Winx Club

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2a02:c7c:bc2d:e700:f963:eab:a5bf:1906 (talk) at 18:01, 20 July 2024 (Broadcast). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Winx Club is an animated television series co-produced by Rainbow SpA and later Nickelodeon.[note 1] It was created and directed by Italian animator Iginio Straffi. It premiered on 28 January 2004, becoming a ratings success in Italy and on Nickelodeon networks internationally. The show is set in a magical universe that is inhabited by fairies, witches, and other mythical creatures. The main character is a fairy warrior named Bloom, who enrolls at Alfea College to train and hone her skills. The series uses a serial format with an ongoing storyline.

Winx Club
Genre
Created byIginio Straffi
Directed byIginio Straffi
Country of origin
  • Italy
  • United States (revived series)[2][3]
Original languages
  • Italian
  • English (revived series)
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes208 (+ 4 hour-long specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJoanne Lee
Kay Wilson Stallings
Running time24 minutes
Production companiesRainbow S.p.A.
RAI
Nickelodeon Animation Studio (revived series)
Original release
NetworkRAI channels (Italy)
Nickelodeon (international)
Release28 January 2004 (2004-01-28) –
13 November 2009 (2009-11-13)
Release27 June 2011 (2011-06-27) –
present
Related

Iginio Straffi initially outlined the show's plot to last three seasons. He chose to continue the story for a fourth season in 2009. Around this time, Winx Club's popularity attracted the attention of the American media company Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon. Viacom purchased 30% of the show's animation studio,[4] Rainbow SpA, and Nickelodeon began producing a revival series. Production on the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons was divided between Rainbow and Nickelodeon Animation Studio. To attract an American audience, Viacom assembled a voice cast of Nickelodeon actors (including Elizabeth Gillies and Ariana Grande), invested US$100 million in advertising for the series, and inducted Winx Club into Nickelodeon's franchise of Nicktoons.[5]

Beginning in 2010, episodes of Winx Club were jointly written with Nickelodeon's American team. Nickelodeon's writers aimed to make the series multicultural and appealing to viewers from different countries. In 2019, Straffi commented on his years of collaboration with Nickelodeon, saying that "the know-how of Rainbow and the know-how of Nickelodeon are very complementary; the sensibilities of the Americans, with our European touch."[6] The continued partnership between Rainbow and Nickelodeon on Winx Club led to the development of more co-productions, including Club 57 in 2019, on which much of Winx Club's staff worked.

The series was subject to budget cuts in 2014, during its seventh season. The 3D computer-generated segments and Hollywood voice actors were deemed too costly to keep using. The seventh season eventually premiered on Nickelodeon's worldwide channels in 2015. After a four-year hiatus, an eighth season premiered in 2019. At Straffi's decision, this season was heavily retooled for a preschool target audience.

A live-action adaptation of Winx Club for young adults, titled Fate: The Winx Saga, premiered in 2021.[7] In January 2023, Viacom (now known as Paramount Global) sold its stake in Rainbow SpA back to Straffi, allowing him full control of the studio's new projects, including an upcoming animated reboot of the Winx Club franchise.

Premise

 
The main characters of Winx Club are girls who can transform into fairy warriors.

The series follows the adventures of a group of girls known as the Winx, students at the Alfea College for Fairies, who turn into fairies to fight villains. The team is made up of Bloom, the fairy of the Dragon Flame; Stella, the fairy of the Shining Sun; Flora, the fairy of nature; Tecna, the fairy of technology; Musa, the fairy of music; Aisha, the fairy of waves; and Roxy, the fairy of animals.[8] The main male characters are called the Specialists, a group of students at the Red Fountain school who are also the Winx fairies' boyfriends. They include Bloom's boyfriend Sky; Stella's boyfriend Brandon; Flora's boyfriend Helia; Tecna's boyfriend Timmy; and Musa's boyfriend Riven. Unlike their female counterparts, the Specialists do not have magical powers and instead, train how to fight using laser weapons. The Winx and Specialists' most common adversaries are a trio of witches named the Trix: Icy, Darcy, and Stormy, all former students of the Cloud Tower school.

Winx Club is set in a vast universe with several dimensions. Most episodes take place in the Magic Dimension, which is closed off to ordinary people and inhabited by creatures from European mythology like fairies, witches, and monsters. The capital of this world is the city of Magix—which is located on the planet of the same name—where the three main magic schools are situated. The other planets of the Magic Dimension include Bloom's home planet Domino, Stella's home planet Solaria, Flora's home planet Lynphea, Tecna's home planet Zenith, Musa's home planet Melody, Aisha's home planet Andros, and Roxy's home planet Tir Na Nog.[8] Some episodes take place on Earth, where Bloom spent her childhood.[9]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Original series
12628 January 2004 (2004-01-28)26 March 2004 (2004-03-26)
22619 April 2005 (2005-04-19)14 July 2005 (2005-07-14)
32629 January 2007 (2007-01-29)28 March 2007 (2007-03-28)
42615 April 2009 (2009-04-15)13 November 2009 (2009-11-13)
Revived series
Specials421 November 2011 (2011-11-21)[a]12 December 2011 (2011-12-12)
52616 October 2012 (2012-10-16)[a]24 April 2013 (2013-04-24)
6266 January 2014 (2014-01-06)[a]4 August 2014 (2014-08-04)
72621 September 2015 (2015-09-21)[a]3 October 2015 (2015-10-03)
82615 April 2019 (2019-04-15)[10]17 September 2019 (2019-09-17)
Reboot series
9262025TBA

Development

Concept and creation

 
Iginio Straffi, creator of Winx Club

During the 1990s, comic artist Iginio Straffi noticed that most action cartoons were focused on male heroes;[11] at that time, he felt that the "cartoon world was devoid of female characters."[12] Straffi hoped to introduce an alternative show with a female lead aged 16 to 18, as he wanted to "explore the psychological side" of the transition to adulthood.[13] He decided to develop a pilot centred on the conflict between two rival colleges; one for fairies and another for witches.[14] Straffi compared his original premise to "a sort of 'Oxford–Cambridge rivalry' in a magical dimension".[15] In expanding the concept, Iginio Straffi drew his inspiration from Japanese manga[16] and the comics of Sergio Bonelli.[17]

Straffi's pilot, which was titled "Magic Bloom,"[18] featured the original five Winx members in attires like those of traditional European fairies.[19] It was produced during a twelve-month development period that included animation tests, character studies, and market surveys.[20] The animation attracted the interest of Rai Fiction,[21] which paid for 25% of the production cost in exchange for Italian broadcast rights and a share of the series' revenue over 15 years.[22] After holding test screenings of the pilot, however, Straffi was unhappy with the audience's unenthusiastic reaction to the characters' outdated clothing style[19] and stated that the pilot did not satisfy him.[21] In a 2016 interview, Straffi said the result "looked like just another Japanese-style cartoon ... but nothing like [the modern] Winx ".[23] He likened his feelings about the pilot to an "existential crisis" and chose to scrap the entire test animation despite an investment of over €100,000 in the completed pilot.[21]

