TV show based on ‘Skylanders’ video game coming to Netflix
The first production from Activision Blizzard’s new TV-and-film studio will debut on Netflix this fall.
The world’s most popular streaming video subscription service announced Thursday that “Skylanders Academy,†based on the bestselling console game, has been picked up for a pair of 13-episode seasons. Featured voices on the good-versus-evil animated show include actor Justin Long as the game’s lovable purple dragon Spyro and actress Ashley Tisdale as crafty, tree-hugging Stealth Elf.
Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard, the nation’s largest video game company by annual profit, took on a longtime goal of Chief Executive Bobby Kotick when it expanded further into the entertainment business late last year. The months-old Activision Blizzard Studios unit is charged with creating productions that entice customers to spend more time in the company’s many fictional universes, including the colorful, magical islands of Skylands and the blood-stained battlefields of “Call of Duty.â€
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Financial analysts already expect the “Skylanders†show to boost game sales in the same way that series about “Pokemon†and “Penguins of Madagascar†have fueled spending on related merchandise.
“Skylanders†pioneered the so-called toys-to-life industry, encompassing video games that require having physical toys to unlock experiences in the digital realm. Youngsters, mostly boys under age 10, have generated $3 billion in revenue for Activision Blizzard since 2011 through six versions of the game and the ongoing parade of figurines that keeps reeling parents to store shelves.
Nick van Dyk and Stacey Sher, co-presidents of Activision Blizzard Studios, declined to discuss in specific terms how the show would be tied to the game. But Sher said an idea like making special toys available to show viewers “certainly†represents an opportunity.
“We’re not making this as an advertisement for the game, but there’s obviously a positive feedback loop,†van Dyk said.
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The show isn’t the only thing expected to lift “Skylanders†sales this fall. After seeing sales squeezed recently by new competitors such as Nintendo, toys-to-life mainstay Walt Disney Co. isn’t adding to its “Infinity†franchise. Analysts see Disney’s withdrawal as good news for “Skylanders,†though a number of gamemakers are plotting on-the-go challenges centered on mobile apps and pocket-sized toys.
The choice of Netflix to distribute the show came down to its global popularity among families, Sher and van Dyk said. They declined to discuss financial terms of the deal.
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