The Winx land in Hollywood!Vinkslend u Holivudu!

The Winx land in Hollywood
For the Republic Giorgio Lonardi Business & Finance
Viacom, the U.S. multinational that controls the entertainment Paramount and MTV, buys 30% of the Rainbow, the company Iginio Straffi the inventor of the "fairies" stars of cartoons and newspaper comics. Viacom, the U.S. giant that controls the entertainment MTV and Paramount, found 30% of Rainbow, the Italian company that launched the Winx fairies that millions of young girls crazy. The acquisition will be completed within three years with a payment that will partly in shares and that will be linked to the performance of Rainbow. To sell 62 million is a small group of minority shareholders than in the past contributed to the development of the company. But what will be the "fairies" Bloom, Stella, Tecna, Flora, Musa and Aisha? The agreement Financial is the first step on the sale of Rainbow to the Americans? "Absolutely not," replies Iginio Straffi, contractor and designer, the man who invented the Winx. "Not only because I remain firmly in saddle as the majority shareholder with 70% of the capital. But most of all because the simplification of shareholders took place in parallel with a other negotiations between me and the heads of Viacom. This is a great industrial operations that will screen at the top of world cinema animation behind Pixar (Walt Disney Group), and DreamWorks Blue Sky. Our goal is to grow from 60 million in sales of 2010 to 100 million in 2012. " What kind of arrangements you have signed with Viacom? "Meanwhile there is already an initial agreement signed last year and will become operational since June. Thanks to this agreement will bring the Winx United States, Canada, Britain and South America as well as in Australia and New Zealand. " How does the Winx disembark in all these countries? "Let's start with old episodes of Winx who are well 104. So we have two and four films made specifically for the special U.S. market. Moreover, in future construction along with two new Viacom series of Winx. " How will the Winx distributed in the U.S.? "We will use Nickelodeon, the TV channel for children of the group Viacom. It is a great opportunity for us. Not only because this channel is very strong and has great audience. But also because Viacom is betting many papers on this. This is confirmed by the choice of dubbing again all the episodes featuring the voices of a number of famous actors Americans. It shall certify the decision to aim for the soundtrack the voice of a great singer whose name I can not do now. " And the issue of licenses? Rainbow has always drawn much of its profits and profitability by licensing or not? "The support of Viacom and the opportunity to bring the Winx on a TV channel so important in the U.S. will be a push for the development of merchandising in areas such as North America, Australia or America South We have already completed a deal with Jakks Pacific, a company U.S. publicly traded on the merchandising in the field of toys. Not to mention the contracts signed in other areas such as clothing. " What are the others who have signed agreements with Viacom? "The cartels are the main two. The first concerns the management Italy's rich catalog of films, TV series and cartoons Viacom guys in the band. These are high quality products that today be in our country only on Nickelodeon by Sky. It's up to us to ensure the development of the catalog maybe signing arrangements with Rai and Mediaset. It always touches us care of its merchandising. Italy is only a first step. Later we will extend the challenge other European countries. " Viacom Paramount means: the film industry is involved in your agreements with the Americans? "For four years we're turning in our studies of Romans Bufalotta a high-tech blockbuster inspired by the Rome gladiators. This is a 3D product that really liked to American managers. Result: in January or February of 2012 Pearl first time in the history of our cinema, excluding Benigni's film, a product made in Italy will be distributed in as many rooms 3 000 cinema of the United States. Again the objective is the merchandising? "No, we focus solely on box office in the United States and around the world. Viacom has decided to invest some 30 million dollars in marketing and advertising of the film. Then later we also think about the licenses. "

Winx creator in the pink

It doesn't happen often that an American colossus like Viacom sets its sights on an Italian animation studio -- and then, rather than snapping it up outright, agrees to purchase just a minority stake.

But, then again, as Iginio Straffi, 45, the former illustrator and comicbook writer who founded Rainbow Group in 1995, puts it, "there aren't that many properties out there with figures comparable to the Winx."

Created by Straffi, these six trendy MTV-generation fairies, which have become one of Europe's top TV exports, have bewitched tween girls in more than 130 countries, and generated more than $2.7 billion, thanks in part to the theatrical film "Winx 3D" as well as myriad merchandising deals.

The partnership, announced in February, under which Viacom will take a 30% stake in Rainbow, follows a global content agreement inked in September under which Nickelodeon secured TV and merchandising rights to Winx Club in the U.S. and pays TV rights for a large swathe of the planet, including Latin America, Canada and the U.K.

The partnership now expands to the co-development and co-production by Rainbow and Nickelodeon of seasons five and six of "Winx Club." And, significantly, it will open up the U.S. theatrical market to Rainbow's upcoming big-budget 3D feature, a gladiator toon penned by Michael J. Wilson ("Ice Age," "Shark Tale") with the working title "Versus Roma," to be completed in a year. The pic figures to go out Stateside via Paramount.

Viacom's first indication that it had found an important partner in Rainbow might well have been that as soon as the initial deal was signed, it set off a flurry of auctions for merchandising rights to Winx toys, clothes and books, especially in the U.S.

Rainbow has always made a major effort to create properties that lend themselves to merchandising "because we had to, in order to survive and grow," Straffi says.

And Straffi sees merchandising as more than just the revenue stream -- one that accounts for about two-thirds of his business. "If the child reads a book or a comicstrip, or plays videogame, all based on our characters, his interest level will remain high even during the gaps when they are not showing on TV," he says. "It helps the product's longevity."

Straffi is excited about the film side of the alliance, which gives him high hopes that his gladiator spoof, with a budget of more than $40 million, will click with U.S. auds.

This, he says, would mark "the first Italian movie to go out wide in the U.S. since (Roberto Benigni's) 'Life Is Beautiful.'?" But unlike "Life," Straffi's pic will be in English.

"I can only wish that if it's successful, Rainbow will become a constant content provider to Nick and other Viacom companies, like Pixar is for Disney."

But, unlike Pixar, don't expect Straffi to sell outright anytime soon, though a flotation is "possible in a few years with me still at the helm," he says.

Straffi is also looking forward to the May 25 opening of his Rome theme park, Magic Land, comprising attractions based on Rainbow's properties such as "Pop Pixie," "Monster Allergy" and, of course, the Winx.

Thanks Michael's Winx Club! ^^