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Powerkids Entertainment announced an exciting collaboration with global partners to co-produce the highly anticipated spin-off of the The Jungle Book series, Adventures of Akira & Mowgli. They have partnered with industry leaders: beIN Media Group, DeAPlaneta Entertainment, Telegael, Twelve P Animation, and Wall Peep to co-produce this unique series.
The brand-new spin off to Rudyard Kipling’s timeless and famous classic is currently in fast-paced production, with a tentative completion date by the end of 2025. In anticipation of strong interest from broadcasters, they plan to initiate their presales during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival market, taking place this June in France.
“This innovative show introduces Akira, a bold and fearless new female protagonist, who joins the beloved Mowgli in this new jungle adventure brimming with heart, humour, and stunning animation,” said PowerKids Entertainment CEO Manoj Mishra. “With our renowned global partners onboard, we’re bringing Akira and Mowgli’s extraordinary journey to life. Together, we’ll share the enigmatic world of Akira and Mowgli with global audiences, unfolding their fun-packed story in a way that’s full of adventure and excitement.”
Even before its release, the show has been making waves and earning accolades. While previously, the series has been nominated for Best International Showcase at the prestigious Cartoon on the Bay Pulcinella Awards, Mishra has won AnimationXpress’ ANN Award 2024 for the best producer.
“We are delighted to co-produce Adventures of Akira & Mowgli, and are excited to exclusively bring it to millions of children across the Middle East and North Africa,” said beIN MENA kids content and channels director Latifa Abdulla Al-Mana. “This partnership further reinforces beIN’s long-standing commitment to delivering high-quality, family-friendly Arabic content to young audiences in the region through our leading kids’ channels – Baraem and Jeem TV.”
“Telegael is excited to partner with our colleagues at Powerkids Entertainment to bring the exciting adventures of Akira and Mowgli to audiences around the world. Building on the huge success of The Jungle Book series, Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Sherekhan and Kaa meet the fresh energy of our new protagonist, Akira, a fearless girl from a nearby village with a strong character. Together our heroes Akira and Mowgli outsmart mischievous foes, uncover ancient jungle secrets and learn the true meaning of friendship, courage and nature’s balance,” said Telegael CEO Paul Cummins.
“At DeAPlaneta Entertainment, we are always looking for new opportunities to collaborate with leading studios worldwide, and Asia is a key region for us,” said DeAplaneta Entertainment content & media sales director Carlos Biern. “This is a great moment to explore spin-offs of classic stories with universal appeal, bringing them to a global audience. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are thrilled to work with internationally renowned and award-winning studios like Powerkids, sharing our passion for storytelling and high-quality entertainment.”
“Akira & Mowgli is a very important project for us as a company based in Abu Dhabi, because it is one of the first international co-productions in animation coming from the region,” said TwelveP Animation general manager Katerina Pshenitsyna. “It is also a milestone for TwelveP itself as we diversify our activity from distribution to co-financing and co-producing family-friendly projects with international appeal. We believe that Akira & Mowgli has everything to become a successful global IP.”
For this animated series, Powerkids has brought Trevor Wall on board as the storyboard and animation director. Wall brings extensive experience from Disney Jr.’s Puppy Dog Pals and many more.
Renowned writers Jeff Sager and Eric Steinhart are crafting the scripts. They are known for their work on popular shows like PJ Masks, Super Wings, Paw Patrol, Dino Ranch, and The Snoopy Show. Creative director Siddharth Vasudeva will oversee the project, leveraging his acclaimed work on previous Jungle Book projects.
