Snow White, Cinderella & Catalogue Of Fairytale Characters To Be Reimagined By Transmedia Firm Elf Labs
23.04.2024 - 13:09
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Ever wondered what a zombie Cinderella or Snow White in a Dia de la Muertos universe might look like?
A next-gen transmedia business, Elf Labs, is planning to answer those questions by bringing reimagined versions of dozens of classic characters to life.
The LA-based Elf Labs officially launches today after amassing over 400 copyrights and 140 trademarks for some of the most popular characters in children’s literature, also including Peter Pan, Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty.
The company was previously known as Toon Studio but has rebranded and refinanced with plans to create new versions of classic characters.
Deadline hears Elf Labs is building an immersive, cloud-based streaming platform for the characters and will also launch content based on the characters directly on YouTube, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. AI animation and digital distribution tools have developed, with content targeted at all age ranges.
Elf Labs counts DreamWorks alumnus and Beavis & Butthead director Mike De Seve and branding industry titan Bernt Ullman among its team and global tech biz Cosmic Wire as a partner and investor. Company founder Billy Phillips, who initially acquired the character trademarks, is now Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, with his son David Phillips the CEO since 2022. Mark Rowen has been hired as Head of Content and Thomas Gerrit is Head of Partnerships.
De Seve, who is the founder of Baboon Animation, will work with Elf Labs’ IP to develop and produce content, which Elf Labs will then use as a jumping point to strike licensing deals around the characters. “A creative production is only as good as its storyline, and the all-star roster of characters that Elf Labs secured has provided my team with an