Rainbow S.p.A.

Rainbow S.p.A. is an Italian studio founded by Iginio Straffi and co-owned by Viacom (later Paramount Global) from 2011 to 2023. Rainbow has collaborated with Viacom/Paramount's other company, Nickelodeon, on multiple shows, including Winx Club and Club 57.^[1] The studio is based in Loreto, Marche and was founded by Straffi in 1995. Rainbow began as an animation studio, providing creative services for larger companies until it secured enough funds for original productions.

Rainbow S.p.A.

Formerly	Rainbow S.r.l. (1995-2018)
Company type	Private
Founded	April 1995; 29 years ago (April 1995)
Founder	Iginio Straffi
Headquarters	Loreto, Ancona, Italy
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Iginio Straffi (CEO)
Products	Television series Films
Owner	Iginio Straffi
Subsidiaries	Bardel Entertainment Gruppo Iven S.p.A. (Colorado Film) Rainbow CGI Moviement Talent Agency Tridimensional Witty Toys
Website	rbw.it

In February 2011, Viacom purchased 30% of the company for 62 million euros (US$83 million),^[2] leaving the remaining 70% to Iginio Straffi.^[3][4] Viacom's Nickelodeon networks broadcast Rainbow's shows worldwide,^[5] and Rainbow acts as the licensing agent for Nickelodeon's shows in Italy.^[6] Nickelodeon's American studios have also collaborated with Rainbow on several productions, including Winx Club from 2011 to 2015 and Club 57 in 2019.^[1]

In 2015, Rainbow purchased fellow animation studio Bardel Entertainment.^[7] In 2017, Rainbow acquired a majority stake in Gruppo Iven S.p.A., which owns the production company Colorado Film.^[8]

In April 2018, Straffi and Viacom listed the company on the Italian stock exchange.^[9] The listing followed years of consideration regarding which country's stock market to enter (the United States or Italy).^[10] According to Straffi, this presented "a real dilemma" as Viacom was already listed on an American stock exchange,^[10] but Rainbow performed best in European countries.^[10] Straffi and Viacom withdrew Rainbow from the stock market in May 2018, citing a lack of suitable market conditions.^[11]

After almost 12 years of co-ownership, Paramount sold its stake back to Straffi in January 2023. While Nickelodeon will continue to be a broadcast partner for the studio, the purchase allows Straffi full control of Rainbow's new projects.^[12][13]

Filmography

Television series

Show	Start date	Co-production
Tommy & Oscar[14][15]	2000–2002	Rai Fiction
Prezzemolo	2002–2003	Gardaland
Colorado	2003–2019	RTI
Winx Club	2004–2019	Rai Fiction (seasons 1-7) Nickelodeon[16] (seasons 5-7) Rai Ragazzi (season 8)
Monster Allergy	2005–2009	Rai Fiction
Huntik: Secrets & Seekers	2009–2012	RTI
PopPixie	2010–2011	Rai Fiction
Crazy Block (pilot)[17]	2014	Nickelodeon[17]
Regal Academy	2016–2018	Rai Fiction
Maggie & Bianca: Fashion Friends	2016–2017	Rai Fiction Nickelodeon (pilot only)[18]
World of Winx		Rai Fiction
Eccezionale veramente		Colorado Film
44 Cats	2018–2021	Rai Ragazzi Institute of Antoniano
Club 57	2019–2021	Rai Ragazzi Nickelodeon[19]
Enjoy - Ridere fa bene	2020	RTI
Fate: The Winx Saga	2021–2022	Archery Pictures Young Blood Productions
Summer & Todd: Happy Farmers	2021–present	RTVE Motion Pictures
Pinocchio and Friends		Rai Ragazzi Toonz Media Group
Mermaid Magic[20]	2024	Bardel[21]
Honolulu	TBA	RTI
Gormiti - The New Era		[21]

