Kids’ Show With Ellen DeGeneres as 7-Year-Old in Works at Warner Bros. Animation (EXCLUSIVE)
By Todd Spangler
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Ellen DeGeneres’ latest project: She’s reverting to her childhood.
In animated show “Little Ellen,” the talk-show host and comedian will be portrayed as a 7-year-old — who is, of course, “hilarious and unpredictable,” according to her company. The project is in development at Ellen Digital Ventures and Warner Bros. Animation.
In the 2D animated series, “Little Ellen” will go on adventures, exploring imaginative lands and meeting new friends. The show is likely to include songs, as well. But it’s not all fun and games: Little Ellen takes big risks, makes huge mistakes but she’s always able to laugh at herself and bounce back when things don’t go as planned.
For now, additional details are scant on “Little Ellen.” It’s not clear whether DeGeneres will lend her voice to “Little Ellen”; a rep for said no casting has been set. Also yet to be determined are distribution plans for the show.
and DeGeneres have previously teamed on the adaption of Dr Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” slated to hit Netflix in the fourth quarter of 2019 .
The “Little Ellen” project is another offshoot for Ellen Digital Ventures, a joint venture formed in 2014 between DeGeneres and Warner Bros. that’s aimed at extending her popular TV franchise to digital businesses.
DeGeneres is a digital star in her own right. The entertainer’s cross-platform Ellen Digital Network (EDN) reaches over 270 million followers/visitors monthly and generates 1 billion monthly views across platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and the owned-and-operated Ellentube destination. EDN’s programming includes shows with actress Kristen Bell, activist-supermodel Ashley Graham, Lea Michele, Hannah Hart, Ayesha Curry and viral star Jay Shetty.
DeGeneres’ digital business also includes gaming app “Heads Up!,” consistently a top paid app in Apple’s App Store with over 42 million downloads to date. In addition, EDN produces “Ellen on the Go” podcast, an audio catch-up of “The Show.”
