July 9, 2024 – Montreal, QC – Laughing Dragon Studios, known for their work on Build-A-Bear’s Kabu, Tony Hawk’s Skatebirds, CBC’s Moose!, Disney’s Disenchanted, and Apple TV’s Central Park, are proud to announce an all-new animated Christmas special, COAL.
The series is set to make its global debut on Christmas 2025, distributed by Shaftesbury and Muse Distribution in Quebec. Directed by Guillaume Chassé (Curious George, F Is for Family, Central Park), voice directed and casted by René Veilleux from Vérité Entertainment (recent credits include Stillwater on Apple, Young Love for Sony, Good Times on Netflix, Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures and the Annecy award winning feature film Four Souls of Coyote), written by Astride Noel (Lyla in the Loop, Cocomelon Story Time, Dew Drop Diaries) and Christopher Bernard (Lego Friends: The Next Chapter, Luna, Chip & Inkie Adventure Rangers Go), and executive produced by Ryan Sohmer (Kabu, Moose, Disenchanted, Central Park, Love U Cuz) with the generous support of the Shaw Rocket Fund and Telefilm, this North-Pole-Certified series celebrates family, community, and the holiday spirit.
The evergreen, three-part series follows Ethan Bishop, an 8-year-old boy navigating a difficult time in his life that lands him on Santa’s naughty list. In response, Santa implements “Plan C,” sending the legendary Lump of COAL to guide Ethan on a ho-ho-hilarious journey. Through a series of positive and negative experiences with the coal, Ethan discovers a life-altering artistic talent. Viewers can anticipate a playful 2D animated series, complete with specialized magical charcoal-style sequences.
COAL will be a festive tradition that can be cherished year after year. Designed for children ages 6-10, the production is catered to an audience who are the same age as its main character, Ethan. However, its Elf-approved narrative, humour, and themes make the episodes perfect for a broader co-viewing audience, including families and older children. COAL highlights the catharsis in art and connection, featuring BIPOC characters that will resonate with diverse families.
Ryan Sohmer, CEO of Laughing Dragon Studios, said, “With an initial concept from our very own Ryan Costello and seeing what our Director of Original Productions Jeff Moss has molded COAL into over the last few years, I am thrilled to begin this next stage of production, and counting down until we can bring Ethan and his family to worldwide audiences.”
Adding to the merry and bright charm of COAL is a cast of Canadian talent, including ETHAN: Lucinda Davis (Radio Active, Winx Club, Arthur, Supernatural: The Animation), CHARLOTTE: Zariah Ellis (Blue’s Clues & You), MOM: Briauna James (Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace, The Bold Type, Best Sellers), DAD: Ralph Prosper (Assassin’s Creed, District 31), MICKEY: Mara Lazaris (LARPs, 1991, Sleepover), MR. TWINKLEBERRY: Eric Davis (How to Get Away with Murder, Black-ish, Criminal Minds, The Mick), and SANTA: Bruce Dinsmore (Arthur, The Secret World of Santa Claus, Assassin’s Creed III).
“It was a blast working on COAL, and I immediately fell in love with the dilemma of this holiday film that takes traditional Santa lore and spins it on its head. ‘Finding who is naughty and nice’ is not always as easy as the song makes it seem!” added Astride Noel, writer. “The story serves as a wonderful reminder that even in difficult times, there is joy, beauty, and… nice to be found.”
For further inquiries or interview requests, please contact Hope Delongchamp at [email protected].
About Laughing Dragon Studios:
Montreal-based Laughing Dragon Studios is a leader in entertainment, producing full-service 2D animation to all audiences. The team consists of animators, in-house editors, writers, social media experts, illustrators, and producers. The studio prides itself on being a one-stop shop, taking any idea, story, or script and developing it smoothly for the screen, regardless of the platform. Additionally, Laughing Dragon has an extensive slate of internally developed IPs and concepts, including ISAAC AND FRIENDS, which has more than tens of millions of viewers across social media platforms. Laughing Dragon Studios’s work is available on television, in theatres, and on streaming services worldwide.
For more information, visit https://laughingdragon.studio/.
Contact:
Hope Delongchamp-Boissoneault
Communications Manager
Laughing Dragon Studios