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Tencent takes on Tuzki drama

Created by Momo Wang, Tuzki is regularly used on WeChat

Chinese OTT giant Tencent has ordered a drama series inspired by Turner Asia Pacific IP Tuzki, a popular rabbit character.

The illustrated character, featured in a range of emoticons, has been licensed to Tencent for Second Time is a Charm, with Turner making a financial investment in the production as part of the agreement.

Created by Momo Wang in 2006, Tuzki is used every day by millions of people in China on Tencent-owned messaging app WeChat and is wholly owned by Turner.

Tuzki will feature heavily in the show as well as in animated shorts at the end of each episode. Wang is creatively involved in the project to design new characters and adaptations of the show’s characters in Tuzki’s unique style, Turner said.

Wang’s career has also been used as inspiration the leading character, played by Olivia Wang, in Second Time is a Charm.

Lisa Li, Turner’s country head for China, said: “This is the next evolution of the Tuzki brand together with Tencent. We’ve worked together already on an animated series and on the upcoming theatrical movie, and of course on the WeChat messaging platform. But this will be the first drama series that features Tuzki, and it’s going to appeal to an audience that has grown up using the character to communicate with their friends and who know him as a fashion icon.”

Second Time is a Charm, directed by Chen Ming-zhang, will premiere this year and is expected to comprise around 50 episodes.

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