Gummybear International Inc. is celebrating two decades of Gummibär, the animated character whose 2006 viral hit “I’m a Gummy Bear” made it one of the earliest breakout successes on the internet, with the company now eyeing a feature film for 2027 in partnership with Toonz Media Group.
Created by Christian Schneider, the character launched via a ringtone and music video that rapidly accumulated billions of views and was adapted into upwards of 45 languages. A run of follow-up singles and albums earned Gummibär Gold and Platinum certifications across multiple markets.
The property’s expansion into long-form content began in 2012, when Gummybear Intl. produced the animated Christmas special “Yummy Gummy Search For Santa,” released through Lionsgate Pictures. The special introduced supporting characters that would go on to anchor the “Gummibär & Friends” animated series, produced in partnership with Toonz Media Group. The digital-first show ran for two seasons of 39 seven-minute episodes each and secured distribution across platforms in more than 100 countries.
“Gummibär showed early on that digital-first storytelling can travel globally at scale,” said Viswanath Rao of Toonz Media Group. “With ‘Gummibär & Friends,’ we saw how a character born online could successfully evolve into a global animated franchise reaching audiences in over 100 countries.”
The two companies are now developing a full-length Gummibär feature film scheduled for 2027. On the licensing and consumer products side, the brand has extended across toys, publishing, digital products and lifestyle categories.
“Gummibär is not just a character, it is a cross-generational phenomenon,” said Debi Rosenfeld, head of licensing and merchandising at Toonz. “Its ability to translate across cultures, platforms and products has made it a natural fit for sustained licensing and merchandising growth worldwide.”
The character continues to draw growing viewership across on-demand, free ad-supported and traditional broadcast platforms, with Gummybear Intl. reporting year-on-year gains in both views and engagement.
“Very few characters sustain this kind of momentum across decades, platforms and generations,” said Jurgen Korduletsch, president of GBI. “We see Gummibär not just as a legacy brand, but as a continuously evolving universe with limitless potential to entertain, innovate and connect with fans around the world.”
variety.com
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