To rework the concept, Straffi's team hired Italian fashion designers to restyle the show and give the characters a brighter, more modern appearance.[24][25] Production of the restyled series began by 2002, and Rainbow estimated the episodes would be delivered to distributors by late 2003.[26] The new name of the series ("Winx") was derived from the English word "wings".[11] Straffi's aim was to appeal to both genders, including action sequences designed for male viewers and fashion elements for female viewers.[26][27] At the October 2003 MIPCOM event, Rainbow screened the show's first episode to international companies.[28] The first season had its world premiere on Italian television channel Rai 2 on 28 January 2004.[29]

From the beginning of development, Iginio Straffi planned an overarching plot that would end after "a maximum" of 78 episodes.[30] Straffi stated that the Winx saga "would not last forever"[20] in 2007, and he intended the first movie (Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom) to resolve any plot points remaining from the third-season finale.[30] In 2008, Straffi decided to extend the series, citing its increasing popularity.[30]

Nickelodeon revival

 
Nickelodeon's Janice Burgess, who was the story editor and creative director on the revival

In September 2010, Rainbow S.p.A. announced they had entered into a worldwide broadcast and production deal with Nickelodeon that would see the broadcaster air the series in several territories, alongside co-producing and developing seasons five and six with them, effectively reviving the series. Nickelodeon Consumer Products also secured merchandising rights to the revival in some regions, including the United States.[31][32][33] Viacom would finance and staff the revived series, dividing production between Viacom's Nickelodeon Animation Studio[34] in the United States and Rainbow S.p.A. in Italy.[35]

In February 2011, Nickelodeon's parent company Viacom acquired a 30% stake in Rainbow S.p.A. for 62 million euros (US$83 million).[36] Viacom originally planned to buy out the entire Rainbow studio,[37] but wanted to keep Iginio Straffi at the helm, leaving Straffi with 70%.[38]

The revived series began with four special episodes that summarize the first two seasons of the original show,[39] followed by the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. As the production team was divided between two countries, Nickelodeon released a statement commenting on how Winx Club was an unusual production for the company: "It's not our usual practice to co-produce cartoons; we make them by ourselves. But we strongly believe in Winx."[2] Winx Club was officially inducted into Nickelodeon's franchise of Nicktoons,[5] a brand that encompasses original animated productions created for the network. On each episode of the revived series, Nickelodeon approved scripts and all phases of animation.[40] Nickelodeon brought on some of its long-time staff members, such as creative director Janice Burgess, and writers Sascha Paladino, Adam Peltzman, and Carin Greenberg.[41]

On 7 April 2014, Rainbow and Nickelodeon announced their continuing partnership on the seventh season of Winx Club, with a planned premiere date of 2015.[42] Straffi said of the season: "It will be a privilege to partner once more with Nickelodeon on this."[42] During production, Rainbow was undergoing a multimillion-euro financial loss due to the box office failure of its film Gladiators of Rome.[43] They subsequently decided to cut costs on Winx Club, its most expensive show. The CGI-animated segments and California voice cast from the previous two seasons were deemed too costly to continue using for the seventh season. As with the previous two seasons, the copyright to the seventh season is co-owned by Rainbow and Viacom.[3] The first episode aired on 22 June 2015, on Nickelodeon in Asia,[44] followed by its American broadcast on the Nick Jr. Channel on 10 January 2016.[45]

External videos
  Interview clip of Winx Club creator Iginio Straffi in 2019, commenting on his continued work with Nickelodeon.

The president of Nickelodeon International, Pierluigi Gazzolo, was responsible for arranging the co-production partnership and became a member of Rainbow's board of directors.[46] In addition to financing the television series, Viacom provided the resources necessary to produce a third Winx film.[47] In 2019, Iginio Straffi commented on the two studios' near-decade of continued work together, saying that "the know-how of Rainbow and the know-how of Nickelodeon are very complementary; the sensibilities of the Americans, with our European touch."[6] Winx Club opened the opportunity for Nickelodeon and Rainbow to collaborate on additional co-productions together, including various pilots from 2014 onward and Club 57 in 2019.[48]

Retooled eighth season

In the last ten years, the animation audience has skewed younger. Nowadays, it's very difficult to get a 10-year-old to watch cartoons ... when your target is 4-to-8, your story cannot have the same level of complexity as the beginning seasons of Winx, where we had a lot of layers ... The fans of the previous Winx Club say on social media that the new seasons are childish, but they don't know that we had to do that.

Iginio Straffi in 2019[6]

The eighth season of the series was not produced immediately after the seventh. It followed a multiple-year hiatus and was not made as a direct continuation of the previous season. At Iginio Straffi's decision, Season 8 was heavily retooled to appeal to a preschool target audience.[6]

For season eight, Rainbow's creative team restyled the characters to appear younger, hoping to increase the appeal toward preschoolers.[6] The plot lines were simplified so that they could be understood by a younger audience.[6] Most of the show's longtime crew members were not called back to work on this season, including art director Simone Borselli, who had designed the series' characters from season one to seven, and singer Elisa Rosselli, who had performed a majority of the songs.[49] In another change from previous seasons, season eight was the first since season four to be solely produced by Rainbow, with Nickelodeon's American team serving as consultants rather than directly overseeing the episodes. This was due to the broadcaster focusing on another co-production with Rainbow - Club 57.[6] Season eight was also the first-ever season without the involvement of Rai Fiction.[50]

Iginio Straffi made the decision to shift the show's intended audience after years of gradually aiming toward a younger demographic. In a 2019 interview,[6] Straffi explained that decreasing viewership from older viewers and an increased audience of young children made this change a necessity. He elaborated that "the fans of the previous Winx Club say on social media that the new seasons are childish, but they don't know that we had to do that."[6] Straffi stepped away from the series at this time and shifted his focus to live-action projects aimed at older audiences: Nickelodeon's Club 57 and Fate: The Winx Saga.[6] Straffi explained that "the things we had to tone down [in season eight] have been emphasized in the live action–the relationships, the fights, the love stories." He added that he hoped that Fate will satisfy the "20-year-olds who still like to watch Winx."[6]

Reboot

On November 6, 2022, creator Iginio Straffi announced that "a brand new CG Winx animated series reboot is going into production. Yes, a reboot."[51][52] In January 2023, Paramount (Viacom) sold its stake in Rainbow back to Straffi, allowing him full creative control of the reboot.[53] In May 2024, it was announced that Netflix will be in charge of broadcasting the episodes.[54]

