United Kingdom-based distributor Serious Lunch has acquired the worldwide rights to Studio Ghibli's television series Ronia the Robber's Daughter, outside of Japan and Scandinavia. The company seeking English-language broadcasters.

Serious Lunch plans to bring the series to potential partners at The Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which this year takes place from June 15 to June 20. Serious Lunch CEO Genevieve Dexter stated that the company has support from UK Trade & Investment to open more animation trade between the UK and Japan. Serious Lunch opened in 2011.

The anime adapts Swedish author Astrid Lindgren's children's book, and it revolves around Ronia, the only daughter of Mattis, the chief of a tribe of bandits who live in a large castle in a forest. Ronia studies the ways of the mysterious creatures who live in the forest.

Goro Miyazaki (Tales from Earthsea, From Up On Poppy Hill) directed the Ronia The Robber's Daughter television anime series, titled Sanzoku no Musume Ronia in Japan. POLYGON PICTURES (Knights of Sidonia, The Sky Crawlers) animated the 3D CG series in collaboration with Studio Ghibli. Hiroyuki Kawasaki (The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Sorcerer Hunters, Ryoko's Case File, Psychic Detective Yakumo) handled the series composition. NHK Enterprise produced the series, and NHK and Dwango handled production and writing.

From Up On Poppy Hill English dub producer Geoffrey Wexler's LinkedIn profile lists himself as the English-language dub and subtitle producer for Ronia the Robber's Daughter.

The series premiered on NHK and BS Premium in October and ran for 26 episodes. The broadcast is repeating on BS Premium.

Sources: TBI Vision, WorldScreen