RICK AND MORTY Producer David Marshall Teams with Todd Gallina for Giant-Robot Animated Series FORCE 5
There’s a new animated sci-fi comedy gearing up to make noise on the global stage, and it comes from a creative team that knows their way around wild worlds and big ideas.
David Marshall, the Emmy-nominated producer of Rick and Morty, has joined forces with industry veteran Todd Gallina to launch a brand-new kids series called Force 5.
The show is set to roll out at Kidscreen Summit and MIP London, and it’s aiming straight at the 7 to 12 crowd with giant robots, big laughs, and a lot of heart.
At its core, Force 5 follows a scrappy team of teens who are suddenly handed the responsibility of saving the planet. Their not-so-secret weapon is a towering, sentient robot built for destruction. There’s just one problem. He doesn’t want to be piloted by a bunch of kids.
That tension fuels the comedy and the action, as these unlikely heroes learn to work together while their reluctant mechanical partner questions every decision.
Gallina has been developing the series for nearly ten years, shaping it into what the team describes as a “franchise-ready universe.” This is a world built for expansion, from episodic adventures to toys and licensing opportunities.
Cookbook Media, led by Claudia Scott-Hansen and Rob Bencal, has come aboard as the global agent for content distribution and consumer products. The company will present the 13 x 22-minute Force 5 series to broadcasters, buyers, and licensing partners at the upcoming industry markets.
A pilot episode has already been produced, giving potential partners a real taste of what the show brings to the table.
Marshall brings some serious animation credentials to the project. Beyond Rick and Morty, his career includes directing and supervising animation for George Lucas on Ewoks and Droids, as well as working on Care Bears and Ralph Bakshi’s The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse. He’s been around the animation block, and that experience shows in the scale of what Force 5 is trying to pull off.
Marshall and Gallina said: “Force 5 was created to be the kind of franchise we wished existed when we were kids, an epic, funny, and deeply character-driven adventure built around a strong emotional core and an iconic giant-robot premise.
“With Cookbook Media on board, we’re excited to bring this world to partners who can help bring our vision to life. With a creative team that brings decades of global animation and franchise-building on board, we are excited to deliver a fresh new children’s franchise to worldwide audiences across screens, retail shelves, and pop culture platforms.”
The pilot was produced by Cheer Digital in Taipei. Marshall serves as co-creator and director, with Gallina as co-creator and producer. The wider production team includes head of animation production Tony Chang, art director Zac Retz, head writer Laura Kleinbaum, writer Jing Wuen, and storyboard artist and character designer Andy Kelly.
With its mix of sci-fi chaos, character-driven storytelling, and a giant robot who has serious attitude, Force 5 sounds like the kind of animated series that could hit big with young audiences.
Source: Deadline