Global kids and family entertainment major Toonz Media Group is partnering with Leadbelly Productions to co-produce a brand-new animation property titled Creepy Candy. Developed by multi-award-winning creator and founding president of Leadbelly Productions, Alan Jude Summa, Creepy Candy is targeted at children ages 4-11. Season one of the 2D animation show will include 26 episodes of 3 minutes and is slated to be launched in October 2022. The project’s first phase will also include producing a 30-minute Halloween special episode to be released in October 2023. 

“Creepy Candy is a unique property that offers us immense opportunities to explore beyond series development. Our idea is to develop this property into a 360-degree brand that includes digital media shorts, mini-movies, consumer products, and other L&M avenues,” said Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar.

Licensing veteran and CEO of NXT GEN Brand Marketing, Debi Rosenfeld, will work with Toonz on building the brand in the consumer products market.

“The Creation of the Creepy Candy Brand was in development for over a year, preparing the concept to bring to market. We are excited about our partnership with Toonz Media Group, to bring the story and characters to life in a new animated series and Halloween special. For years this space has been content with the usual traditional holiday programs. Creepy Candy is bringing something new and fresh to captivate the imaginations of children and adults alike. We’re bringing the fun and excitement of Halloween all year round! The special is scheduled to air October 2023 and promises to be a new classic for this popular time of year,” said Alan Summa, CEO/Creator Leadbelly Productions.

“I am thrilled to be working with the Toonz Media Group & Leadbelly Production team to partner on the consumer products program. We will be supporting the team by building a robust merchandising & licensing portfolio with key manufacturers and promotional partners. The “Creepy Candy” animation series and Halloween special will be packed full of fun, with its spooky candy characters and their creep-elicious adventures, is sure to delight and captivate young fans around the globe,” said Nxt Gen CEO Debi Rosenfeld.

CREEPY CANDY™ is the tale of a bag of candy accidentally left behind in a spooky, old library. On Halloween night the candies mysteriously come to life and are joined by the host spirit, Ty Poe, who haunts the old library. The result is a creepily comedic adventure with the candies frantically trying to avoid being eaten by the delightfully wicked librarian, Miss Page Turner, who must consume sweets, or her scary dark side comes out. This unique cast of crazy characters, along with a host of spirits living in the library who comes alive at night and the circumstances they find themselves in, is certain to create a concoction of comedy, chaos, and creepy fun!

The show will be distributed worldwide to television and OTT partners by Toonz Entertainment, the Distribution wing of Toonz Media Group. Toonz will also leverage its digital ecosystem, social media and existing partnerships with AVOD platforms to build the Creepy Candy brand.