Mr. Charles Entertainment Cheese is getting into TV showbiz with “The Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special,” a new project produced by UTA and Stampede Ventures’ kid-focused HappyNest Entertainment.
The TV special, which is currently in production with a release date scheduled for this holiday season, marks the first time the Chuck E. Cheese brand has been adapted into an animated special.
Written and executive produced by Zac Moncrief and Jon Coltan Barry (“Phineas & Ferb,” “Be Cool Scooby-Doo!”), “The Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special” boasts a voice cast that includes Nathan Kress (“iCarly”) in the titular role of Chuck E. Cheese, as well as Grey Griffin (“Avatar: The Last Airbender”), Nolan North (“Uncharted)”, Kari Wahlgren (“Rick & Morty”) and Fred Tatasciore (“Kung Fu Panda 2”).
Per Chuck E. Cheese IP owner Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment, the special, which does not currently have a streamer or network attached to air the project, “is not just a seasonal moment — it’s the beginning of a long-term vision to transform beloved characters into a storytelling universe for today’s kids and families.”
“This latest venture marks a strategic content expansion for Chuck E. Cheese, just as the brand has been reimagined for the latest generation of kids, launched a licensing division that currently has over 30 licensee partners in retail, novelty gift, toys, books and more, and engages with over 40M kids and families every year across its nearly 600 fun centers around the world,” the company says.
The announcement of the special comes on the heels of the launch of advertising platform CEC Media Network, which Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment describes as “a more than 3,500-screen DOOH platform driving over 2 billion impressions annually, offering distribution partners a turnkey marketing channel across digital and in-store touchpoints.
The TV event will feature a new Christmas song co-written by Barry, Moncrief, composer Ben Bromfield (“Ginny & Georgia”), and Barry’s father, Jeff Barry.
Oscar-nominated character designer and animator Bobby Pontillas (“Moana,” “Big Hero 6” and “Zootopia”) created the new character designs and animation is being handled by Pixel Zoo Animation Studios out of Brisbane, Australia. The team is led by Paul Gillett, director Steve Trenbirth (“The Croods: Family Tree,” “The Jungle Book 2”) and Moncrief as co-director.
A joint venture between Stampede Ventures and UTA, “The Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special” producer HappyNest is a family entertainment media company focused on developing new franchises. The company recently announce “Paris and Pups,” a kids’ animated series with Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media and 9 Story Media Group (a subsidiary of Scholastic Media) that is inspired by Hilton’s real-life pets.
“This project brings together all the elements of a soon-to-be holiday classic – a beloved brand that has entertained generations, a world-class creative team, and a timeless story filled with heart and comedy,” HappyNest senior vice president of production and development Sadaf Cohen Muncy said. “We’re proud to have our characters brought to life by an outstanding cast of voice talent, and an exceptional production team led by acclaimed animation veterans Zac, Jon, and Steve.”
“This is more than just a TV special — it’s a milestone moment for the Chuck E. Cheese brand,” Chuck E. Cheese’s vice president of global media, licensing and entertainment Melissa McLeanas said. “We’re entering the entertainment arena in a way that builds on our nostalgic legacy while charting a new future for our characters as a storytelling franchise.”
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