Animation
DQE signs co-production and licensing deals worth US$48 million at MIPTV
MUMBAI: DQ Entertainment International has concluded a number of TV co-production and licensing deals at MIPTV held in April 2014.
“The gross value of the co-production and licensing deals agreed is approximately US$48 million (Rs 2880 million), of which circa US$12.8 million (Rs 768 million) is revenue expected to be accrued to DQE over the current fiscal year and the next, subject to milestones,” said DQE in a statement published in BSE.
Various TV co-production/service production and licensing and distribution deals were concluded for DQE properties such as: The Jungle Book season 2, The Jungle Book Christmas special, The Jungle Book Safari, Peter Pan season 2, Robin Hood, Lanfeust Quest, Project-Popp and others. “Overall MIPTV ’14 was hugely successful for DQ Entertainment with a large number of deals concluded by the licensing and distribution team for television, home video, VOD, SVOD, music publishing and promotional merchandise,” the statement added.
In particular, a co-production agreement for the second season of Peter Pan has been announced between DQE, ZDF TV Germany, Tele Quebec Canada, DeA Kids, Italy and France Television in partnership with Method animation with a gross budget of US$9.9 million.
DQE’s strategic alliance with Rollman Entertainment USA, signed last year for the co-production, distribution, licensing and merchandising of animated and live action TV series and new media content, has been very productive for the company. Two seasons of the animated TV series NFL Rush Zone and a first season of Iseodo were executed and successfully delivered under this alliance in the last fiscal period. “Additionally, a contract for the co-production of Yonaguni, the CGI TV series with a global budget of US$10 million, has been signed and DQE expects to conclude several more projects in the near future through this partnership with Rollman Entertainment,” the statement said.
7 Dwarfs and Me, due to go into production next month, co-produced by DQE and Method Animation, has signed broadcasting agreements with France Television, ZDF TV Germany and RAI TV Italy. DQE will also be producing a high quality CGI animated TV series, with Zagtoons, USA, tentatively named The POPPS which is expected to go into production by June this year.
DQ Entertainment CEO Tapaas Chakravarti said in a statement, “Response to our productions from global broadcasters has been very encouraging this MIPTV. Several strategic licensing agreements have been concluded and there are several others in the pipeline.”
MUMBAI: History is getting a fresh rewrite this time with code, creativity and a longer arc in mind. Lens Vault Studios has announced its first original production, Bal Tanhaji, marking the official entry of the newly launched, tech-driven studio into India’s evolving entertainment landscape.
Arriving six years after the box-office success of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the new project expands the universe rather than revisiting familiar ground. Bal Tanhaji explores uncharted narrative territory, signalling a clear shift from one-off cinematic spectacles to long-format, world-building storytelling designed for digital-first audiences.
At the heart of this ambition is Prismix Studios, the in-house generative AI and technology arm powering the creative engine behind the show. The studio’s approach blends storytelling with next-generation tools, aiming to reimagine how Indian IPs are created, scaled and sustained beyond theatrical releases.
For Lens Vault Studios chairman Ajay Devgn the new venture represents a deliberate step beyond traditional cinema. The focus is firmly on building long-form intellectual properties across fiction and non-fiction, tailored to changing viewing habits and platform-led consumption. He said the studio intends to explore formats that remain largely untapped, while drawing on the team’s experience with large-scale cinematic storytelling.
Lens Vault Studios founder and CEO Danish Devgn echoed that sentiment, describing Bal Tanhaji as the studio’s first generative-AI-led IP and the starting point of a broader vision. The aim, he noted, is to carry forward the legacy of the Tanhaji universe while connecting with younger audiences through a blend of powerful narratives and emerging technologies.
With Bal Tanhaji, Lens Vault Studios is planting its flag early not just launching a show, but signalling a larger play for cinematic universes that live, grow and evolve across platforms. If this debut is any indication, the future of Indian storytelling may be as much about imagination as it is about innovation.
