Olivia Gets Animated on Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon has partnered with media content company Chorion to bring the bestselling Simon & Schuster Olivia books to life in a new animated television series. The debut of this preschool series is planned for 2009.

Nickelodeon plans to launch the 3D CGI series of 26 half-hour episodes during the first quarter 2009. Academy Award-nominated animation studio Brown Bag Films will be animating the project. Teri Weiss will be the executive in charge together with Chorion’s Diana Manson, executive vice president creative, and Megan Laughton, director creative.

The Simon Spotlight and Simon Scribbles imprints of Simon and Schuster will be developing a television tie-in multi-format program from storybooks to novelty and coloring books set to launch in late 2009.

The Olivia book series is translated into more then 20 languages, “Olivia is one of Simon & Schuster’s most important franchise series and we are both excited and confident that the Chorion and Nickelodeon collaboration will result in a first class show that is on par with the level of excellence that readers and fans associate with Olivia,” said Rick Richter, president and publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.