In a joint venture with HappyNest, Chuck E. Cheese is making its debut in TV animation with an original holiday special, called The Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special, that’s currently in production with a release date scheduled for this holiday season.
The special brings together powerhouse creative talent in the animation world, with writing and producing partners Zac Moncrief and Jon Colton Barry (Phineas & Ferb and Be Cool Scooby-Doo!) as executive producers and co-writers. Oscar-nominated character designer and animator Bobby Pontillas, best known for Moana, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia, crafted the new character designs. Animation is being handled by Pixel Zoo Animation Studios out of Brisbane, Australia, with a team of artists and animators led by founder and CEO Paul Gillett, head of studio Sebastian Gonzalez, and director Steve Trenbirth (The Croods: Family Tree and The Jungle Book 2), all working with Moncrief as co-director.
The voice cast includes Nathan Kress (iCarly) in the titular role of Chuck E. Cheese, alongside animation veteran voice actors Grey Griffin (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Nolan North (Uncharted), Kari Wahlgren (Rick & Morty), and Fred Tatasciore (Kung Fu Panda 2).
The special features an original Christmas song co-written by Jon Colton Barry, Zac Moncrief, composer Ben Bromfield (Ginny & Georgia), and Barry’s father, Jeff Barry—a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee behind timeless hits like “I’m a Believer” for the Monkees, “Sugar Sugar” for The Archies and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” popularized by Mariah Carey and Michael Buble.
“This is more than just a TV special—it’s a milestone moment for the Chuck E. Cheese brand,” said Melissa McLeanas, vice president of global media, licensing and entertainment at Chuck E. Cheese. “We’re entering the entertainment arena in a way that builds on our nostalgic legacy while charting a new future for our characters as a storytelling franchise.”
This latest venture marks a strategic content expansion for Chuck E. Cheese, just as the brand has been reimagined for the latest generation of kids, launched a licensing division that currently has over 30 licensee partners in retail, novelty gifts, toys, books and more.
The announcement follows the launch of the CEC Media Network, a DOOH platform driving over 2 billion impressions annually and offering distribution partners a turnkey marketing channel across digital and in-store touchpoints. Chuck E. Cheese says it has had over one billion lifetime visitors to its family entertainment centers through its 48-year legacy.
According to a press release, HappyNest is an independent, franchise-first kids and family entertainment media company that forms strategic partnerships with best-in-class talent to create and produce the next big kids franchises across diverse content verticals.
