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King Rollo de-merges rights arm MIPCOM JNR NEWS: King Rollo Films, the 25-year-old UK animation company behind the eponymous toon, classic Mr Ben, Discovery Kids' Paz and CBBC's Wide Eye, has split in two. A major restructure has seen the production entity, King Rollo Films Ltd, separate away from the rights-holding entity Rollo Rights. Since launch in 1979, both halves of King Rollo have been jointly owned by the same three partners: original founder and children’s writer/illustrator David McKee, producer Clive Juster and animator Leo Nielsen. Now Nielsen owns the production arm while Juster and McKee jointly own Rollo Rights, where Juster is md. "The intellectual property and secondary rights side of the business has never been fully exploited because our focus has always been on film production," said Juster. "Now it will get my undivided attention." Nielsen will continue with new productions at the company’s studio in Honiton, Devon, while Rollo Rights, which holds rights to properties including Mr Benn, King Rollo, Victor & Maria, Towser, Watt the Devil, Art, Ric and Dr Xargle, will relocate to new premises. Since the split, Rollo Rights has commissioned King Rollo Films to produce a new episode of kids fave Mr Ben, which will air on Nickelodeon UK. As part of the move, McKee will take on a smaller role in the new companies: "I have for some time been less and less involved with actual film production and more involved with my personal work. The two parts are in good hands," he explained. Ed Waller 2 Oct 2004 © C21 Media 2004 
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