The tech giant has struck a deal with the foundation overseeing author Maurice Sendak’s work to develop kids’ series and specials based on his stories. The multi-year deal is the first of its kind for Apple, which will develop the projects for its TV+ streaming platform.
Through the deal, Apple and The Maurice Sendak Foundation will reimagine new children’s series and specials based on the author’s books and illustrations. In addition to his most famous work, Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak’s books include In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There and The Nutshell Library.
The deal marks the first time The Maurice Sendak Foundation has signed an overall agreement with a streaming service. Writer, director and longtime Sendak collaborator Arthur Yorinks will work with Apple to develop each project via his Night Kitchen Studios.
The agreement with Sendak’s foundation expands the roster of deals Apple has made for kids’ programming. Apple has also struck deals with the Jim Henson Company for a new Fraggle Rock series, Sesame Workshop (Ghostwriter) and Peanuts, which thus far has yielded Snoopy in Space and Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10.
Streaming services have made big investments in kids’ programming. In late 2018, Netflix struck a deal worth $1 billion for rights to 16 of author Roald Dahl’s works, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. Amazon and HBO Max also have sizable slates of shows for kids, and Disney+ is built on family-friendly programming.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
