iQiyi, WildBrain team with Keith Chapman for children’s action series

Chinese SVoD service iQiyi and Canada’s WildBrain have greenlit an animation series from Keith Chapman, creator of Paw Patrol and Bob the Builder.

Keith Chapman

Jonny Jetboy (40×11′) is set to be produced by iQiyi in collaboration with WildBrain, which will act as supervisor on the show’s development and production, and also handle its global distribution and licensing business outside Greater China.

The deal marks the first global partnership for original China IP struck by WildBrain’s dedicated Shanghai team.

With animation production from China’s WingSing Animation Studio, the kids’ series was initiated by iQiyi in collaboration with WildBrain China and is currently in production with delivery slated to begin in 2023.

Targeted at four- to seven-year-olds, it follows the adventures of 10-year-old Jonny, the youngest member of the hero family, which is secretly the “superteam” known as JetForce.

Creative brains behind the show include Chapman and Michael Vogel, who serve as executive producers, and Jinming Lu (GG Bond) from WingSing Animation Studio.

Vogel is one of the creative forces behind My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and WildBrain’s latest Strawberry Shortcake series, Berry in the Big City.

Xiaoxuan Yang, iQiyi’s VP, said: “Previously, iQiyi and WildBrain mainly collaborated over content acquisition. As for Jonny Jetboy, it marks collaboration from a creative stage for both parties.

“Together with first-class teams from both international and domestic, as well as WildBrain’s strength in international distribution and licensing in the global market, this is a key step for iQiyi in building an internationally recognised IP.”