Production

Design

 
A character table for Flora by art director Simone Borselli

The series' visuals are a mixture of Japanese anime and European elements,[55] which Iginio Straffi calls "the trademark Rainbow style".[16] The main characters' original designs were based on Straffi's original sketches and later updated to 3D CGI iterations.[56] The main characters were modelled on celebrities popular at the turn of the 21st century. In a 2011 interview with IO Donna, Straffi stated that Britney Spears served as an inspiration for Bloom, Cameron Diaz for Stella, Jennifer Lopez for Flora, Pink for Tecna, Lucy Liu for Musa, and Beyoncé for Aisha.[57] This approach was part of Straffi's aim for the fairies to represent "the women of today."[12]

A team of specialized artists designs the characters' expressions and outfits for each season. About 20 tables of expressions and positions from all angles are drawn for each character.[14] The designers start to develop characters' costumes by creating collages from magazine clippings of recent fashion trends. Using these as references, they draw multiple outfits for each character.[58] Simone Borselli, the series' art director, designed most of the characters' early-season clothing despite lacking a background in fashion design. When asked by an interviewer where his fashion intuition came from, Borselli responded, "From being gay."[59]

Writing and animation

The first stage in the production of an episode is developing its script, a process that can last 5–6 months.[60] When the series began production, the writers were based entirely in Italy. After Viacom became a co-owner of Rainbow in 2011, Rainbow's group of 30 writers began collaborating with teams in both Italy and the United States.[58] The international coordination, which has continued through 2019,[58] intends to make scenarios depicted in the program multicultural and accessible to viewers from different countries.[58] Episodes are written with two stories in mind: a longer narrative arc that lasts for tens of episodes and a subplot that concludes at the end of the 22-minute runtime.[61] This episode structure was modelled on those of teen dramas and American comics.[62] Themes written into the series include romance,[8] the acquisition of maturity upon reaching adulthood,[63] and (in the fifth season) nature conservation.[57]

After the script and character designs have been approved, the screenplay is passed onto a group of storyboard artists. For each 22-minute episode, the artists prepare 450 pages of storyboards[58] which are used to assemble an animatic. At this stage, dialogue and music are added to determine the length of each scene.[64] In the original series (seasons 1–4), the characters' mouths were animated to match the Italian voice actors' lines; in the revived series, the mouth movements were matched to the English scripts.[65] Episodes are worked on concurrently because each requires around two years of work to complete.[58]

At the beginning of the first season, the production team worked from Rainbow's original headquarters in Recanati.[60] In 2006, Straffi opened a second studio in Rome for computer-animated projects.[66] During the fifth and sixth seasons, 3D CGI sequences were incorporated into the series for the first time, animated at the studio in Rome. According to the Rainbow CGI animators, the animation of the characters' hair in underwater scenes was particularly difficult, and it was animated separately from the characters.[64]

Casting

In Italy, the series' voice actors include Letizia Ciampa (Bloom), Perla Liberatori (Stella), Ilaria Latini (Flora), Domitilla D'Amico (Tecna), Gemma Donati (Musa), and Laura Lenghi (Aisha). According to Ilaria Latini, the characters were cast before the character designs were finalized and the actors were shown black-and-white sketches of their roles.[67] The actors record their lines in Rome.[58] Seasons 1–4 were animated to match the Italian voices.[65] Starting with season 5, the animation was synchronized to match the English scripts.[65][68]

Nickelodeon stars Liz Gillies and Ariana Grande voiced Daphne (Bloom's sister) and Diaspro, respectively.

The 2011 specials introduced a new cast of Hollywood voice actors. Iginio Straffi himself helped to choose the voices of the main characters, and the actors recorded their lines at the Atlas Oceanic studio in Burbank, California.[69][70] Molly Quinn voiced the lead role of Bloom, and at first, she tried out a cartoony voice for her character. Nickelodeon advised her to use her real voice instead, saying, "No, we want voices of real girls this time around."[71]

For the 2011 cast, Viacom hired popular actors whose names were advertised on-air to attract American viewers; these stars included Ariana Grande as Diaspro,[72] Elizabeth Gillies as Daphne, Keke Palmer as Aisha, Matt Shively as Sky,[39] and Daniella Monet as Mitzi.[73] These actors provided voices for the first two Winx films and seasons three through six. In 2014, Viacom relocated the series' English cast to DuArt in New York City; this was done as a cost-cutting and time-saving measure since Rainbow was undergoing a significant financial loss at the time. Despite the change in voice actors, the series' animation continued to be matched to Nickelodeon and Rainbow's English scripts for the seventh season.[68]

Music

Original songs have been recorded in about 40 languages for the show.[24] Frequent composers for the program include Michele Bettali, Stefano Carrara, Fabrizio Castania, and Maurizio D'Aniello. One of Nickelodeon's composers, Emmy and Grammy Award recipient Peter Zizzo, joined the team during Nickelodeon's joint production of the fifth season. His music is featured in the fifth, sixth,[74] and seventh[75] seasons. Each song takes between five and twelve months to complete.[76] Many of the show's tracks are performed by Italian singer Elisa Rosselli,[77] who started recording songs for Winx in 2007. Rosselli continued to produce music for the show (usually in collaboration with D'Aniello or Peter Zizzo from Nickelodeon)[76] until its seventh season.[77]

Nickelodeon created a few live-action music videos for Winx Club that were performed by stars from other Nick shows. One featured Elizabeth Gillies from Victorious (who also voiced Bloom's sister, Daphne) singing "We Are Believix."[78] This song was released as a stand-alone single on iTunes. Another music video featured Cymphonique Miller from How to Rock singing "Winx, You're Magic Now." Miller also did a live performance of her Winx song at Nickelodeon's upfront presentation in Las Vegas.[79]

Broadcast

Winx Club first premiered on the Italian television channel Rai 2 on 28 January 2004. Reruns later aired on Rai Gulp, a sister channel to Rai 2 aimed at children, shortly after the network launched in 2007.

By 2014, the show had been aired in over 150 countries.[36] In 2019, after the Viacom-CBS merger announcement, Informa's Television Business International listed the show among the most important Viacom properties internationally.[80]

In June 2022, Paramount (the rebranded name of ViacomCBS) launched a 24-hour Winx Club channel on their Pluto TV on-demand service.[81] The channel is currently only available on the Spanish and French feeds.[82]

Revival series

On 2 September 2010, Nickelodeon announced through a press release that they would be producing brand-new seasons with Rainbow.[33] Nickelodeon debuted four one-hour specials (also co-produced with Rainbow) summarizing the first two seasons, the first of which premiered on their flagship American channel on 27 June 2011.[39] With the exception of Italy, the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons launched on Nickelodeon channels domestically and internationally.[33]

During the sixth season in 2014, episode premieres were moved from Rai 2 to Rai Gulp in Italy, and from Nickelodeon to the Nick Jr. Channel in the United States. The change to younger-skewing networks followed Rainbow's lowering of Winx Club's target demographic to a younger audience than the earlier seasons.[6] The seventh season was jointly announced by Nickelodeon and Rainbow in April 2014 as part of their continuing partnership.[83] The seventh season made its world premiere on Nickelodeon Greece on 24 May 2015, and the English version debuted on Nickelodeon Asia on 22 June 2015.[44] It later premiered on Rai Gulp in Italy (21 September 2015) and the Nick Jr. Channel in the United States (10 January 2016).

