UK Independent production companies Cantilever Media, producers of animated feature The Amazing Maurice, and Newscope Films have appointed Brands with Influence (BWI) to manage the international licensing and merchandising programme for the new Sky Original animated movie BOLLYWOOF.

Headed by Martin Lowde, CEO, and Dom Wheeler, Director of Licensing, Brands with Influence is an award-winning leading licensing agency which has created successful international programmes for brands including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Vegesaurs and Countryfile and will start rolling out BOLLYWOOF from this month.

BOLLYWOOF is a heartwarming and hilarious story of a Springer Spaniel called Basil who has a wonderful life in the Yorkshire Dales. However, when his family relocates to Mumbai for work, Basil gets accidentally loaded onto the wrong flight and ends up lost, the other side of the India, in Kolkata where he would almost certainly be doomed were it not for his fortunate rendezvous with Santosh, a street-dog who has dreams of being a movie star. With his help, Basil completes the epic 2000 mile journey to Mumbai, where Santosh fulfils his dream of stardom, and Basil reunites with his family!

Martin Lowde, CEO at Brands with Influence explained why he felt this movie had such great potential for licensing: “From the moment we were first introduced to Basil, we fell in love. The beautiful animation makes this an incredibly exciting opportunity for licensing. While new brands are often seen as a risk, occasionally you come across a story and a range of characters that you just know will have global appeal.”

Andrew Baker CEO of Cantilever Media added: “We have known the team at BWI for many years, and believe they have the right strategy to bring this exciting new movie to the market. We have big ambitions for BOLLYWOOF, and we’re excited to be working with a really great team. We know BWI will deliver for us.”

Jason Newmark, Producer of BOLLYWOOF commented: “We tell the story of the adorable Basil, lost in India, far away from everything and everyone he’s ever known. On a journey of self-discovery, Basil must make new friends and embrace a new culture to reach his destination. It’s a story for dog lovers the world-over which is a huge market. Bollywoof presents many compelling opportunities for merchandising and licensing that we are excited to explore with BWI.”

BOLLYWOOF is directed by Frederik Du Chau, the filmmaker behind the 2005 hit family movie Racing Stripes. It reunites The Amazing Maurice producers Cantilever Media with Sky Cinema, which will release in the UK and Ireland, alongside UK and India-based animation studio Redefine Originals, part of DNEG.

UK’s Newscope Films co-produces alongside Good Story Productions and Parti Productions. The script was developed with the support of the BFI. Embankment Films is the sales agent for the film worldwide.

The new CGI animated movie will be released in Autumn 2026 on Sky Cinema. Brands with Influence is in the process of negotiating individual licensing deals for the brand across the global distribution footprint that has already been secured.

About Brands with Influence
Brands with Influence Brands with Influence (BWI) is an award-winning international licensing agency that has been operating worldwide for over 15 years. During this time, it has generated millions of pounds of licensing income for the brands it represents and helped manage and market influential IP across the world. Its current client list includes publishing phenomena like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, alongside TV favourites like Vegesaurs and Countryfile.

About Cantilever Media
Cantilever Media’s most successful film to date is the award-winning The Amazing Maurice, a family animated feature for Sky Cinema based on the award-winning book The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Sir Terry Pratchett. Written by Terry Rossio (Shrek, Aladdin) and co-produced with Ulysses Productions in Germany, the film features an all-star UK cast, including Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Himesh Patel, Gemma Arterton, Hugh Bonneville, Ariyon Bakare, and David Tennant. The film has won several awards, including a British Animation Award and accolades at Cartoons On the Bay. It was longlisted for both the BAFTA Film Awards and the Academy Awards, shortlisted at the European Film Awards, and premiered in the USA at the Sundance Film Festival. Building on this success, Cantilever Media is developing The Amazing Maurice 2 and has several exciting projects in production. These include the animated feature Bollywoof, being sold internationally by Embankment Films, and the animated TV series Badjelly, commissioned by WildBrain Television’s Family Channel (Canada) and TVNZ. Badjelly is co-produced with Mukpuddy Animation (N.Z.) and Sphere Animation (Canada), in association with Te Puna Kairangi Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund, NZ On Air, and the UK Global Screen Fund.

About Newscope Films
Founded in 2010, Newscope Films produced numerous live-action productions for the global market including: Consecration, starring Jena Malone and Danny Huston; the BFI-backed Lord of Misrule, directed by William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside, The Boy) starring Ralph Ineson and Tuppence Middleton; and Haunting of the Queen Mary, helmed by Gary Shore (Dracula Untold). Previous releases include teen horror Don’t Hang Up, Chris Smith’s noir thriller Detour starring Tye Sheridan and Bel Powley and Emmy-nominated political thriller series Secret State, starring Gabriel Byrne which was nominated for an International Emmy. Bollywoof will be the company’s first animated feature film.

About Sky
Sky connects and entertains millions of people across Europe. At the heart of everything we do, is a belief that people deserve better. For decades, we’ve shaken up every category we entered to give people what they love, to make life a little easier and to provide great value. That’s how we bring millions of customers the joy of a better experience in TV, broadband and mobile. In TV, we offer the best sports coverage, unmissable TV and the smartest ways to stream and aggregate the TV you love. In broadband, we power homes and businesses, with a fast, reliable connection. In mobile, we bring people closer, with plans at unbeatable value. And now, you can even keep your home connected and protected, through our smart insurance. We design our products to fit seamlessly into your life, with service whenever and however you need it. That’s how we do better for customers. And we believe in better for society too. We power the cultural economy in the UK and beyond, making award-winning news, original sport, and entertainment. We contribute billions to UK GDP, creating and sustaining thousands of jobs and sharing both our journalism and our coverage of the arts, free of charge. We are cutting emissions and making recyclable, energy-efficient products, and we give back, through free internet access and digital skills for under-served communities and young people. Sky is owned by Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company.