Maurice Sendak Foundation Signs Overall Deal with Apple TV Plus

Elaine Low
·2 min read

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Apple TV Plus announced Monday that it has inked a multi-year overall deal with the Maurice Sendak Foundation, through which it will develop new projects based on Sendak’s books and illustrations.

The streaming deal marks a first for the non-profit charitable foundation, which supports the artistic legacy of the late Sendak, who authored and illustrated the 1963 children’s classic, “Where the Wild Things Are,” as well as “In The Night Kitchen,” “Outside Over There,” and “Bumble-Ardy.” Sendak wrote and illustrated no fewer than 17 books, and lent his artistic talents as an illustrator to over one hundred other titles, including Else Holmelund Minarik’s “Little Bear” book series and Ruth Krauss’ “A Very Special House,” “Somebody Else’s Nut Tree and Other Tales from Children,” and more.

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Apple TV Plus will work with writer and director — as well as longtime Sendak collaborator — Arthur Yorinks to bring each project to life. The streaming service will develop the projects through Yorinks’ Night Kitchen Studios, and resulting programs will be available exclusively though Apple’s streaming platform, which launched in November of last year.

Among Apple TV Plus’ other partnerships in children and family programming are Sesame Workshop, Peanuts and The Jim Henson Company. Its current slate of kids series include “Helpsters,” “Ghostwriter,” “Snoopy in Space,” and “Peanuts in SpaceL Secrets of Apollo 10.”

During his lifetime, Sendak was honored with the Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children, the international Hans Christian Andersen Award for children’s book illustration, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his lifetime’s work and the National Medal of Arts, among other recognition. He passed in 2012.

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