4Kids edit

In October 2003, 4Kids Entertainment acquired US broadcast rights to the first season of Winx Club for broadcast on their FoxBox (later 4Kids TV) strand on Fox.[84] 4Kids dubbed the first three seasons, censoring and editing the original content in an attempt at localization. Iginio Straffi criticized these adjustments in a 2008 interview, saying, "The Winx fairies cannot even talk about boys there. I think this removes something essential."[85] The series last aired on The CW (as part of The CW4Kids) before 4Kids' broadcast agreement was permanently revoked by Rainbow in 2009.[24]

Broadcast Wales history

Reception

Ratings

Upon its debut, Winx Club was a ratings success. During its first season in 2004, the series became one of the highest-rated programs on Rai 2 with an average audience share of 17%.[25] Among viewers 4–14 years old, the average share was 45%.[25] In France and Belgium, the season reached a 56% share among 10 to 14-year-olds.[86] According to Rai in 2009, the gender mix of Winx Club's audience was nearly equal across the first three seasons; in the target demographic of 4–14 years of age, females represented only 3% more of the audience than males.[87] The premiere of the fourth season set a record for an animated show's audience on Rai 2 with 500,000 viewers.[88] In 2007, Iginio Straffi noted that there were lower ratings in English-speaking territories than in Europe at the time, which he surmised was due to cultural differences.[89]

On 27 June 2011, the first special produced with Nickelodeon premiered on Nick U.S. to 2.278 million viewers.[90] Each of the following three specials performed better than the previous ones, with the fourth ("The Shadow Phoenix") rating #1 in its time slot among viewers aged 2–11.[91] During the first quarter of 2012, an average of 38.5 million viewers watched the series across nine of Nickelodeon's international outlets, a 60% increase from the fourth quarter of 2011.[91] On Nickelodeon UK, Winx Club increased the network's ratings by 58% on its launch weekend in September 2011, ranking as the second-most-popular program on the channel and the most popular show with females aged 7–15.[92] As of 2021, Winx Club is still broadcast daily on Nickelodeon UK's main network.[93]

Critical response

In a New York Times article, Bocconi University professor Paola Dubini stated that the themes and characters of Winx Club appealed to both the target audience and their parents. Dubini wrote that the fairies' "defined and different personalities" made them relatable to viewers.[94] Common Sense Media reviewer Tara Swords gave the show a three-star review, calling it "an imaginative story with bold, take-charge heroines" while also arguing that the show is hindered by its design elements.[95]

Winx Club has attracted academic interest for its presentation of gender roles. In the journal of Volgograd State University, Russian sociologists Georgiy Antonov and Elena Laktyukhina judged that female characters in the series are depicted as dominant, while males are shown to be passive.[96] As examples of women adopting traditionally male roles, they listed the female fairies fighting for their boyfriends, saving them from enemies, and inviting them on dates, while at the same time having difficulty performing household duties like cooking and cleaning.[96] Writing for Kabardino-Balcarian State University, Zalina Dokhova and Tatiana Cheprakova stated that the series conveys "both positive and negative stereotypes",[97] citing the opposite personalities of Stella and Aisha. They wrote that Stella's character incorporates stereotypically feminine passions for shopping and clothes, while Aisha represents a more realistic character with an interest in male-dominated sports.[97]

Rhodes University professor Jeanne Prinsloo wrote in 2014 that Winx Club episodes "present complex narratives with active female protagonists and positive relationships that validate 'girl power'".[98] In an interview with the newspaper Corriere della Sera, psychotherapist Gianna Schelotto highlighted positive aspects of the show, like friendship, guiding female viewers "away from supermodels to which the commercial world drags them".[99] Il Sole 24 Ore also wrote positively about the show's feminist themes, commending how the characters "expose narcissistic masculinity".[100]

The characters' outfits caused some controversy in June 2017, when the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) fined Nickelodeon's Pakistani channel after it aired an episode where the Winx are shown in swimsuits.[101]

Cultural impact

 
Cosplay of the character Roxy in 2014

Winx Club has been popular at fan conventions. For example, in 2012 and 2013, the series had a large presence at Nickelodeon's San Diego Comic-Con booth, where new collectibles were raffled off to fans.[102] Nickelodeon made two exclusive dolls for the 2012 event (a silver Bloom and a gold Bloom)[103] and two more for 2013 (Daphne in her nymph form and Bloom in her Harmonix form).[104] In 2015, a four-day Winx Club fan gathering was held in Jesolo,[105] where Nickelodeon installed a "Fan Wall" to display messages from worldwide fans.[106] In October 2018, an exhibition for the series' fifteenth anniversary was held at Europe's largest comics festival, the Lucca Comics & Games convention in Tuscany.[107]

Federico Vercellino of Il Sole 24 Ore described the series as "a destructive and constructive phenomenon"[100] that introduced viewers to feminist stories about rebellious female characters.[100] A 2019 study conducted for the Corriere della Sera reported that Winx Club was the fourth-most-popular Italian series outside of the country, with strong demand in Russia and the United States.[108]

In 2018, Giovanna Gallo of Cosmopolitan stated that the program's characters have become "real icons of fashion" and noted the show's popularity with cosplayers,[109] performance artists who wear costumes and accessories to represent the show's characters. Winx Club costumes were the focus of a second-season episode of The Apprentice, in which Flavio Briatore challenged the show's teams to create three Winx outfits intended for females 25–35 years of age, which were to be submitted to the judgment of Iginio Straffi.[110] la Repubblica's Marina Amaduzzi attributed the popularity of Winx-inspired fashion to fans' desire to emulate the characters, stating that "Winx fanatics dress, move and breathe like their heroines".[111]

The Regional Council of Marche, Italy, chose the Winx Club fairies to represent Marche and Italy at the Expo 2010 world's fair in Shanghai.[112] A four-minute video using stereoscopic technology showing the Winx in Marche's tourist destinations was animated for the Italian Pavilion.[112] In 2015, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visited Rainbow's studio and wrote that "the Winx are a beautiful story of Italian talent".[113]

Lawsuit

In April 2004,[114] The Walt Disney Company filed an unsuccessful copyright infringement lawsuit against Rainbow.[114] The company accused Rainbow of copying the Winx Club concept from its W.I.T.C.H. comic book,[114] which was published over a year after production on Winx Club began.[115] Disney applied for an injunction order to halt the further release of the Winx Club series and comic magazine; to declare the Winx Club trademark invalid; and to seize the periodical and film material bearing the allegedly infringing Winx Club name.[114] Rainbow won the case against Disney, and the judge declared there were no confusing similarities between the two.[114] Straffi mentioned that the Winx Club pilot entered production by 2000, while the W.I.T.C.H. comic was not released until May 2001.[115][116] On 2 August 2004,[117] all of Disney's infringement claims were rejected by the Tribunale di Bologna's Specialized Commercial Matters Department,[114] which deemed them unfounded.[114] The suit later became the subject of a commercial law seminar at the University of Macerata in 2009.[117]

