‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ & ‘Alien Adventures Of Finn Caspian’ Animated TV Movies In Works At MiMO Studio

Denise Petski
·3 min read

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EXCLUSIVE: Cyma Zarghami’s MiMO Studio has acquired Deborah Diesen’s bestselling preschool book franchise The Pout-Pout Fish and award-winning kids serialized kids podcast The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian to develop into multiple, animated TV-length movies. The projects are among the first for the recently launched MiMO Studio — short for mini movies — a full-service production and consultancy focused on kids and family content.

MiMO Studio also released a trailer for the company’s first live-action movie, based on Matt Christopher’s popular children’s book The Kid Who Only Hit Homers.

The Pout-Pout Fish adaptation will follow the original adventure of The Pout-Pout Fish and his friends to develop the core cast of characters in their undersea world.

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Written by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna and published by Macmillan, The Pout-Pout Fish spans more than 40+ titles. It became a New York Times best seller upon its release in 2008 with more than 8.5 million copies sold. In 2009, the book received the Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year award.

The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian, from Gen-Z Media, was launched in 2016 by Jonathan Messinger, author of Hiding Out and former web editor of Time Out Chicago Kids. Written and performed by Messinger, The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian is a serialized science-fiction story for kids, told in 15-20-minute episodes.

The story centers on Finn Caspian, an 8-year-old boy aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. He and his friends Abigail, Elias and Vale are Explorers Troop 301, taking off from the Marlowe to explore uncharted planets, help the occasional alien, and solve a mystery that threatens to destroy the Marlowe.

“As we ramp up our studio, The Pout-Pout Fish and The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian are perfect IP for us to develop as they are based on well-known and beloved properties that align perfectly with MiMO Studio’s objective to deliver content for families to enjoy. The characters in these stories have been loved by kids of all ages through imaginative, adventurous and interactive storytelling while encouraging families to spend time together,” said Zarghami, MiMO Studio’s Founder and CEO.

“Even during these trying times, writers, producers and animators are able to continue their work remotely and we are working with an amazing group who will bring these stories to life in a new way for fans who’ve loved them for years and those who are just discovering them,” Zarghami added.

The contemporary take on the book centers on 13-year-old protagonist Sylvester Coddmeyer III (aka SYL), and a female pitcher.

Directed by Carlos Gonzalez, The Kid Who Only Hit Homers is described as a beloved story about baseball, perseverance, confidence and being a good teammate.

 

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