Walt Disney Studios has a new Winnie the Pooh hand-drawn animated theatrical release in the works, and it’s also creating two primetime TV specials starring the main character of the animated series Handy Manny.
The announcements are planned for Tuesday at the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas, where executives also will discuss plans to pump more enthusiasm into the world’s largest licensed character franchise: Mickey Mouse.
That effort, said consumer products chairman Andy Mooney, could include classic footage of an animated Mickey mashed up with contemporary Disney properties, with the resulting creations running on the Disney Channel.
“Through extensive research with kids, we found they actually love the original Mickey Mouse property,” Mooney said.
Release date
• The Winne the Pooh movie is planned for release spring 2011.