Films

Movie	Released	Distributor	Co-production
Tommy and Oscar: The Movie	2007	Miramax	Rai Cinema
Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom		01 Distribution Miramax Paramount Pictures
Winx Club 3D: Magical Adventure	2010	Medusa Film Paramount Pictures	Sky Cinema
Gladiators of Rome	2012		Mediaset Premium Sky Cinema
Winx Club: The Mystery of the Abyss	2014	01 Distribution Paramount Pictures	Rai Cinema
Tiro libero	2017	Linfa Crowd 2.0
Classe Z		Medusa Film
The Girl in the Fog
Daughter of Mine	2018	01 Distribution	Rai Cinema
My Big Gay Italian Wedding		Medusa Film
No Kids
When Mom Is Away
The Nest	2019
Into the Labyrinth
Me contro Te - Il film: La vendetta del Signor S	2020	Warner Bros.
Cambio tutto!		Medusa Film Amazon Prime Video	Colorado Film
When Mom Is Away... With the Family
Me contro Te - Il film: Il mistero della scuola incantata	2021	Warner Bros.
A Classic Horror Story		Netflix	Colorado Film
My Name is Vendetta
Me contro Te - Il film: Persi nel tempo	2022	Warner Bros.
Il mammone		Medusa Film
Il pataffio		01 Distribution	Rai Cinema UMédia Vivo Film
The Price of Family		Netflix	Colorado Film
Tre di troppo	2023	Warner Bros.
Me contro Te - Il film: Missione Giungla
Me contro Te - Il film: Vacanze in Transilvania
50km all'ora	2024	Eagle Pictures	Sony Pictures International Productions
The Tearsmith		Netflix	Colorado Film

Other divisions

Rainbow founded Tridimensional, a magazine publishing division, in 2004. A 3D animation division, Rainbow CGI, was formed in 2006. Rainbow also established Witty Toys, a toy division, in 2008.

References

1. Ramos-Weiner, Maribel (20 November 2018). "Iginio Straffi de Rainbow: Tuvimos una influencia muy importante en la historia de Club 57 para garantizar su atractivo en Europa". Produ.com (in Spanish).
2. "Straffi's Rainbow: Europe's Largest Animation House Has Growing Pains" (PDF). VideoAge International. October 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2017. In 2011, 16 years after Straffi founded Rainbow, Viacom gained 30 percent ownership of the animation division... for 62 million euro ($83 million), thus valuing the company at $277 million.
3. Vivarelli, Nick (26 February 2011). "Winx creator in the pink: Viacom draws on Italian animation shop". Variety. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
4. Serafini, Domenico (5 November 2014). "I dolori di Rainbow per arrivare prima in Europa". Millecanali (in Italian). Retrieved 23 May 2017.
5. Minardi, Sabina (24 February 2011). "Winx, le fatine fanno il botto". L'espresso (in Italian).
6. Rusak, Gary (April 2011). "Rainbow to rep Nick, lands new master toy deal" (PDF). Kidscreen. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2011.
7. "Rainbow buys Canadian animation studio Bardel". Kidscreen. 5 October 2015.
8. Montanari, Andrea (21 August 2017). "Rainbow-Viacom compra la Colorado" (PDF). MF Milano Finanza. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
9. "Winx take to the stock exchange". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. 12 April 2018. Rome: The shares will be put on sale by Straffi and Viacom Holdings Italia.
10. "Rainbow ripensa alla Borsa". Bebeez.it (in Italian). 3 November 2015.
11. "The Winx Withdraw from the Stock Market". 22 May 2018. The Rainbow studio based in Loreto, Marche, 30% of which belongs to Viacom, decided to go public... However, investors have not responded with the awaited enthusiasm
12. Vivarelli, Nick (4 February 2011). "Viacom takes stake in Rainbow". Variety.
13. Bianchi, Nicole (24 January 2023). "Good Morning, Cinecittà!". Cinecittà News (in Italian).
14. "Tommy & Oscar". La Repubblica (in Italian). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
15. Cucciniello, Cristina (4 June 2003). "Tommy e Oscar, ancora insieme". www.film.it (in Italian). Retrieved 20 August 2023.
16. "Nickelodeon Announces JAKKS Pacific as Master Toy Licensee for Innovative Girls Brand: Winx Club". Winx Club is a co-production with Rainbow S.p.A. and Nickelodeon.
17. "Crazy Block - Nick Animated Shorts". YouTube. 8 December 2018. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021.
18. Magliaro, Alessandra (19 July 2015). "Rainbow, oltre Winx, 1/a serie con attori". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (in Italian). Archived from the original on 20 July 2015.
19. "Riprese della serie tv americana per ragazzi "Club 57" a Monopoli" (in Italian). 23 September 2018.
20. "Mermaid Magic on Netflix from August 22". Rainbow SpA. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
21. Ilaria Ravarino (25 September 2023). "Alla corte di Iginio Straffi, il Re Mida del cinema italiano". The Hollywood Reporter Roma (in Italian). Retrieved 12 October 2023.

External links

• rbw.it