In 2005, Iginio Straffi was interviewed in IO Donna about the legal battle.[115] He was asked how it felt "to be one of Disney's most hated people,"[115] and answered that he—as the founder of a small animation studio—was glad to have "defeated" a massive conglomerate.[115] "I feel a certain pride in having annoyed such a giant. It's inspiring," he elaborated.[115] As a result of the lawsuit, Straffi has avoided doing any business with the Disney corporation; he commented in 2014, "They've lost the chance to explore our creativity."[118]

Films

 
Dancers portraying the Winx Club attend the Rome Film Fest premiere of The Secret of the Lost Kingdom

The Secret of the Lost Kingdom

On 8 October 2006, a Winx Club feature film was announced on Rainbow's website. The Secret of the Lost Kingdom was released in Italy on 30 November 2007.[119] Its television premiere was on 11 March 2012 on Nickelodeon in the United States.[120] The plot takes place after the events of the first three seasons, following Bloom as she searches for her birth parents and fights the Ancestral Witches who destroyed her home planet. Iginio Straffi had planned this feature-length story since the beginning of the series' development.[8]

Magical Adventure

On 9 November 2009, a sequel film was announced.[121] Winx Club 3D: Magical Adventure was released in Italy on 29 October 2010.[122] Its television premiere was on 20 May 2013, on Nickelodeon in the United States.[123] In the film, Sky proposes to Bloom, but Sky's father does not approve of their marriage.[121] Production on Magical Adventure began in 2007, while the first film was still in development.[122] It is the first Italian film animated in stereoscopic 3D.[124]

On February 19, 2013, Nickelodeon held a special screening of the movie at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.[125] Nickelodeon star Daniella Monet[126] (who voiced Bloom's rival, Mitzi, on the show) and creator Iginio Straffi[127] both attended the premiere.

The Mystery of the Abyss

In late 2010, it was announced that Viacom (the owner of Nickelodeon and eventual co-owner of Rainbow) would provide the resources necessary to produce a new Winx film.[47] The film, titled Winx Club: The Mystery of the Abyss, was released in Italy on 4 September 2014.[128] It made its television premiere on Nickelodeon Germany on 8 August 2015.[129] The plot follows the Winx venturing through the Infinite Ocean to rescue Sky, who has been imprisoned by the Trix. According to Iginio Straffi, the film has a more comedic tone than the previous two films.[128]

Spin-offs

PopPixie is a miniseries that ran for a single season over two months in 2011. It features chibi-inspired Pixie characters who were first introduced in the second season of Winx Club. After Nickelodeon became a co-developer of the main series, it was announced that PopPixie would air on Nickelodeon's global network of channels beginning in late 2011.[130]

World of Winx is a spin-off series that premiered in 2016. Straffi described it as one "with more adult graphics, a kind of story better suited to an older audience"[131] than the original series. It features the Winx travelling to Earth on an undercover mission to track down a kidnapper known as the Talent Thief.[132] 26 episodes over two seasons were made.[133]

Netflix live-action adaptation

In 2018, a live-action adaptation aimed at young adults was announced.[134] Filming began in September 2019, with Abigail Cowen starring as Bloom.[135] The series made its world premiere on 22 January 2021, following a teaser released on 10 December 2020.[7] In February 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which was released on 16 September 2022.[136][137] In November 2022, the series was canceled after two seasons.[138]

The writers of Fate: The Winx Saga were entirely new to the Winx franchise, and they were recruited from teen dramas like The Vampire Diaries.[139] Early in production, Nickelodeon's American crew members from the cartoon (including Bloom's voice actress, Molly Quinn)[140] met with the Fate production team and reviewed the pilot script.[140] Rainbow's Joanne Lee also oversaw the show as an executive producer.

Live-action movie

In November 2022, Iginio Straffi announced that, along with the reboot of the animated series, a new live-action film was in development.[141]

Reboot animated series

In April 2024, Rainbow announced a "brand new" Winx Club animated series coming in 2025, exclusively on Netflix.[142]

Other live events

In September 2005, a live stage musical called "Winx Power Show" began touring in Italy.[143] The musical later expanded to other European countries[143] and the show's cast performed at the 2007 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Milan.[144] An ice show follow-up starring Carolina Kostner was launched in November 2008.[145] In October 2012, Nickelodeon held a live event at the Odeon Cinema Covent Garden, complete with a "pink carpet" and previews of upcoming episodes.[146]

Merchandise

Iginio Straffi opened up to licensing Winx Club merchandise in order to finance his studio's other projects;[147] in 2008, he stated that he reinvests "almost everything" back into Rainbow.[13] Across the show's first ten years on air, more than 6,000[36] pieces of tie-in merchandise were released by external licensing companies.[148] As of 2014, Winx Club merchandise licenses generated around €50 million annually,[149] with most of the revenue going toward product licensees rather than Rainbow itself.[36] According to a VideoAge International article, Rainbow's take from merchandise sales averages 10 percent, with some deals only giving the studio five percent.[36]

After Viacom became a co-owner of Rainbow in 2011, Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products started to create merchandise for the show. From 2011 to 2013, Nickelodeon spent US$100 million[150] on a Winx Club marketing campaign to promote both the show and the tie-in products. Nickelodeon partnered with Jakks Pacific to design dolls based on new episodes,[1] and in the United Kingdom, the merchandise sold out before those episodes had even premiered. Nickelodeon's vice president of consumer products, Michael Connolly, said that "Winx has been a huge surprise, considering the program is not on free-to-air in the UK. We put toys in Argos [stores] and in just three days we experienced sales for a doll range unlike we've seen."[151]

An ongoing comic book series has been published since the series' premiere.[152] Over 210 Italian issues have been released as of 2021. In the United States, Viz Media translated a few of the first 88 issues and released them across nine volumes.[153] Other tie-in books have been produced, starting with character guides distributed by Giunti Editore.[152] In 2012, Nickelodeon partnered with Random House to publish Winx Club books in English.[154]

Games

Several video games based on the show have been made, with some exclusive to Europe. The first game was Konami Europe's Winx Club in 2005.[155] In 2012, Nickelodeon launched Winx Club: Magical Fairy Party for the Nintendo DS in both the United States and Europe.[156] The Nickelodeon game was notable for being one of very few Nintendo DS titles to be played sideways, with the game system held like a book.[157] A physical trading card game based on the franchise and produced by Upper Deck Entertainment was released in 2005.[158]

Nickelodeon's website, Nick.com, created various Flash games based on the show. The Winx Club section on Nick.com became one of the most-visited pages on the site, with 1 million monthly visitors in mid-2013 and over 2.6 million gaming sessions.[73]

