Oct 18, 2019

Warner Media's Most Famous Rabbit, Tuzuki, Is Producing His Own TV Series

Tuzuki, the black-and-white Chinese rabbit, will have his own TV series. Warner Media, which owns the character, will produce the show in partnership with Shenzhen-based Ciwen Media.

Created in 2006 by then 21-year-old artist Momo Wang, Tuzuki quickly spread across Chinese and Asian social networks (especially Wechat) in emoji form. It has now become an iconic character in the region. The upcoming series is a hybrid of live-action and CG and is billed as a "contemporary comedy drama." It will have 24 episodes and is expected to begin production in early 2020.

Tuzuki has appeared in short films (see below), but this will be his first appearance in feature-length content. He has also been the subject of numerous advertising campaigns and licensing deals in China and elsewhere. In short, he is a rare example of a Chinese brand succeeding abroad.

Meanwhile, a theatrical CG feature film starring the character, first announced in 2016, is still in development at Tencent Pictures. (Both Tencent Pictures and Wechat are owned by Tencent Holdings.)

"We have stepped up our investment in local productions in recent months and are firmly committed to nurturing our own Chinese IP," said Clement Schwebig, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Pacific and China, Warner Media Entertainment Networks. Clement Schwabig said. Together with Ciwen Media, this project demonstrates this perfectly." [Ma Zhongjun, founder of Ciwen Media, said, "The most impressive creative projects are usually derived from real life. With his witty charm, Tuzuki accurately represents and reflects contemporary lifestyles. With this series, we hope that this original Chinese IP will become a symbol of the Internet generation, sharing joy and inspiring the world"

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Founded in 2000, Ciwen was one of the first private TV production companies in the country to obtain a business license allowing it to produce TV series. Since then, it has grown into an entertainment powerhouse producing movies, television, games, and other content.