE Netflix