Cookbook Media recently announced a new global partnership with acclaimed animation veterans Todd Gallina and David Marshall to launch Force 5, a newly created CGI animated series with franchise appeal. Under the agreement, Cookbook Media has been appointed global agent for content distribution and consumer products, and will officially introduce the property to buyers, broadcasters, and licensing partners at upcoming industry events, including New York Toy Fair, Kidscreen Summit, and MIP London.
Targeted at kids aged between seven to 12, Force 5 is a sci-fi action comedy about a rag-tag team of teens tasked with saving the world—while learning to coexist with their unlikely secret weapon: a massive, sentient robot of destruction who very much does not want a bunch of kids piloting him. Packed with twhacky aliens, comical destruction, big-hearted friendship, and kittens (more on that in the pilot), the series draws inspiration from classic giant Mecha robot mythologies including Voltron, Robotech, Shogun Warriors, and Zoids, reimagined for a new generation.
The series is currently in development as 13 x 22-minute episodes, with a completed pilot produced by Cheer Digital in Taipei. Force 5 is created by Gallina and Marshall, with Marshall serving as co-creator and director and Gallina as co-creator and producer. The production team also includes head of animation production Tony Chang; art director Zac Retz; art director cum head writer Laura Kleinbaum; writer Jing Wuen; writer, and storyboard artist / character designer Andy Kelly.
“Force 5 was created to be the kind of franchise we wished existed when we were kids, an epic, funny, and deeply character-driven adventure built around a strong emotional core and an iconic giant-robot premise,” said Force 5 co-creators Marshall and Gallina. “With Cookbook Media on board, we’re excited to bring this world to partners who can help bring our vision to life. With a creative team that brings decades of global animation and franchise-building on board, we are excited to deliver a fresh new children’s franchise to worldwide audiences across screens, retail shelves, and pop culture platforms.”
“Force 5 immediately stood out for its bold creative vision and the extraordinary pedigree of its creators,” Cookbook Media co-founders, Claudia Scott-Hansen and Rob Bencal, said a joint statement. “David and Todd have assembled a world-class production team and a property with genuine franchise potential. We’re thrilled to partner with them to build a global ecosystem around Force 5. The property has all the ingredients to extend well beyond the screen into compelling interactive, gaming, and consumer product experiences. We’re looking forward to introducing it to the market at upcoming industry events.”
Marshall is a distinguished animation director and creative leader with more than 35 years of experience spanning television, feature animation, and international studio production. His career includes directing and supervising animation for George Lucas (Ewoks, Droids), Care Bears, and Ralph Bakshi’s The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse, followed by leadership roles at Warner Bros., WildBrain, Nickelodeon, Netflix, and Silvergate Media. Marshall has helped build studios, launch long-running series, and oversee more than 400 episodes of globally distributed kids’ content.
Gallina is the creator, producer, and brand architect whose career bridges original animation with large-scale brand building. After pioneering early internet animation in the late 1990s, Gallina went on to lead major growth initiatives in enterprise technology while nurturing Force 5 over nearly a decade into a franchise-ready universe. He is the originator, producer, and chief pitch architect of the property, personally guiding it from concept through internationally showcased production.
