By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Genius Brands, Blue Origin, and SMAC Productions plan to develop and produce an animated sci-fi series called Blue Origin Space Rangers.
The family-friendly series will star a diverse group of youth and include appearances by Michael Strahan of SMAC Productions and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin.
The Blue Origin Space Rangers series will feature both adult astronauts and junior astronauts as they develop their skills in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to tackle the challenges of space travel.
“Blue Origin Space Rangers will be groundbreaking for Genius Brands in its creative scope, and for me personally, it is a dream come true given my lifelong passion for astronomy,” said Andy Heyward, CEO of Genius Brands International.
“Partnering with Blue Origin and SMAC Productions will create multiple touchpoints for kids and families to explore, learn, and deliver a one-of-a-kind space experience. We look forward to not just world-class storytelling but inviting the voice talent of guest stars from the world of music, sports, influencers, and celebrity, young and old.”
Genius Brands International is a global children’s media company that develops, produces, and markets family-friendly entertainment properties and licensed consumer products for media and retail distribution. Genius Brands’ owns and operates the kids’ video-on-demand entertainment platform, Kartoon Channel.
Both Constance Schwartz-Morini of SMAC Productions and Andy Heyward of Genius Brands will serve as executive producers of the new Blue Origin Space Ranger series. Mainframe Studios, an affiliate of Genius Brands, will also be responsible for producing the upcoming animated series.
“One year ago, I watched my friend and business partner Michael Strahan become an astronaut,” said Morini, CEO of SMAC Entertainment. “This extraordinary experience was the motivation for us to create Blue Origin Space Rangers, a series that would inspire future astronauts. For our first project in the animated space, we couldn’t imagine two better partners than Blue Origin and Genius Brands to develop and bring this series to a distributor.”
SMAC Productions is the premium content division of the global talent management and media company, SMAC Entertainment. SMAC Productions produces both scripted and non-scripted television, film, and audio content for a wide range of networks and distributors.
“We’re excited to collaborate with Genius Brands and SMAC Productions to deliver an adventure-driven, STEAM-based animated series that will inspire people to consider the potential of using our solar system – for the benefit of Earth,” said Michael Edmonds, SVP at Blue Origin.
Blue Origin, LLC is a privately-funded aircraft manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight company. Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon, in 2000. Bezos is also the owner and founder of Amazon Prime, one of the world’s most successful streaming services.
Blue Origin is currently focused on developing reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems for customers in the civil, commercial, and defense categories.