Key Points:
- Artificial intelligence animation studio Toonstar signed a multi-year deal with publisher HarperCollins to create original animated series.
- The partnership will first adapt the popular tween book series “Friendship List” by author Lisa Greenwald.
- HarperCollins recently reported strong financial growth, with second-quarter revenue jumping 6.0% to reach $633 million.
- The publisher boasts a massive catalog of more than 250,000 titles and releases about 10,000 new books every year.
Artificial intelligence continues to change the entertainment industry. On Thursday, Los Angeles-based animation studio Toonstar announced a massive multi-year partnership with HarperCollins. The deal brings together cutting-edge digital animation and traditional book publishing. Toonstar will use its technology to produce a brand new slate of original animated series based on popular books from the publisher.
HarperCollins, which operates under the News Corp media umbrella, wants to expand its reach. The company hopes this partnership will introduce its massive literary catalog to a younger, digital-first audience. By turning written stories into fast-paced animated shows, the publisher can capture the attention of children and teenagers who spend their time watching videos on mobile devices and streaming platforms.
The two companies have already selected their very first project. They will adapt “Friendship List,” a highly popular book series written by Lisa Greenwald. The story targets a tween audience and explores relatable themes like friendship, self-discovery, and the everyday challenges of growing up. Fans of the original books will soon get to watch their favorite characters come to life on the screen.
This partnership also creates a unique loop for new content. After Toonstar finishes producing the animated series for “Friendship List,” HarperCollins will bring the property back to the printing press. HarperAlley, the graphic novel division of the publishing giant, will create and publish a brand-new graphic novel inspired directly by the animated show. This strategy gives fans multiple ways to enjoy the story across different media formats.
Former entertainment executives John Attanasio and Luisa Huang founded Toonstar to shake up the traditional Hollywood model. Both founders previously held high-level positions at Disney and Warner Bros., giving them deep experience in the entertainment world. They built their Los Angeles studio to create a new pipeline of direct-to-consumer animated properties.
Traditional animation often costs millions of dollars and takes years to finish. Toonstar uses artificial intelligence tools to speed up this exact process. Their team can produce high-quality animation much faster and cheaper than older, traditional studios. This rapid production schedule allows publishers to capitalize on book trends quickly rather than waiting years for a television network to greenlight a project.
HarperCollins brings massive financial muscle and an endless supply of stories to the table. The book publishing segment of News Corp recently posted excellent financial results. During the second quarter, the company saw its total revenue rise by 6.0% to $633 million. This steady cash flow allows the publisher to take bold risks and invest in new digital media projects, such as the Toonstar deal.
The sheer size of the HarperCollins library gives Toonstar plenty of material to work with over the next few years. According to the official company website, the publisher owns a print and digital catalog containing more than 250,000 different titles. The editorial team does not plan to slow down anytime soon. The company currently publishes about 10,000 new books every single year and translates stories into 16 different languages for global readers.
Industry experts will watch this collaboration closely. Traditional publishers constantly look for new ways to keep physical books relevant in a digital world. Teaming up with a nimble, tech-forward animation studio allows HarperCollins to bypass the slow and expensive Hollywood movie system. If “Friendship List” succeeds, readers can expect dozens of their favorite stories to make the jump from the page to the screen in record time.
