Italian Animation Company Atlantyca acquires Dreamfarm
Signaling a major effort to exploit its rich library of already well established properties and continuously seeking to expand its property base for young readers across all available publishing platforms, Atlantyca Entertainment is significantly increasing its publishing and entertainment business with the acquisition of Dreamfarm, a prominent Milan-based packager of children’s books. The announcement was made today by Atlantyca Entertainment President Pietro Marietti, a descendant of the Marietti publishing family, publishers since 1820, and Dreamfarm CEO, Marcella Drago, whose distinguished family owns De Agostini Editore since 1919. The deal establishes the new business entity called Atlantyca Dreamfarm.
The formation of Atlantyca Dreamfarm unites the creative genius that created such internationally renowned children’s book series as Geronimo Stilton, Ulysses Moore, Milla & Sugar and Klinkus Bart, among many others, and brings to the new organization Dreamfarm’s demonstrated expertise in taking advantage of the many new and emerging media platforms that have become so important in today’s publishing marketplace.
“This evolution brings together the heirs of two of Italy’s most important publishing dynasties of the publishing industry in the 21st century dictates that we adapt our publishing model to extend beyond traditional print media with a transmedia model that accommodates electronic media platforms such as the Internet, e-readers, gaming devices, television and emerging new technologies,” said Marietti. “It is with enourmous anticipation and enthusiasm that we look foward to reuniting our team at Atlantyca with my former colleague, Marcella Drago, in a collaboration that is destined to bring even greater children’s properties to the marketplace.”
The new team, which includes celebrated author Pierdomenico Baccalario, who serves as Publisher in Chief at Atlantyca, will be charged with developing concepts for children’s book series to be exploited by Atlantyca, along with foreign publishers through Atlantyca’s Foreign Rights Sales Department, in every available media platform.
“I am extremely proud to be working together with my companions Pietro and Pierdomenico, two publishing industry luminaries who have achieved incredible success in bringing entertaining stories and endearing characters to young readers. I am eager to create the next wave of successful new book series as part of this valuable team and deliver them to an even wider audience of enthusiastic young readers though today’s exciting new media platforms,” said Drago.