Universal's video arm takes Barbie rights

After a deal with UK children's outfit Entertainment Rights and US toy giant Mattel, Universal Pictures Visual Programming has picked up home video rights to the upcoming film Barbie as Rapunzel.

The deal sees London-based UPVP sublicensing home video rights from Entertainment Rights for all territories outside the US, Canada, Ireland and the UK. Furthermore, Universal Pictures International Video takes home video rights within the UK and Ireland.

Entertainment Rights retains all TV rights outside North America. The 75-minute cgi animated show will be released on VHS and DVD, and on TV in selected territories this autumn.

The deal reunites Entertainment Rights and UPVP, who partnered on the home video distribution of the first Barbie film, Barbie in the Nutcracker, which has sold 700k units in the UK as well as 2.5m units worldwide outside North America.

Produced by Canada's Mainframe, the sequel has Barbie as an artist who paints her way out of a castle tower to save her prince. Kelly Sheridan returns as the voice of Barbie, while Cree Summer plays Penelope the dragon.