German media company takes control of production, licensing and marketing for the series.

m4e has acquired an additional 45 percent of the international rights to Rainbow’s animated series “Mia and me.”

The takeover will be effective retroactively from Jan. 1 and will also include the production, licensing and marketing rights of the international series.

The acquisition will exclude Italy, where Rainbow will continue to hold 100 percent of the rights of the show. Meanwhile, Hahn Film will take over the remaining 5 percent of the rights from Rainbow. The remaining 50 percent of the series’ international rights will stay unchanged with Hahn & m4e Productions, a joint venture of Gerhard Hahn/Hahn Film and m4e.

“It has been under discussion with Rainbow for months to acquire the co-production shares and we are very happy now that this project came to a successful conclusion,” says Hans Ulrich Stoef, chief executive officer, m4e. “For m4e this is a milestone in the company’s development. With almost 100 percent of shares, which we are holding together with Gerhard Hahn/Hahn Film, we are able to market the brand even more and further expand it internationally.”

“Mia and me” was created by Gerhard Hahn and is a production of Hahn & m4e Productions. The series is co-produced by Rainbow in Italy and German ZDF Television Network.