Gutsy Animations, the Finnish production company behind the cutting-edge family TV drama
MOOMINVALLEY, has today announced a partnership with online distribution platform
TRX.
Moominvalley is the first primetime family animated drama to be sold on TRX, which is an online
platform that offers distributors direct access to over 1,000 buyers to negotiate deals directly. The
partnership with TRX grants Gutsy Animations total control over international distribution and
Katherine Senior is handling all international sales of the series using the TRX platform.
Katherine Senior, Head of International Sales at Gutsy Animations, said: “Moominvalley is a
pioneering show so what better way to offer it to distributors than via a pioneering new platform.
TRX gives us the flexibility and control to ensure we are reaching the right markets and allows us to
negotiate directly to ensure we are getting the best deals.”
Matthew Frank, CEO of TRX, said: “Moominvalley is a truly stand out property and we are really
proud that Gutsy are using TRX exclusively to bring it to the world’s buyers. I’ve been lucky enough
to see an episode of the series which is simply magical – we expect TRX to be very busy when it
launches ! “
The first series of the animation – which is based on the beloved Moomin stories by Finnish-Swedish
author and artist Tove Jansson – is currently in production. MOOMINVALLEY will consist of 13 x 22-
minute-long episodes and will be broadcast in 2019 on Sky One and Sky’s on-demand service NOW
TV in the UK and public broadcaster YLE in Finland.
The Moomins are one of Finland’s biggest exports and have a global fan base. They have enjoyed
popularity in the UK since the 1950s, when the original Moomin comic strips were published in the
Evening News newspaper. MOOMINVALLEY has the approval of Moomin Characters, the business
set up by Moomin creator Tove Jansson and her brother Lars in the 1950s, and Bulls Licensing, its
global licensing agent.
For further information please contact Emily Souders at Riot Communications on 020 3174 0118 / emily@riotcommunications.com
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NOTES TO EDITORS
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Cast and characters of MOOMINVALLEY
Moominmamma – Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, A United Kingdom, An Education)
Moominpappa – Matt Berry (The IT Crowd, Toast of London, The Philanthropist)
Moomintroll – Taron Egerton (Kingsman, Eddie the Eagle, Testament of Youth)
Snorkmaiden – Akiya Henry (Bing, Bottersnikes and Gumble, Noddy in Toyland)
Sniff – Warwick Davis (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Life’s Too Short)
Little My – Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, A Royal Night Out, Carrie Pilby)
Snufkin – Edvin Endre (Eddie the Eagle, Vikings, Nameja gredzens)
Ninny – Mayumi Kawai
Teety-Woo – Matt Lucas (Bridesmaids, Doctor Who, Little Britain)
Too-Ticky – Katie Leung (Harry Potter)
Misabel – Rebecca Root (The Danish Girl, Boy Meets Girl)
Mymble – Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous, French and Saunders, Shrek)
Emma the Stage Rat – Alison Steadman (Gavin and Stacey, Pride and Prejudice)
Hemulen (Female) – Susie Brann
Hemulen (Male) – Joe Wilkinson (Rovers, Miranda, Him and Her)
Mrs Fillyjonk – Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road, The Reader)
The Muskrat – Will Self (Shooting Stars, author of Phone and Sky Arts drama The Minor
Character)
The Ghost – Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, presenter of Travel Man and Crystal Maze)
About Gutsy Animations
Gutsy is a team of creators and producers who believe that the world is in need of funny, clever,
gutsy and – above all – meaningful content. All of its productions are aimed at international
audiences and based on a concept of genuine social impact.
About TRX
TRX is an online licensing platform for TV rights executives. It uses proprietary technology to enable
the seamless licensing of TV rights between distributors and acquiring broadcasters. Since its launch
in October 2017 more than 700 acquiring broadcasters and more than 110 distributors worldwide
use TRX to license TV rights including BBC Studios, Sky Vision and Lionsgate. Many of TRX’s clients
(including Sky Vision and BBC Studios) have integrated their rights management systems with TRX,
enabling selected buyers to access their avails in real-time, saving time and effort. Entire deals can
be negotiated online through TRX, including multi-territory and packaging deals, or TRX can be used
to stimulate demand and deals closed offline. TRX charges a subscription fee to distributors, which
depends on the level of features required. Executive chairman David Frank and CEO Matthew Frank
were the founders of RDF Media and former CEOs of Zodiak Media and Zodiak Rights respectively.
TRX is a 100% owned subsidiary of Dial Square 86, a holding company established in 2015 and has
raised £11m in funding to date from the founders and investors including Sky Ventures, the Channel
4 Growth Fund and Edge Investments.
Further information can be found at www.trx.tv
About Moomin Characters
Oy Moomin Characters Ltd is the owner, originator and official company responsible for supervising
and managing the Moomins' brand, copyright and registrations. The company was started in 1958 by Tove Jansson and her brother Lars Jansson and even today is run by family members. Sophia Jansson, Lars's daughter and Tove's niece, is Chairman of the Board and Creative Director at Moomin
Characters. All characters from Moominvalley are registered trademarks.
Moomin in the UK
The Moomins are currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the UK. Last year, a series of
major Moomin-themed events and exhibitions took place, including Southbank Centre’s immersive
Adventures in Moominland and Kew Gardens’ Easter Festival. Dulwich Picture Gallery presented the
first major UK exhibition of work by Tove Jansson – including not only Moomin drawings but also
Jansson’s surrealist-inspired paintings of the 1930s and abstract works of the ‘60s, her satirical anti-
war cartoons and book jacket designs – and the Moomins featured prominently at the Lakes
International Comic Art Festival.
A diverse range of quality Moomin products are available in the UK, from new Collectors’ Editions of
the original Moomin stories (published by Sort of Books) and a guide to the Moomins, The World of
Moominvalley (published by Macmillan Children’s Books), to 100% cashmere sweaters and other
accessories from fashion label Chinti and Parker.