Land Before Time News

August 2005: After selling more than 60 million units on DVD and VHS, the "Land Before Time" dinosaur franchise is headed to television.

The series of direct-to-video sequels to 1988's "The Land Before Time," directed by Don Bluth and executive produced by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, has sparked the development of an animated TV series that is slated to debut on the Cartoon Network in the first-half of 2007. After the series airs, episodes will be released on DVD via Universal Studios.

Production has begun on 26 episodes of the "Land Before Time" series. It will feature many of the same characters that appeared in the movie and its 10 direct-to-video sequels, mostly such lovable animated dinosaurs as Littlefoot, Cera and Petrie. New characters also will be introduced. The series will be created using a combination of 2-D and 3-D backgrounds.

Additionally, Universal is preparing a feature film, "The Land Before Time: Day of the Flyers", also to be released in 2007, said Glenn Ross, head of Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Prods.