{"rewrite":{"id":"r_eefb1aa43983c39354aafecf","clusterId":"c_b0b4810d3b025fb4bd2ea886","slug":"toonz-media-group-and-1st-place-strike-anime-production-pact","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Toonz Media Group and 1st Place Strike Anime Production Pact","summary":"Indian animation studio Toonz Media Group has entered a partnership with Japanese IP developer 1st Place to produce anime and 3D CGI projects at reduced costs. The deal aims to address a talent shortage in Japan's anime industry, where studios are struggling to meet rising global demand from platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. Toonz, known for work on Marvel's Wolverine and X-Men films, will expand its role in international anime production. 1st Place founder Kumiko cited a \"significant talent shortage\" in Japan as a driver for the collaboration. The announcement was part of a broader global briefs roundup that also included 'Hunted' format deals in Sweden, Belgium, and Botswana; ITV renewing 'Ant \u0026 Dec's Limitless Win' through late 2027 with two more seasons and Christmas specials; Irish shows 'Birdsong', 'The Cable That Changed the World', and 'Hardy Bucks' selling to European broadcasters including BBC, Arte, and RAI; and David Beckham's Studio 99 hiring Jessica Ludgrove as VP of Production.","whyItMatters":"The pact positions an Indian studio as a production solution for Japanese anime, a sector facing a labor crunch amid a global streaming boom.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe agreement between Toonz Media Group and 1st Place was announced as part of a Deadline roundup on March 19. Toonz brings experience from Marvel film work, while 1st Place provides Japanese IP and industry connections. The partnership targets global entertainment companies seeking cost-effective anime and 3D CGI production outside Japan's strained domestic pipeline. Separately, the roundup noted Banijay's 'Hunted' format expanding to three new territories, ITV ordering two more seasons of 'Ant \u0026 Dec's Limitless Win' plus Christmas specials through 2027, and RTÉ Program Sales placing three Irish documentaries and a comedy series with European broadcasters. Studio 99, David Beckham's production company, hired Jessica Ludgrove from Universal Pictures Content Group as VP of Production.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eToonz Media Group and 1st Place anime partnership\u003c/strong\u003e: Indian studio and Japanese IP developer to co-produce anime and 3D CGI projects at cost-effective prices, addressing Japan's talent shortage.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Hunted' format deals in Sweden, Belgium, Botswana\u003c/strong\u003e: Banijay Entertainment licenses the reality series to Kanal 5/Max, RTL-TVI, and Botswana Ignite, expanding global rollout to 12 territories.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Ant \u0026amp; Dec's Limitless Win' renewal\u003c/strong\u003e: ITV orders two more seasons and two Christmas specials, running through late 2027.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFern Britton: Inside the Vet's\u003c/strong\u003e: Six-part ITV series from Love Monday TV, part advertiser-funded, with All3Media International handling sales.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Birdsong'\u003c/strong\u003e: One-hour RTÉ documentary on ornithologist Seán Ronayne; sold to Arte (France/Germany) and BBC4 (UK).\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'The Cable That Changed the World'\u003c/strong\u003e: RTÉ documentary about the first transatlantic communications cable; sold to RAI (Italy) and YLE (Finland).\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Hardy Bucks'\u003c/strong\u003e: 18-episode RTÉ comedy series; sold to BBC Northern Ireland and iPlayer.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStudio 99 hires Jessica Ludgrove as VP of Production\u003c/strong\u003e: David Beckham's production company appoints former Universal Pictures Content Group VP to oversee development slate and production output.\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e","blueskyPost":"Toonz Media Group and Japan's 1st Place partner to produce anime at lower cost, citing a 'significant talent shortage' in Japan's industry.","twitterPost":"Indian studio Toonz, which worked on Marvel films, teams with Japanese IP developer 1st Place to meet global anime demand amid a production crunch.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Toonz Media Group and Japan's 1st Place announced a partnership to produce anime and 3D CGI projects, aiming to ease Japan's talent shortage. The deal was part of a wider roundup that included 'Hunted' format expansions, ITV renewing 'Limitless Win', and Irish shows selling across Europe.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Deadline\",\"url\":\"https://deadline.com/2025/03/hunted-deals-sweden-belgium-botswana-global-briefs-1236330539/\",\"title\":\"'Hunted' Finds New Homes; India-Japan Anime Pact; 'Limitless Win' Renewed; Irish Shows Sell In Europe; Studio 99 Production Chief\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":5380,"outputTokens":1093,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780176744,"createdAt":"2026-05-30T21:20:08.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-30T21:22:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-30T21:22:24.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_b0b4810d3b025fb4bd2ea886","canonicalTitle":"‘Hunted’ Finds New Homes; India-Japan Anime Pact; ‘Limitless Win’ Renewed; Irish Shows Sell In Europe; Studio 99 Production Chief","representativeArticleId":"a_31b7e9cfcf01dcf3918435ed","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Hunted\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":true}","contentType":"business","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2025-03-19T10:19:12.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2025-03-19T10:19:12.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-30T21:22:25.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Deadline Anime","url":"https://deadline.com/2025/03/hunted-deals-sweden-belgium-botswana-global-briefs-1236330539/","title":"‘Hunted’ Finds New Homes; India-Japan Anime Pact; ‘Limitless Win’ Renewed; Irish Shows Sell In Europe; Studio 99 Production Chief"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Hunted"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"industry","is_roundup":true},"keyFacts":["Toonz Media Group and 1st Place announced a partnership on March 19 to co-produce anime and 3D CGI projects at reduced costs.","1st Place founder Kumiko cited a 'significant talent shortage' in Japan's anime industry as a reason for the collaboration.","Toonz Media Group previously worked on Marvel's Wolverine and X-Men films.","The partnership targets global entertainment companies seeking cost-effective production outside Japan's domestic pipeline.","The announcement was part of a broader roundup that also included Banijay's 'Hunted' format deals in Sweden, Belgium, and Botswana."]}