EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated Rick and Morty producer David Marshall has birthed an animated sci-fi comedy series with industry veteran Todd Gallina.
The duo are launching Force 5 at the upcoming Kidscreen Summit and MIP London. Targeted at 7–12 year olds, Force 5 follows a rag-tag team of teens tasked with saving the world—while learning to coexist with their unlikely secret weapon: a massive, sentient robot of destruction who doesn’t want a bunch of children piloting him. Gallina has nurtured the show for nearly a decade into a “franchise-ready universe,” the team said.
Cookbook Media has been appointed global agent for content distribution and consumer products, and will present the 13 x 22-minute Force 5 series to buyers, broadcasters, and licensing partners at upcoming industry events. Pilot has already been shot.
Marshall is a twice Emmy-nominated animation vet who has worked on the likes of Rick and Morty, while his career includes directing and supervising animation for George Lucas (Ewoks, Droids), Care Bears, and Ralph Bakshi’s The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse.
“Force 5 was created to be the kind of franchise we wished existed when we were kids, an epic, funny, and deeply character-driven adventure built around a strong emotional core and an iconic giant-robot premise,” said Marshall and Gallina. “With Cookbook Media on board, we’re excited to bring this world to partners who can help bring our vision to life. With a creative team that brings decades of global animation and franchise-building on board, we are excited to deliver a fresh new children’s franchise to worldwide audiences across screens, retail shelves, and pop culture platforms.”
The Force 5 pilot was produced by Cheer Digital in Taipei. Marshall is co-creator and director and Gallina is co-creator and producer. The production team also includes head of animation production Tony Chang; art director Zac Retz, Art director; head writer Laura Kleinbaum, writer Jing Wuen, Writer; and storyboard artist / character designer Andy Kelly.
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