Total Licensing: On Set with Gormiti
Gormiti – The New Era. A major new live action series from Rainbow.
Iginio Straffi, the charismatic head of Italy’s Rainbow Group, is a man on a mission! Total Licensing’s Francesca Ash headed to Italy to visit the filming set and to find out more….
Having brought the Winx brand to global success over the past twenty years, he is now focused on a major new live action project in the form of Gormiti – The New Era.
The new high-budget, CGI and live action series, filmed in English and aimed at international audiences will comprise two series of ten episodes each which will begin to be released in Fall next year.
Gormiti – The New Era is aimed at a kids/preteen audience and, like all Rainbow productions, it is full of positive messages and educational values. The series chronicles the daily lives of four teenagers from earth who are chosen to become Scions (protectors) and help save a fantasy kingdom called Gorm. Over the course of the series, the four Scions will learn the importance of respect for nature, personal sacrifice, and the power of friendship and unity against adversities. Each Scion will be assigned a personal Gormita (one of the legendary and brave warrior spirits) who will guide and support them emotionally. Whether replacing a missing father figure (for Carter), a long-sought best friend (for Skye), a wise older brother (for Zane) or someone to trust (for Glen), the Gormiti will be instrumental in guiding the heroes as they grow. Over the course of the series, the four protagonists will come to understand that being heroes means more than simply donning a beautiful costume and wielding legendary weapons, and they will have to gain the confidence and maturity to become better human beings, embracing the virtues of courage and cooperation, curiosity, and creativity.
The new series, in collaboration with Giochi Preziosi, is a reboot of one of the most iconic franchises of the last fifteen years. First launched in 2005, Gormiti is a property created by Giochi Preziosi and distributed in more than 50 countries worldwide, with retail sales exceeding $1.5 billion.
Filming of the new series takes place is largely taking place in the extraordinarily beautiful Frasassi caves and surrounding mountains of Le Marche in Italy. CGI is worked on out of Rainbow’s Rome studio.
“I’m very excited about the prospects for Gormiti,” explained Iginio Straffi in an exclusive Total Licensing interview and set visit recently. “I always like a challenge and I really believe the series will resonate strongly with boys and girls primarily between 8 and twelve. Working with teenagers as the principle actors has it’s challenges but the result is a fantastic high-budget series that I’m sure will appeal to children all around the world.”
The series will debut next Fall and product from Giochi Preziosi in the form of action figures and collectibles will follow. Rainbow will control all other merchandising and distribution rights.
