This Marks The First Ever Wide Theatrical Release For A Digital Creator-Driven Movie, Embracing A Trend Of Fierce Fandom Independent Films Following The Concert Movie Blockbusters Of Last Year
LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Pocket.watch, the leading kids and family creator content and IP company, and Sunlight Entertainment, the Kaji family owned production studio, announce today the wide theatrical release for their first feature film, Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure, premiering on 2,100 screens in theaters nationwide August 16th. The film artistically blends live-action sequences with captivating anime inspired by Ryan’s World flagship series, Titan Universe. Here, viewers witness Ryan’s thrilling metamorphosis into Red Titan, his beloved animated superhero persona.
Ryan’s World The Movie: Titan Universe Adventure
Building on Sunlight and pocket.watch’s trailblazing successes with Ryan’s World – such as launching the first-ever major toy line from a digital creator (earning over $1B at retail), premiering the first hit TV show from a digital creator (Ryan’s Mystery Playdate on Nickelodeon), and unveiling the inaugural Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon from a digital creator (from 2020 to 2023) – Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure now marks the historic debut of the first wide theatrical release from a digital creator, setting the stage for fellow creators to chart similar groundbreaking paths. Pocket.watch and Sunlight Entertainment, will release the independent film across the United States in all major markets.
“Our decision at pocket.watch to embark on this first-of-its-kind endeavor independently with our partners, Sunlight Entertainment, stems from our incredible confidence that Ryan’s World fans will come out for a magical theatrical experience,” said Chris M. Williams, Founder and CEO at pocket.watch. He continued, “We recognize the immense potential of independently distributed theatrical releases from digital creators in shaping the future of cinema as we aim to open doors for future and fellow creators, and elevate the entire creator community.”
Sometimes referred to as “the most popular kid in the world… EVER,” Ryan cemented his status as a worldwide personality known by kids and families on a first name basis ever since he started his YouTube channel in 2015. His audience cannot be understated with a reach of 61 Million subscribers and 83 Billion lifetime views across his YouTube channels with 34 billion minutes watched last year alone, while Ryan’s World series and specials have expanded to 45 platforms globally, including Peacock, Paramount+, Hulu, Sky and Amazon Kids+. Ryan’s World content also anchors Ryan and Friends, the most widely distributed kids FAST channel in the U.S. and Ryan and Friends Plus, the largest independent kids SVOD service in the U.S.
“Making a feature film has been a dream of ours that became a reality,” said Shion Kaji, Ryan’s father and CEO of Sunlight Entertainment. He continued, “We are over the moon that we will be able to share our newest, biggest adventure yet and connect with even more fans who love to laugh, play and learn like we do when Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure hits theaters this August.”
Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure is the first theatrical film with the cast made up of digital creators, and features the stars of Ryan’s World, the massively popular Kaji family, playing themselves, Ryan Kaji, Shion Kaji, Loann Kaji, Emma Kaji, and Kate Kaji. Pocket.watch is partnered with massively popular creators and their combined roster of 50+ partners has over 1 Billion subscribers on YouTube. Pocket.watch tapped into some of those creators to star alongside the Kaji family in the movie including Evangeline Lomelino of GEM Sisters as Aiden (1.3M Subscribers on YouTube and 700M+ Lifetime Views across GEM channels), Dan Rhodes as himself (35.8M followers across TikTok and YouTube garnering 17.5B views on YouTube alone becoming the most viewed magician channel of all time on the platform; and was named YouTube Top 10 Creator of 2022) and Stella Wallace of The Stella Show as Rylexa (1.8M Subscribers on YouTube and 1B+ Lifetime Views).
“Ryan’s authenticity has been the driving force behind his success in connecting to millions of viewers around the world, and I am honored to have the privilege of directing his first-ever movie, transitioning him from YouTube star to movie star,” said Albie Hecht, Chief Content Officer at pocket.watch and film Producer and Director of Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure. He continued, “This partnership will be a first of its kind, bringing a brilliant YouTube creator’s popularity to the big screen, and opening doors for other creators who follow him.”
In Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure, Ryan takes to the big screen for his most epic adventure yet. When his twin sisters, Emma and Kate, get sucked into a mystical comic book, Ryan has no choice but to rise up as the great big brother he is and jump in after them. Adventures, battles, and hilarious debacles ensue, as Ryan and his friends navigate the Titan Universe and bring everyone back home safely before his parents catch on.
Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure is produced by Sunlight Entertainment’s Shion Kaji and Loann Kaji, along with pocket.watch’s Albie Hecht, who also serves as director. The animation was produced by Shin-Ei Animation, the Japanese animation studio behind the popular anime series “Doraemon” and “Crayon Shinchan.” The film is executive produced by pocket.watch’s Chris M. Williams. Diondra Meravi serves as supervising producer. Chase Landau and Rose Frankel from pocket.watch are co-producers. Screenplay by Rose Frankel, with story by Shion Kaji and Rose Frankel.
Pocket.watch works with the largest kids creators in the world to develop global franchises spanning premium original content, content distribution, retail licensing, and gaming – with the creator network totaling over 1 Billion subscribers and 681 Billion lifetime views on YouTube alone. Pocket.watch content is distributed on 45 platforms in over 80 countries, with their content library growing +51.4% YoY to 41K hours available for distribution. Pocket.watch’s content library, consisting of tens of thousands of kids and family videos, generates hundreds of millions of hours of viewership every month. The content library comprises many seasons of the company’s breakthrough MishMash™ format alongside pocket.watch originals including Magic Mayhem with Dan Rhodes, Toys and Colors Kaleidoscope City and the Emmy-nominated television series Ryan’s Mystery Playdate.
About pocket.watchPocket.watch is the leading studio building kids and family entertainment franchises with the most popular digital creators in the world. Pocket.watch harnesses the power of audiences built on YouTube and expands them across all types of diverse kids and family platforms and experiences. The company brings kids more of what they love from these creators by producing original video and audio content, mobile games, metaverse worlds, live events and robust consumer product lines ranging from toys to toothbrushes. Key pocket.watch franchises include Ryan’s World, Love, Diana, Onyx Monster Mysteries and Toys and Colors: Kaleidoscope City.
The company’s content library, consisting of tens of thousands of kids and family videos, is distributed globally on over 45 platforms, generating hundreds of millions of hours of viewership every month. The content library comprises many seasons of the company’s breakthrough MishMash™ format alongside pocket.watch originals including the Emmy-nominated Ryan’s Mystery Playdate and the animated series Onyx Monster Mysteries and Love, Diana Adventures.
Founded in 2017 by Chris M. Williams (CEO), the company’s headquarters and filming studios are located in Culver City, Calif. The executive team includes studio veterans and visionaries from a mix of traditional and digital entertainment backgrounds, including Albie Hecht and David Williams.
For more information about the pocket.watch portfolio of franchises and creators and its premium slate of content, visit pocket.watch, or check out @pocketwatchHQ on Instagram, /PocketwatchHQ on Facebook, @pocketwatchhq on TikTok @pocketwatchhq, and pocketwatch-studios on LinkedIn.
About Sunlight Entertainment:Sunlight Entertainment is Ryan Kaji’s family-owned and operated production company that develops family-friendly content that is driven to help kids learn. Founded in 2017, Sunlight Entertainment was created by Ryan and his family to help streamline the workflow of one of YouTube’s largest kids’ channels, Ryan’s World. The company continues to grow and currently manages ten YouTube channels: Ryan’s World, Ryan’s World Español, Ryan’s World in Japanese, EK Doodles, Ryan’s Family Review, Vtubers, Combo Panda, Gus the Gummy Gator, The Studio Space and the Stick with Kaji – Podcast. Sunlight Entertainment employs a 30-person team of videographers, editors, animators, writers and voice actors to help produce live action and animated content — releasing about 25 videos a week. Currently, Ryan’s World has rapidly evolved from a toy review YouTube channel to a global kids play and entertainment brand through digital and broadcast entertainment, toys, and consumer products.
For more information about pocket.watch, please visit pocket.watch.
SOURCE Pocket.watch
