HarperCollins has signed a multiyear deal with Toonstar, a studio that calls itself AI-powered, to adapt some of its best-selling titles into animated series made for YouTube. The first is based on Lisa Greenwald's middle-grade books Friendship List, with episodes of two to ten minutes and a companion graphic novel from the HarperAlley imprint. No launch date was given.
Toonstar's method starts with drawings by human artists, which its in-house AI system, Ink & Pixel, then turns into finished animation at speed. The publisher says authors will be consulted and paid royalties, though the terms around AI in their contracts were not disclosed.
Toonstar's chief John Attanasio described the approach as artist-centred and faithful to each author's vision, and HarperCollins' US trade chief Liate Stehlik said the partner keeps artists central.
It is not HarperCollins' first move into AI: in 2024 it offered selected nonfiction for model training at $2,500 per book, and its Harlequin romance arm has a similar adaptation deal with Dashverse, where some authors said they were not told beforehand.
Sources · 1