Photo Credit: Ryan Gagerman / Kartoon Studios
Kartoon Studios partners with LiveOne to oversee music for their new Winnie-the-Pooh animated feature, set to premiere on Amazon Prime in 2025.
Kartoon Studios is premiering a new Winnie-the-Pooh animated feature during the holiday season next year, followed by holiday specials and a series. Now, the studio has announced a broad partnership with LiveOne for production, pushing, and distribution of original music for the new Winne-the-Pooh brand.
LiveOne’s creator-first subscription platform delivers premium content and livestreams from the world’s top artists, creating a valuable connection between brands and fans. The company boasts an award-winning entertainment and technology platform.
Kartoon Studios’ “Winnie-the-Pooh” is currently in pre-production, beginning with the animated feature, A Hundred Acre Christmas. The movie is set to premiere on December 24, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video, through Kartoon Channel’s $3.99 a month subscription distribution arrangement.
The release is timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of A. A. Milne’s original publication of the series in the London Evening Standard. The new franchise will include five holiday specials and a 104-episode animated series.
“LiveOne has revolutionized the digital entertainment and live-streaming space since its launch in 2015 by leveraging technology to enhance user engagement and interaction with content creators and media partners, and they are the ideal partner to work with us to deliver a slate of original music, which is integral to the production of Kartoon Studios’ ‘Winnie-the-Pooh,’” said Kartoon Studios’ Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward.
“The Winnie-the-Pooh franchise’s popularity has endured for generations and generated 80 billion dollars in revenue, including music royalties. The 1994 release of the Grammy Award-nominated Return to Pooh by Kenny Loggins alone sold over 2 million albums,” said LiveOne’s Chairman & CEO Robert Ellin, and Josh Hallbauer, Head of Music. “We are thrilled to partner with Kartoon Studios to translate the values, stories, and characters from the original books into a dynamic soundtrack to appeal to a new generation with Kartoon Studios’ ‘Winnie-the-Pooh.’”
In addition to the release of content, Kartoon Studios will launch a global retail program concurrent with the debut of the holiday movie with physical entertainment through Alliance Entertainment Corporation and a consumer productions program. The development, production, and growth of Kartoon Studios’ “Winnie-the-Pooh” franchise is funded by a non-dilutive production financing of $30 million, led by Catalyst Venture Partners.
A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories have generated one of the most successful properties of all time, with lifetime revenues exceeding those of Barbie, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Mickey Mouse, Marvel, Peanuts, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and more. The IP has been in the public domain since 2022.
