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Toonz to bring Mr. Bean

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Toonz Animation India has won the licence to market cartoon, television, DVD and film productions featuring Mr. Bean, a fictional character immortalised by British actor Rowan Atkinson, in South Asia.

Toonz Licensing, merchandising wing of the multimedia entertainment company, has signed an agreement to this effect with Tiger Aspect Productions, a release issued by the company said here on Monday.

The company described the deal as ‘ground breaking’ and said it came in the wake of the huge success of the movie, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, in Europe and the United States. The film had grossed an estimated $2 million i n the first four weeks of its release.

The deal gives the company the sole right to market Mr.Bean in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Mr. Bean has a huge fan following in these countries and the company has been appointed ‘his’ licensing agent.

Toonz chief executive officer Jayakumar, announcing the deal, said that “Mr. Bean already has a huge fan following in South Asia, thanks to the success of live and animated television series. We believe this deal with Tiger Aspect will propel the brand to a new level”.

Mr. Bean-related merchandise is marketed in 60 regions worldwide. The merchandise includes books, video and toys. Toonz will develop more licensing strategies to market the products better.

Mr. Bean, created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, was first aired on television in 1990.

In 2002, Rowan Atkinson collaborated with animators to create an animated version of Mr.Bean.

The animated version was also a big hit, particularly among the younger generation. Mr. Bean has won several awards, including the International Emmy in the Popular Art category, Golden Rose of Montreux, Cable Ace Award and the BANFF award.

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