Kids
Cartoon Network starts production on Andre Benjamin series; to debut in 2006 in the US
MUMBAI: Cartoon Network has begun production on the untitled Andre Benjamin Primetime series. Created by Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000 of OutKast) and Tom Lynch (Romeo!), 12 half-hour episodes and a one-hour premiere are being produced at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California.
The highly anticipated primetime half-hour series features a group of musically gifted kids and an unlikely visitor that brings sunshine to their lives.
The series is scheduled to debut in 2006. The show title will be named at a later date.
The series is produced by Cartoon Network in conjunction with the Tom Lynch Co. and Andre Benjamin’s production company, Moxie Turtle.
Benjamin and Lynch will serve as executive producers, and Benjamin will provide voices and musical direction for the show. The show’s co-executive producer and head writer is Patric M Verrone, a writer for Futurama, The Critic and Pinky and the Brain and a supervising producer on Futurama. Animation veteran Donovan Cook (Two Stupid Dogs, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers) joins the production as supervising producer.
Andre Benjamin is best known as one half of the Grammy-winning musical group OutKast. His acting career has led to roles in Four Brothers starring Mark Wahlberg, Be Cool, starring John Travolta, and Hollywood Homicide, featuring Harrison Ford. He also lends a voice to Elwyn in the film Charlotte’s Web, which blends live-action and animation and will be released in 2006.
Tom Lynch has been an innovator in the field of kids’, tween and teen programming for the past 20 years. His groundbreaking debut series, Kids Incorporated, was the first variety show for youngsters; his series The Secret World of Alex Mack was both the first series created for tweens and the first show to feature a tween girl as its central character. Since then, Lynch has continued to blaze new trails with such original programs as the Emmy-nominated Scout’s Safari (filmed in South Africa) and Romeo!, starring the real life musician Romeo and his father, music mogul Master P.
In addition to the untitled Andre Benjamin Project, Cartoon Network Studios’ current production slate includes four half-hour series set to premiere on Cartoon Network in 2005 and 2006 (The Life & Times of Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey and Ben 10), three original shorts and ongoing production of hit series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