Notes

  1. ^ In 2011, Viacom (owner of Nickelodeon) became a co-owner of the Rainbow studio.[38] Afterward, Winx Club became a co-production between Viacom's Nickelodeon Animation Studio in the U.S. and Rainbow in Italy.[2][34]
  1. ^ a b c d The specials and seasons 5-7 were co-developed with Nickelodeon and premiered on Nickelodeon networks ahead of the Italian broadcasts. Season 5 premiered on Nick U.S. on 26 August 2012, season 6 premiered on Nick U.S. on 29 September 2013, and season 7 premiered on Nick Asia on 22 June 2015.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Nickelodeon Announces JAKKS Pacific As Master Toy Licensee for Innovative Girls Brand: Winx Club". Nickelodeon. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Maffioletti, Chiara (2 September 2010). "Winx, fatine italiane coprodotte negli USA (Winx, Italian fairies co-produced in the USA)" (PDF). Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2019.
  3. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (26 February 2011). "Winx creator in the pink". Variety. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Nickelodeon Packaging Guide Refresh". Nickelodeon Consumer Products. Viacom International, Inc. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "TV Kids: Iginio Straffi". Worldscreen. 22 May 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  6. ^ a b Weiss, Josh (10 December 2020). "Nickelodeon's 'Winx Club' enters live-action with teaser for 'Fate: The Winx Saga' coming to Netflix". Syfy. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d "Winx Club - Il Segreto del Regno Perduto: Le protagoniste". FantasyMagazine (in Italian). 29 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Winx Club: i nuovi episodi dal 15 Aprile su RaiDue". MoviePlayer.it (in Italian). 9 April 2009. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  9. ^ Rai_Yoyo [@Rai_Yoyo] (1 April 2019). "Le avventure del #WinxClub tornano su #RaiYoyo, con la nuovissima serie 8, dal 15 aprile. Non perdete i nuovi viaggi nell'Universo Magico, tanti concerti, il nuovo potere Cosmix e un vecchio nemico sempre pronto a creare scompiglio..sapete già di chi si tratta? #WinxClub8" (Tweet) (in Italian) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ a b Minardi, Sabina (24 February 2011). "Winx, le fatine fanno il botto". L'espresso (in Italian). Archived from the original on 8 July 2017.
  11. ^ a b Marmiroli, Adriana (11 May 2014). "Iginio Straffi: le mie Winx sono le ragazze d'oggi". La Stampa (in Italian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  12. ^ a b Cavazzuti, Nicole (24 November 2008). "Iginio Straffi, padre delle Winx, ad Affaritaliani: così ho rilanciato il cartoon made in Italy nel mondo". Affaritaliani.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  13. ^ a b Straffi, Iginio (14 April 2011). "Iginio Straffi: l'Italia non dimentichi la sua capacità creativa" (Interview) (in Italian). Interviewed by Vincenzo Petraglia.
  14. ^ Straffi, Iginio (2005). "Fenomeno Winx" (Interview). Interviewed by Chiara Galavotti.
  15. ^ a b Vivarelli, Nick (20 February 2009). "Straffi's animation firm crosses borders". Variety. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  16. ^ Filippetti, Simone. "Borsa addio, alle fatine Winx non riesce mai la magia di Piazza Affari". Il Sole 24 Ore. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Magic Bloom - Pilot 2001". Lucca Comics & Games: Rainbow S.p.A.[dead YouTube link]
  18. ^ a b Ashdown, Simon (1 September 2003). "Kids TV producers turn to style specialists for design innovations". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Il papà del fenomeno Winx: "Così ho sconfitto i giapponesi"". Il Giornale (in Italian). 20 January 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  20. ^ a b c Straffi, Iginio. "Nautilus Arte - Iginio Straffi" (Interview) (in Italian). Interviewed by Federico Taddia. Archived from the original (video) on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  21. ^ "When the Drama of Fiction Enters Politics, It Turns Into a RAI Sitcom" (PDF). VideoAge International. October 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 December 2017.
  22. ^ Zampa, Alice (3 January 2016). "Animazione: perché l'Italia resta indietro? Ce lo racconta Iginio Straffi". Movieplayer.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  23. ^ a b c "Девочки понимают, что наши Winx — настоящие". Vedomosti (in Russian). 31 March 2010.
  24. ^ a b c "Le fatine di Winx club alla conquista dell' America". la Repubblica. 23 April 2004. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  25. ^ a b "In Production: The Winx". Rainbow S.p.A. (in Italian). 27 July 2002. Archived from the original on 27 July 2002. Retrieved 6 October 2006. DELIVERY: Autumn 2003
  26. ^ Baisley, Sarah (26 September 2003). "MIPCOM News: Rainbow Puts Designs on WINX CLUB, Monster Allergy". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  27. ^ Meza, Ed (9 October 2003). "Mipcom Jr. big draw". Variety. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  28. ^ Fascia, Claudia (27 January 2014). "Winx, 10 anni fa le fatine in tv". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (in Italian). Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  29. ^ a b c Fabrizi, Stefano (3 January 2014). "Ecco le avventure delle mie Winx". Corriere Adriatico. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  30. ^ https://tbivision.com/2010/09/03/nickelodeon-acquires-winx-club/
  31. ^ "Winx Club Mini Documentary". YouTube. 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  32. ^ a b c "Nickelodeon and Rainbow S.p.A. Announce Global Partnership for "Winx Club" Animated Series" (Press release). New York. PR Newswire. 2 September 2010. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  33. ^ a b "Nickelodeon Animation Studio: What We Do - Winx Club". Nickelodeon. 2014. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014.
  34. ^ "Viacom Invests in Rainbow Group | Paramount". www.paramount.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  35. ^ a b c d e "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.
  36. ^ "La Paramount mette sotto contratto le Winx (Paramount signs the Winx)". Business People (in Italian). 4 February 2011. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  37. ^ a b Vivarelli, Nick (4 February 2011). "Viacom takes stake in Rainbow". Variety. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  38. ^ a b c "Global Hit Animated Series 'Winx Club' Comes To Nickelodeon, Starting June 27". Screener. 9 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016.
  39. ^ Foss, Jonathan (2014). "Jonathan Foss (Coordinating Producer / Writer - Winx Club)".
  40. ^ "Sirenix (season 5 credits)". Winx Club. 23:09 minutes in. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  41. ^ a b Wolfe, Jennifer. "Rainbow and Nickelodeon Announce 'Winx Club' Season Seven". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  42. ^ Boni, Federico (22 October 2012). "Gladiatori di Roma 3D fa flop al botteghino". Cineblog.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  43. ^ a b "Season 7: New Episodes". Nickelodeon Asia. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  44. ^ "Shows A-Z – Winx Club on Nick Jr". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  45. ^ "Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Announces Key Leadership Changes, Elevates OTT and Studio Businesses". Business Wire. 20 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  46. ^ a b "Il Mercato e l'Industria del Cinema in Italia 2010 (pages 70-71)" (PDF). Fondazione ente dello spettacolo. 2011. pp. 70–71. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2013.
  47. ^ Carotti, Daniele (29 September 2018). "Le Winx compiono 15 anni, fatine per la nuova generazione di ragazze indipendenti - Teen". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  48. ^ Rosselli, Elisa (2019). "Elisa Rosselli Interview" (Interview).[dead YouTube link]
