Beginning late last week, Toronto- and L.A.-based Lionsgate entertainment studio is going viral in a big way by partnering with Finland’s Habbo, one of the world’s largest online communities for teens. The site’s millions of registered users in 29 countries are being given the opportunity to view ten different animated shorts based on Habbo World during a two-week period. Then they can vote on which one should be green-lighted for production this summer by Lionsgate for DVD and online distribution.
What happens if the favourite flicks differ from country to country? Teemu Huuhtanen, president, North America, for Sulake Corp. (which handles Habbo’s ops on this continent out of L.A.) – tells MiC: ‘This is still open. The outcome could be ten mini-episodes, three 20-minute films, or one full-length feature. We have to study the survey and voting result carefully before we can decide on this.’
The two companies first collaborated last July to create an online experience, hosting a virtual red-carpet premiere event for the animated feature Ultimate Avengers 2 and allowing Habbo’s online community to view 10 minutes of the film prior to its release.
