Folivari Backs Sherlock Holmes Spinoff ‘The Baker Street Four’ Amidst Wider International Expansion (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comBen Croll In a sign of Folivari’s widening ambitions, the French animation powerhouse will handle world sales of the Sherlock Holmes spinoff “The Baker Street Four” through its newly launched distribution branch Folivari International.
Adapted from a local comic book series that pairs Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective with four streetwise urchins, the title was developed in-house, with Folivari and Blue Spirit (“Blue Eye Samurai”) tackling creative duties and Canal+ set as commissioning broadcaster.
Headed by Melissa Vega – former acquisitions and international sales manager at Dandelooo – Folivari International has picked up three additional titles, among them Folivari originals “Nino Dino” and “Kiki & Ailen” and the Chilean/Brazilian preschool series “Guitar & Drum,” co-produced by Hype Animation and Punkrobot.
That Vega and Folivari founding partner Damien Brunner both share Franco-Spanish backgrounds lends the upstart distributor a desire to look for projects from further afield. “What works in Latin America often works just as well in the United States,” says Damien Brunner, who envisions a handful of acquisitions each year. “What’s more, we have a company-wide desire to branch out – to meet people who are a bit surprising and not just buy from producers who are very established in Europe.” This opening towards distribution arrives at an auspicious time for the French company, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
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