Filmmaker Josh Wakely’s production company, GRACE, has made an agreement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, acquiring the worldwide rights to The Beatles’ music catalogue, which licenses GRACE with the rights to the iconic group’s song catalogue for an animated children’s series, “Beat Bugs,” that will be based on the original characters and world, created by Wakely.
The deal was made on the heels of Wakely’s presentation of “Beat Bugs” to Sony/ATV executives. The animated series is designed for children and uses original narratives interwoven with The Beatles songs to tell the story of young bugs that live and learn life lessons in the magical universe of an overgrown backyard. “Beat Bugs” combines the popular appeal of animation with universally loved songs while encouraging a new generation of children and parents to share the music of The Beatles.
Damian Trotter, Managing Director of Sony/ATV said, “Josh’s ingenuity and creative exploration of these iconic songs in a wholly imaginative world was too good to pass up and the idea of opening up the single greatest music catalogue of the 20th Century to the next generation is something we are particularly excited about. We are thrilled to be working with Josh and the team at GRACE.”
Wakely said “The idea emerged out of a deep love and respect for The Beatle’s music and a desire to create a timeless program that could be enjoyed as much by young children as their parents. I am energized about bringing it to screens across the world; the message of ‘Beat Bugs’ is the power of imagination, and sharing that with families is incredibly important to me.”
GRACE is in discussions with various animation studios and licensees for distribution of the series. Worldwide distribution rights for “Beat Bugs” is being sold by CAA and Hirsch, Wallerstein, Hayum, Matlof & Fishman.
ABOUT GRACE FILMS, INC.
Led by principal Josh Wakely (director, producer, screenwriter), Grace Films is a film and television production company with offices in Australia and the USA, whose goal is to create transformative and innovative storytelling. Wakely, formerly a writer on the BAFTA nominated Australian family series “Lockie Leonard”, which won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Children’s Drama, is currently in development on a series of feature films including “Born to Run” and music based romantic comedy “Mixtape” both of which Josh wrote and will direct