Viva Pictures And Kazoo Films Form Strategic Alliance To Distribute Animated Films In The U.S. And U.K.

American animation distributor Viva Pictures announced today that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Kazoo Films, the newly-launched U.K. distribution company operated by Cantilever Media.

The two companies will jointly acquire family animated features, with Viva Pictures handling distribution in the U.S. and Kazoo taking U.K. rights. The first film they will collaborate on is the soon-to-be-released Night of the Zoopocalpyse, inspired by a concept from horror author Clive Barker and directed by Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis.

Here’s what has been announced about the deal between these two companies:

• The partnership between Viva and Kazoo is non-exclusive. They will “strategically acquire and champion animated films that resonate with broad family audiences” on a case-by-case basis, and “pool resources to ensure the best possible marketing and promotion in both [the U.S. and U.K.].”
• Night of the Zoopocalypse, produced by Steven Hoban’s Copperheart
  Entertainment, will be released by Viva stateside on March 7, while Kazoo will put out the film in the U.K. sometime around Halloween.
• Viva Pictures previously distributed The Amazing Maurice in the U.S., which was produced by Kazoo’s parent company Cantilever Media. The film, which grossed $4.3 million domestic, is one of Viva’s most successful theatrical releases to date. The two companies will work together again on the upcoming sequel, The Amazing Maurice 2.
• Victor Elizalde, CEO of Viva Pictures, said in a statement, “We’ve already seen the impact of our collaboration on The Amazing Maurice, and this partnership allows us to build on that momentum, delivering more high-quality, engaging stories worldwide. We couldn’t be more excited that what began as casual discussion over breakfast at Kidscreen, is now coming to fruition exactly one year later.”