Spotlight Licensing to Launch Global Merchandise Licensing Program for Samurai Rabbit
Brandora Editorial Staff - May 2022
2022 may be the Year of the Tiger but it is also shaping up to be a big year for the rabbits of the upcoming and highly anticipated Netflix animated kids series Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles™ and long-running and award-winning Stan Sakai comic book series Usagi Yojimbo™ that inspired it.
- Spotlight Licensing has been appointed by Gaumont to launch and manage the global merchandise licensing program for Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles (which debuted on Netflix April 28th).
“We are incredibly proud of Samurai Rabbit! It’s a fun, funny, action packed, gorgeous, animated kids series that younger viewers will love. Creator Stan Sakai was involved every step of the way so we hope his comic fans will love it as well,” says Terry Kalagian, Executive Vice President of Creative Content at Gaumont US.
- Spotlight has simultaneously been tapped to handle global merchandise licensing for Sakai’s creator-owned Usagi Yojimbo
“Usagi Yojimbo’s Miyamoto Usagi is an ancestor of Samurai Rabbit’s teenage star Yuichi Usagi and – because Miyamoto is such an integral figure in Yuichi’s life and story – it made sense to consolidate and coordinate licensing efforts for both the series and comics with one agency,” said Sakai, who is an executive producer of the Samurai Rabbit series and has remained involved throughout development to ensure the show would be action packed, well-crafted and respectful of Japanese culture.
“We are thrilled to be working with Gaumont and Stan Sakai to find the right licensing partners in the U.S. and around the world for each property, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles and Usagi Yojimbo, either separately or together if appropriate,” says Spotlight Licensing President Carole Postal.
Spotlight is actively seeking licensing partners across a broad range of product categories including not only toys and games but also clothing, costumes, accessories, figurines, collectibles, and other items. As global agent, Spotlight will also be looking for evaluating potential licensing partners and sub-agents around the world.
About Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles is a Netflix Original, kids & family animated action-comedy series. It follows the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi on his epic quest to become a true samurai in the futuristic city of Neo Edo. But he isn’t alone! He leads a ragtag team of misfit heroes who help along the way.
Produced by Gaumont in partnership with Stan Sakai (executive producer), Daniel Fuji (executive producer), along with Dark Horse Entertainment (executive producers Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue) and Atomic Monster (executive producers James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett), Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles will premiere April 28th, on Netflix worldwide.