HarperCollins Partners With AI Studio Toonstar

HarperCollins is partnering with AI animation studio Toonstar to adapt its book franchises into digital shows. The first project will be based on Lisa Greenwald's Friendship List series, accompanied by a graphic novel. Toonstar claims its AI-driven production process is 80 percent faster and 90 percent cheaper than industry norms. The studio has a YouTube presence with millions of subscribers, but its low-budget animation style and past pivot from Web3 and NFTs raise questions about whether it can deliver a genuinely compelling series.