STUDIO 100 MEDIA AND ON THE EDGE PRODUCTIONS FORGE MOVIE PROJECT TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN HUMANITY AND NATURE
Munich, 26 October 2023. On the Edge Productions Ltd, a dynamic multi-media and non-profit organisation, and Studio 100 Media announce their collaboration on the upcoming feature film “On the Edge: Donnie Dares!”; joining as co-producer is LA-based Viva Kids. Pre-production of this adventure-comedy for kids and families has already commenced, with the movie set for release in late 2026. Studio 100 Film will be helming international sales and will introduce the project at this year’s AFM in Santa Monica.
Attached to the project is Emmy Award-winning Head Writer Michael Ryan, who has worked on television projects including “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?”, “Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny”, and “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory”, as well as feature films such as “Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog”, and “Gulliver Returns”. Also on board for visual & story development is Creative Director Archie Donato from Jellyfish Pictures, who has amassed over 17 years of experience at DreamWorks and contributed to many of the studio’s biggest hits including “Shrek Forever After”, “Kung Fu Panda”, and “Megamind”.
The movie’s production team is spearheaded by Executive Producers Beth Blood and Karen Vermeulen (On the Edge Productions Ltd), along with Martin Krieger from Studio 100 Media, and Victor Elizalde from Viva Kids. The production team also includes producers Thorsten Wegener (Studio 100 Media), Laura Prieto, and Mayank Jhalani (Viva Kids).
The main cast of “On the Edge: Donnie Dares!” are six unique, quirky, and relatively unknown endangered species. They were chosen from the more than 3,000 animals that make up the EDGE list; a compendium of endangered species that are Evolutionary Distinct, Globally Endangered, and all on the very edge of extinction. Led by Donnie, a Cuban Solenodon, they set out on a mission to make humans see them, appreciate them, and maybe even fall in love with them and, above all, to stop endangering them!
The movie’s mission is to make people fall for and respect the natural, wild world around them in a very entertaining way. Audiences will laugh and giggle about the hilarious adventures of the wonderful and unique heroes Donnie (a Cuban Solenodon), Kiki (a Kakapo from New Zealand), Roman (a Jamaican Greater Funnel-eared Bat), Vy (an Aye-Aye-Lemur from Madagascar), Naz (a Bhuparthy’s Purple Frog) and Panic (an African Temminck’s Pangolin). A dynamic team that takes fate into their own paws to fight against annihilation. Everybody should leave the movie theater with a feeling of hope, but also be aware there is a call to action to save all endangered species from forever disappearing from existence.
“We are excited to have Studio 100 as our partner on a project we are so passionate about. They are not only a great distributor for family and kids’ entertainment, but also have approached this movie in a heartfelt manner, with sincerity and a decisive strategy,” says Beth Blood, Founder and CEO of On the Edge.
Martin Krieger, Executive Producer and CEO of Studio 100 Media adds: “We were fascinated by On the Edge’s mission to change the status quo in our world in an entertaining way and emotionally connecting people with nature. A true challenge that we would also like to take up.“We fell in love with ‘On the Edge: Donnie Dares!’ the moment we heard about it and couldn’t miss the opportunity to come on board as producers. From the concept to the amazing team, everything made sense for us. Now, we just can’t wait to make it a reality,” comments Laura Prieto, Vice President Acquisitions at Viva Pictures.
Background information:
On the Edge, the non-profit organisation behind this project is leading the charge to reconnect people with nature in an increasingly disconnected world. By crafting original, contemporary content about the natural world across a range of platforms, including social media, TV, film, and gaming, On the Edge aims to ignite a newfound love and respect for nature within a diverse and global audience. Their mission: the more individuals who cherish and appreciate nature, the greater our collective ability to protect and preserve it. This is encapsulated in their powerful motto: “Animals are our shareholders, and nature is our client.”
At the heart of On the Edge’s mission lies a commitment to funding vital conservation initiatives for underrepresented threatened species and ecosystems worldwide. “We exist because, as people, we’ve never been more disconnected and isolated from the natural world than we are now. It is this disconnection that allows us to overlook the destruction of nature,” says Beth Blood, Founder and CEO of On the Edge. “We’re on a mission to emotionally reconnect humanity with it. We truly believe that only by falling in love with nature we will appreciate its value and do what it takes to save it.”
For more information about On the Edge and its transformative initiatives, please visit www.ontheedge.org
ON THE EDGE: DONNIE DARES! – Synopsis:
When survival is the mission… anything is possible!
Lots of people have never heard of these six endangered animals: The Solenodon, the Kakapo, the Pangolin, the Aye-Aye, the Greater Funnel-eared Bat, and the Purple Frog. But soon everyone is going to know everything about them. This team of weird and wonderful animals takes fate into their own hands/paws to fight against extinction – so that one day their descendants will not have to live their lives forever ON THE EDGE.
About the On the Edge organisation
On the Edge is a non-profit multimedia and conservation organisation producing contemporary, pop-culture content about the awe and wonder of the natural world. The team creates original content from the perspective of species or ecosystems for social media, film, TV, and mobile gaming. Their mission is to emotionally reconnect humanity with nature to reverse and prevent further damage. On the Edge also grant funds conservation groups globally and runs regional campaigns to promote awareness of lesser-known endangered regions.
About Studio 100 Media
Studio 100 Media is a leading international production and distribution company specialized in high-quality children’s and family movies and series. Based in Munich, the company represents a portfolio of well-known brands including “Maya the Bee”, “Mia and me”, “Heidi”, “Vic the Viking”, and “100% Wolf”. Studio 100 Media further engages in international brand rights licensing and manages its own state-of-the-art production studio, Studio Isar Animation.
The company is part of the Belgian Studio 100 Group which also boasts a strong presence in the theme park industry across Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and the Czech Republic. For further information, please visit: www.studio100group.com
About Viva Kids
Viva Kids is a Los Angeles based film production studio and all-rights distributor with a proven track record of releasing films theatrically and through major digital platforms. In 2023, Viva ushered the animated indie THE AMAZING MAURICE to Sundance Film Festival and to 2,000 theaters in North America. Viva has led the production and distribution on animated and live-action movies such as RALLY ROAD RACERS (starring J.K. Simmons and Jimmy O. Yang), 100% WOLF (starring Jane Lynch, Samara Weaving, Loren Gray), and R.L. Stine’s ZOMBIE TOWN (starring Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Madi Monroe).
About Jellyfish Pictures
Founded in 2001, Jellyfish Pictures is a global BAFTA, Emmy and Annie Award-winning VFX and animation studio delivering critically acclaimed work for clients including Disney, Netflix, DreamWorks, Apple TV+, HBO, Sky, the BBC, and Amazon.
Jellyfish Pictures’ animation division is currently in production on a series for Netflix/Lime entitled “Wereworld”, a feature adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Twits” for Netflix and an undisclosed feature for DreamWorks Animation.
Previously, Jellyfish Pictures has produced high-quality CG animation for “Spirit Untamed” and “How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming”, plus top-rated children’s animated series “Dennis and Gnasher: Unleashed”, “Floogals”, and “Bitz & Bob”