  49. ^ "Winx Club - Episode 801 (credits)". Winx Club. 23:09 minutes in.
  50. ^ "Recently Canceled 'Fate: The Winx Saga' Nabs CG Animated Series Reboot and Live-Action Film". Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  51. ^ "Winx Club Animated Reboot Announced by Creator". comicbook.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  52. ^ SemiColonWeb (24 January 2023). "Good Morning, Cinecittà!". news.cinecitta.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  53. ^ "New Winx Club CGI-Animated Series Coming to Netflix in 2025". Anime. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  54. ^ Straffi, Iginio (26 November 2007). "Iginio Straffi: "Attenta Pixar arrivano le Winx"". Luce Cinecittà (Interview) (in Italian). Interviewed by Valentina Neri.
  55. ^ "'Winx Club' Celebrates 18th Birthday!". 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  56. ^ a b Pennati, Nicoletta (9 July 2011). "TIVÙ Iginio Straffi racconta le sue Winx ambientaliste". IO Donna (in Italian). Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  57. ^ a b c d e f g Здесь был «Летидор»: анимационная студия Rainbow в Италии ["Letidor" was here: Rainbow animation studio in Italy]. Letidor.ru (in Russian). 10 February 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  58. ^ Bombino, Silvia (14 October 2009). "Laggiù dove pettinano le bambole" (PDF). Vanity Fair (in Italian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2020.
  59. ^ a b Pierleoni, Francesca (12 July 2014). "Fenomeno Rainbow, passione e arte, viaggio dove nascono le Winx". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (in Italian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  60. ^ Di Maira, Paolo (4 April 2013). "A Tycoon in Loreto". Cinema & Video International. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  61. ^ Lodato, Francesco. "Dieci anni di Winx". FantasyMagazine. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  62. ^ "Anecdotes du film Winx Club". AlloCiné. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  63. ^ a b Morganti, Tiziana (15 July 2014). "Rainbow Studios: le Winx ci aprono le porte del loro mondo". Movieplayer.it. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  64. ^ a b c Reynoso, Alejandra (23 October 2011). "Stars of Nickelodeon Cast of Winx Club Exclusive Interview" (Interview). Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Season 5, they're original records, so those are the days we come together and they send our voices to Italy and then they animate the show based on our voices.
  65. ^ "About Us - Rainbow CGI". Rainbow S.p.A. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  66. ^ "TV Ribelle - Buon Compleanno Winx". Rai Gulp (in Italian). 2014.[dead YouTube link]
  67. ^ a b "Rainbow's next steps". Licensing Special Report. 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020.
  68. ^ Quinn, Molly C. [@MollyQuinn93] (30 August 2011). "On Tuesdays I record Winx until 6PM in Burbank. I may be a little late, but can stay until the end" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  69. ^ Gross, Amy [@AmyBadGorilla] (17 November 2011). "Had a great time recording the #WinxClub movie at @AtlasOceanic studio this morning! Ran into @KekePalmer on the way out. :)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  70. ^ Quinn, Molly C. [@MollyQuinn93] (11 August 2012). "We came n w/ our "cartoon" voices & Nick was ... 'No, we want voices of real girls this time around.'" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  71. ^ "The Winx Club gets star power from Nick celebs". Nick.com. 23 August 2012. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013.
  72. ^ a b "Winx Club sizzle reel". Nickelodeon. 2013.
  73. ^ "Inspiration of Sirenix (season 6 credits)". Winx Club. 22:29 minutes in. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  74. ^ "The Alfea Natural Park (season 7 credits)". Winx Club. 23:23 minutes in. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  75. ^ a b Rosselli, Elisa. "Elisa Rosselli – Exklusives GWN-Interview" (Interview) (in German).
  76. ^ a b Rosselli, Elisa. "Club Winx - Entrevista Elisa Rosselli" (Interview). Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  77. ^ "Nick Stars: Winx "We Are Believix" Music Video". Nickelodeon. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012.
  78. ^ Brekken, Isaac (15 June 2011). "Nickelodeon at the Licensing Show 2011". Getty. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021. Cymphonique Miller, star of Nick's new show How to Rock, sings the Winx Club theme song during Nickelodeon's special Licensing International Expo presentation
  79. ^ Middleton, Richard (16 August 2019). "TBI Weekly: ViacomCBS, a US deal with global implications". TBI Vision. Informa. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  80. ^ "Pluto TV lanza tres nuevos canales: Horror, Winx Club y Cortos". 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  81. ^ Pluto TV FR [@plutotvfr] (6 June 2022). "Winx, si tu me tiens bien la main..." (Tweet). Retrieved 20 July 2022 – via Twitter.
  82. ^ "Rainbow and Nickelodeon Announce 'Winx Club' Season Seven". Animation World Network. 7 April 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  83. ^ McClintock, Amela; Oei, Lily (30 October 2003). "No walk in park for 'George'". Variety. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  84. ^ Beekman, Bor (17 April 2008). "Sexy feeën in 130 landen". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  85. ^ "Caccia alle streghe made in Italy". la Repubblica. 1 April 2004. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  86. ^ Giannelli, Alessandra (9 April 2009). "Winx, un made in Italy di fama mondiale". Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  87. ^ "Cartoon: ascolti record per la quarta serie di Winx Club". Duesse Communication. 17 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  88. ^ Straffi, Iginio (26 November 2007). ""Winx - Il segreto del regno perduto" Intervista al regista" (Interview). Interviewed by Federico Raponi. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  89. ^ "Monday's Cable Ratings: "WWE Raw" Claims Top Honors". The Futon Critic. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  90. ^ a b "Winx Club - 20below Presentation". Rainbow-Viacom. 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  91. ^ Loveday, Samantha (10 October 2011). "Nickelodeon Consumer Products' Winx Club drive bolstered by strong viewing figures". Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011.
  92. ^ "Nickelodeon UK May 2021". Nickelodeon. 2021. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021.
  93. ^ Povoledo, Elisabetta (9 December 2007). "A commercial 'phenomenon' in Italy: teenage fairies". New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 September 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  94. ^ Swords, Tara (22 May 2005). "Winx Club TV Review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  95. ^ a b Antonov, Georgiy; Laktyukhina, Elena (2013). "Мультсериал "Клуб Винкс"". Journal of Volgograd State University: 92–99. ISSN 1998-9946. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  96. ^ a b Dokhova, Zalina; Cheprakova, Tatiana (2011). "Мультипликационный фильм как экстралингвистический фактор формирования языковой личности ребёнка (на материале мультипликационного сериала "Винкс")" (PDF). Journal of Kabardino-Balcarian State University (journal). 1 (4): 108–111. ISSN 1992-6464. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2017.
  97. ^ Sexualisation and Children's Relationship with the Media (PDF). The International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media. 2014. p. 81. ISBN 978-91-86523-89-3. ISSN 1651-6028. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2017.
