(TORONTO) – (January 25, 2011) – Multi-award-winning independent producer, 9 Story Entertainment has secured a home video partnership for its live-action movie, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, granting the DVD distribution rights to The Walt Disney Company for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The announcement was made by CEO Vince Commisso.
The deal follows on the heels of DVD distribution deals announced earlier this year with Vivendi Entertainment for the U.S. and eOne Entertainment for Canada.
Commenting on the new agreement with The Walt Disney Company EMEA, Commisso said, “With Disney’s representation of the DVD, we anticipate enormous success for Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars throughout the EMEA, capitalizing on the strong television ratings in the region. We are excited to see its global audience of families grow.”
Tom Christie-Miller, Home Entertainment Executive Marketing Director for The Walt Disney Company EMEA adds “We are delighted to have Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars become part of the Disney Home Entertainment offering. We’re looking forward to bringing this fantastic title to market and people’s homes in 2011 and strongly believe that the support of the Disney brand for the DVD release and its earlier TV broadcast on the Disney Channel will contribute to making it a great success for 9 Story.”
Based on the literary character created by Louise Fitshugh, in Blog Wars, Harriet (Jennifer Stone of Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place), is determined to become class blogger. Competing against her nemesis, Marion Hawthorne, Harriet will do whatever it takes to win the coveted title. When Harriet’s movie producer father signs teen heartthrob Skander Hill, to star in the sequel to the smash hit Spy Teen, Harriet decides that Skander is the perfect subject for her blog. Skander may represent everything that Harriet deplores… but she’s out to win!
Along with her best friends, Janie and Sport, Harriet embarks on a mission to spy on Skander and unearth any embarrassing secrets she can discover. But when she goes too far to get what she wants, her world begins to unravel. Now it’s up to Harriet to set the record straight before she ruins Skander’s career, brings down her father’s film, and loses the blog war!
Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars was written by Alexandra Clarke and Heather Conkie, currently the writer and executive producer on CBC’s hit series Heartland. It features up-and-coming Canadian talent Wesley Morgan (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Paradise Falls, Upcoming: Untitled Alien Invasionfor Steven Spielberg) and Vanessa Morgan (The Latest Buzz, Upcoming: Frankie and Alice), among others. Seasoned Canadian talent Shauna Macdonald (Flashpoint, The Listener, The Best Years, Being Erica, Life with Derek and Testees) and Doug Murray (Queer as Folk, Family Biz, Aaron Stone) also star as Harriet’s parents. Harriet the Spy was executive produced by 9 Story Entertainment and 2 Friends Entertainment partners Nancy Steingard and Wendy Moss Klein.
Media Inquiries: Sabrina Propper, RPiPR, 818.515.5798;
9 Story Entertainment: Helena Gomes, 416.530.9900
About 9 Story:
Founded in 2001, 9 Story Entertainment is an award-winning production and distribution company dedicated to delivering the most loved children’s properties internationally. Producer of such popular shows as Peep and the Big Wide World and Survive This, 9 Story has delivered over 200 half hours of television content. Led by executive producers Vince Commisso and Steven Jarosz, who have more than 25 years of combined specialized industry experience and leadership, the 9 Story team includes Executive Vice-President Natalie Osborne, heading up international business development, and Vice President of Development, Liliana Vogt. With 70+ employees and full production and distribution capabilities, 9 Story is a leader in the amazing and magical world of youth entertainment. www.9story.com
About 2 Friends Entertainment:
2 Friends Entertainment, the production company headed by veterans Nancy Steingard and Wendy Moss Klein, creates, develops and produces children’s programming for all ages. Currently they are Executive Producers of Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars TV movie and Executive Producers of Pound Puppies, the animated series on The Hub.
About The Walt Disney Company in Europe, Middle East and Africa:
The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and its interactive media group.
TWDC has had a presence in Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for more than 70 years, operating in over twenty three countries with over 5,700 employees. Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 and is now Europe’s number one tourist destination. TWDC is a major film distributor in the region with recent successes such as ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘Alice and Wonderland’ and is also one of Europe’s foremost suppliers of TV content, distributing Disney-branded and non-branded television including the hit series ‘Desperate Housewives’ which ranks in the top 10 US series on air in France, Germany, Italy and the UK with young adults. Disney’s consumer products – including apparel, toys, home décor, food, stationery, books and magazines – are available at specialist and mass market retailers as well as more than 100 Disney Stores across Europe. The Disney Channel originally launched in the UK in 1995 and in 2009 launched in an additional fifteen EMEA territories, making it available in over 58 million homes while Disney XD, the new boy-focused girl-inclusive channel has launched in thirteen territories in the region.