The parties have signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and distribute content partnership.
Little Luban will feature characters and themes of global values of friendship and teamwork, incorporating specific elements of Chinese culture and philosophy into both the storyline and the visuals. The production is mainly targeted at younger kids but it can also be enjoyed as a family entertainment.
The content development and production of the animated series will rely on Viacom International Studios (VIS), which is also responsible for all international content syndication, format sales and production and co-production activities for Viacom outside the US.
The second phase of the project will be the developing and licensing of a range of consumer products to support the series.
Pierre Cheung, senior VP and GM for Greater China, VIMN, said: “We have a big pool of animation talent here in China and we’re continuously exploring opportunities to collaborate with local partners.
“We’re delighted to partner with Youku and now add Little Luban to our slate of projects. We’re very confident the characters and concepts will have strong appeal to Youku’s viewers and we look forward to introducing Little Luban to Nickelodeon viewers in other markets.”