Kids
Disney announces live action series Welcome to Mollywood
MUMBAI: Disney Channel has announced the live-action comedy series Welcome to Mollywood with Demi Lovato (As the Bell Rings, Camp Rock) in the lead role. Disney Channels Worldwide president entertainment Gary Marsh announced the project.
Marsh said, “Our success is completely driven by the talent we partner with — in front of, and behind, the camera. The entire “Mollywood” creative team is the best in the business when it comes to creating break-out kid and family comedy. And Demi Lovato – actress, singer and songwriter — is, without a doubt, the next big talent to emerge from Disney Channel.”
Lovato was introduced to Disney Channel viewers last year in the short form comedy series As the Bell Rings. She next stars in two Disney Channel Original Movies, Camp Rock opposite the Jonas Brothers (premiering Friday, 20 June) and Princess Protection Program with Selena Gomez (premiering later this season). She has a solo recording contract with Disney‘s Hollywood Records and will perform this summer on the Jonas Brothers “Burning Up” concert tour.
The series also stars Tiffany Thornton (of the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie Hatching Pete) as Tawni Hart, Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico, Doug Brochu as Grady and Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora.
In Welcome to Mollywood, Lovato stars as Molly, a talented 15-year-old Midwestern girl who, after a nationwide search, is chosen to travel to Los Angeles to join the cast of the most popular and long-running teen sketch comedy show on TV. Set around Molly‘s home and work life, the series will feature a show-within-a-show, with fully produced comedy sketches. The sitcom will begin production in September for premiere during the 2008-09 season on Disney Channel.
Welcome to Mollywood is executive-produced by Brian Robbins and his producing partner Sharla Sumpter Bridgett, under the recently formed company Varsity Pictures.
Varsity Pictures is a feature film and television production company formed by producer/director Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. The company is currently developing numerous projects of which some Robbins will direct.
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.
