Cologne-based licenser and children's TV producer BKN International has acquired international TV, video and merchandising rights for New York-based childrens animation production company GoodTimes Entertainments 51 title library. The deal worth US$13 million includes titles such as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and MOBY DICK. The five-year pact grants BKN all non-North American TV, video and merchandising rights for GoodTimes product, except for RUDOLPH in which GoodTimes will retain all rights outside of North America and German-speaking Europe until 2011. Currently, Warner Vision Germany holds German-language video rights for RUDOLPH. However, BKN will license the forthcoming direct-to-video release RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER AND THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS. The RUDOLPH sequel features the voices of Richard Dreyfuss, Jamie Lee Curtis and Rick Moranis and is set for a September 2001 release. As part of the deal, BKN has signed a three-year first-look deal with GoodTimes for future films involving RUDOLPH characters. International sales will be split evenly between BKN and GoodTimes after BKN regains its initial $12 million investment. BKN International is the international arm of BKN Inc.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
