Viacom18 launches its maiden animation theatrical Motu Patlu King of Kings

Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Nickelodeon have joined hands to create the movie produced by Maya, all set to release this October in over 700 screens

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | September 9, 2016

(L-R) Ketan Mehta, Sudhanshu Vats, Motu, Sushant Singh Rajput, Patlu, Nina Jaipuria & Ajit-Andhare

Viacom18 is all set to release its maiden 3D stereoscopic animation theatrical, Motu Patlu King of Kings. Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Nickelodeon have joined hands to create the movie based on the Lotpot characters Motu Patlu. Produced by Maya, the movie is slated to release on October 14 in Hindi and Tamil in over 700 screens across India.

This is the 11th movie based on the characters. The network had previously released 10 Motu Patlu movies in the 'made for TV' format.

“An interesting confluence of two major developments has led to Motu Patlu's silver screen debut. Firstly, the animation industry in India is rapidly evolving at a growth rate of 13.8%, with over 15,000 professionals working to create content for industries across the globe. Secondly, with an estimated 400mn kids in the country today, the kids category is the third largest in the Indian broadcast sector, after the GECs and movies categories, with a sizeable headroom for growth in terms of both viewership and revenues,” said Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18.

“The 10 Motu Patlu 'made-for-television' movies have contributed 10% of Nick's ratings, being among the top five every time we released one such movie. The science behind the art of movie-making, a core philosophy of Viacom18 Motion Pictures, demanded that the characters debuted on the silver screen. In that sense Motu Patlu has had an interesting journey – starting with television, then moving into digital, capitalising on their growing brand value through Viacom18 Consumer Products and now starring in their own movie,” he added.

“We have created a vibrant ecosystem around the Motu Patlu franchise that keeps growing in scale and reach by the day. From being the leading show across the kids category on television and digital; creating brand licensing opportunities across product categories, curating a great merchandising line, to now taking the franchise to the silver screen – our endearing Motu Patlu has further deepened and strengthened our bond with kids across the country,” said Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Business Head, Kids Entertainment, Viacom18.

Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, said, “Viacom18 Motion Pictures has stood for a distinctive kind of cinema and consistently delivered on that promise. Animation movies is an under-explored category in the Indian movie business and the success of the Motu Patlu 'made for television' movies clearly indicated that there was a demand for both the format and the characters to be introduced on a much larger scale. With our first foray into the 3D stereoscopic animation segment, I hope the children across the country have special memories of Motu Patlu King of Kings, to take cherish.”

Talking about the film, Ketan Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director, Maya Digital Studios, said, “The launch of Motu Patlu King of Kings is a big step for the animation industry at large. Given that Motu Patlu is the most popular kids' brand in the country today, we were inspired to create this magnum opus suitable for the big screen. This is a film that will be driven by children, but one that will be equally enjoyed by adults.”

Some of the leading names from the Indian film industry have been roped in for the movie. The film has been directed by Suhas Kadav and veteran lyricist Gulzar has penned lyrics of the title track. Vishal Bharadwaj has composed the music and Sukhwinder Singh has lent his voice for the soundtrack.

A 360-degree marketing and activation plan has been crafted for the movie. Apart from Viacom18's network, the movie will be promoted across other network groups. A promotion drive across 30 cities of the Hindi and Tamil speaking belts has been planned for the movie. Marketing alliances with more than 20 brands across categories such as confectionery, toys, FMCG, milk supplement products, is being tapped.

The movie tells the story of a a runaway circus lion, a lion king trying to protect his kingdom, a greedy poacher and Motu Patlu caught up in one final battle to save the life of the jungle. It will also be aired on Nickelodeon and Viacom18's digital platform Voot after the theatrical release.

Earlier, famous cartoon characters like Chhota Bheem have found themselves on the silver screen. Cartoons like Roll No 21 and Mighty Raju have had television premieres for movies based on them too.

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