  98. ^ Pierluigi, Panza (24 November 2007). "Né malizia, né mossette E finalmente gli eroi non sono solo maschi". Corriere della Sera. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015.
  99. ^ a b c Vercellino, Federico (6 February 2019). "Quindici anni di Winx, il femminismo spiegato alle bambine". Il Sole 24 Ore (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  100. ^ "PEMRA fines Nickelodeon for showing indecent content". Pakistan Today. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  101. ^ Hoevel, Ann (14 July 2012). "Comic-Con is in high gear". CNN. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  102. ^ Johnston, Rick (4 July 2012). "San Diego PR Runaround – Electric Man, Poyo, Udon, Walking Dead And More". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  103. ^ "Nickelodeon Exclusives San Diego Comic-Con 2013 (press pictures)". July 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  104. ^ "Winx Worldwide Reunion, dal 2 al 4 settembre attese a Lignano 100 mila persone". TriestePrima. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  105. ^ "Join the Winx Worldwide Reunion". 16 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2020. It will be included into the Nickelodeon special Fan Wall in Jesolo (Italy)!
  106. ^ Basso, Fabrizio (2 November 2018). "Lucca Comics & Games accoglie le Winx e la loro poetica, tra musica e magia". Sky Italia. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  107. ^ Fasola, Giacomo (27 January 2019). "Serie tv italiane, le più popolari all'estero". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  108. ^ Gallo, Giovanna (15 March 2018). "Winx, Su Netflix arriva la serie tv delle Winx con le fatine in carne e ossa". Cosmopolitan (in Italian). Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  109. ^ "The Apprentice: Winx Club". The Apprentice. Season 2. Episode 4 (in Italian). 7 February 2014. Cielo.[dead YouTube link]
  110. ^ Amaduzzi, Marina (18 December 2005). "Fenomeno Winx centinaia di bimbi assediano le fatine". la Repubblica.
  111. ^ a b "World Expo Shanghai 2010 - "Marche: Land of Magic" - Per 15 giorni le Winx racconteranno la Regione Marche ai visitatori del Padiglione Italiano". Marche Regional Council. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  112. ^ "Renzi visita le Winx poi carica Ceriscioli". Corriere Adriatico. 29 May 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  113. ^ a b c d e f g Gradozzi, Francesco (2008). "I segni distintivi nella giurisprudenza" (PDF) (in Italian). University of Macerata. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  114. ^ a b c d e f Brena, Silvia (10 September 2005). "Con le mie fate sfido Disney". IO Donna.
  115. ^ Artibani, Francesco (9 April 2006). "Intervista a Francesco Artibani". Comicus (Interview) (in Italian).
  116. ^ a b Gradozzi, Francesco (2 March 2009). "Winx vs. WITCH" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  117. ^ Fumarola, Silvia (30 October 2014). "Iginio Straffi, creatore delle Winx: "Abbiamo serie di qualità ma ci usano come terra di conquista"". la Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  118. ^ "Le orme delle Winx tra Londra e Tokio". la Repubblica (in Italian). 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  119. ^ "Nickelodeon commercial: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom". Nickelodeon. 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
  120. ^ a b Brzoznowski, Kristin (9 November 2009). "Rainbow Extends Winx Club Film Franchise". WorldScreen.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2009.
  121. ^ a b "Straffi, le mie 'Winx' stavolta volano in 3D". Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (in Italian). 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  122. ^ "Winx Magic Adventure Movie: Monday". Nickelodeon. 16 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013.
  123. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (15 March 2010). "Medusa to release 3D 'Adventure'". Variety. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  124. ^ Nickelodeon [@Nickelodeon] (19 February 2013). "Nickelodeon: We're showing our #Winx CG movie "Magical Adventure" tomorrow @ 6:30pm at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Come if you're around!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  125. ^ "Nickelodeon screening poster / special guests". 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013.
  126. ^ "Program 2013". Los Angeles Italia. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. 6:30 pm Winx Club 3D: Magical Adventure dir Iginio Straffi (93') - Special Screening: The producer-director will be attending the event.
  127. ^ a b Catalli, Claudia (1 August 2014). "Iginio Straffi: 'Presto una webserie delle Winx'". Wired (in Italian).
  128. ^ "Winx Club - Das Geheimnis des Ozeans". Winx Club Deutschland. 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.
  129. ^ Goldman Getzler, Wendy (11 April 2011). "Nickelodeon Plucks PopPixie". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on 18 April 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  130. ^ Papini, Roberto Davide (8 January 2015). "Winx, non solo il musical. Le fatine volano al cinema". La Nazione (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2015.
  131. ^ "Rainbow Set to Light Up MIPTV". Animation World Network. 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  132. ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (25 September 2014). "'Winx Club' Spin-off Headed to Netflix". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  133. ^ Fisher, Jacob (31 July 2019). "Live-Action 'Winx Club' Series In Pre-Production at Netflix, Brian Young Set as Showrunner (EXCLUSIVE)". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  134. ^ "Netflix young-adult series begins filming in Wicklow". Irish Examiner. 17 September 2019. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  135. ^ Pedersen, Erik (18 February 2021). "'Fate: The Winx Saga' Renewed For Season 2 On Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  136. ^ Swift, Andy (27 July 2022). "Fate: The Winx Saga Sets Season 2 Release Date on Netflix — Watch Teaser". TVLine. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  137. ^ Porter, Rick (1 November 2022). "'Fate: The Winx Saga' Canceled at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  138. ^ Jones, Ellen (10 December 2020). "'Boys can be fairies – it's the 21st century': How Fate: The Winx Saga finds the reality in fantasy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  139. ^ a b @MollyQuinn93 (8 January 2021). "I did get to meet with the great production team and read the pilot! It'll be a fun show and I think the casting is wonderful" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  140. ^ "'Winx Club' creator says movie, animated series in the works". UPI. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  141. ^ Winx Club - Brand New Series - First Official Clip on YouTube
  142. ^ a b "Winx Power Show, le fate sbarcano in teatro". FantasyMagazine (in Italian). 23 May 2005. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  143. ^ "Due premi speciali ai 'Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards'". ADC Group (in Italian). 29 November 2006. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  144. ^ "'Winx on ice', c'è anche Carolina Kostner". La Nazione (in Italian). 29 July 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  145. ^ "Winx take flight at Covent Garden launch party". Toy World Magazine. 29 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  146. ^ Straffi, Iginio (1 October 2010). "Iginio Straffi, uomo senza sonno" (Interview) (in Italian). Interviewed by Mauro Uzzeo.
  147. ^ Sigismondi, Paolo (2015). "The Winx Club phenomenon in the global animation landscape". Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies (journal). 3 (3): 282. doi:10.1386/jicms.3.3.271_1. ISSN 2047-7368.
  148. ^ Reguly, Eric (11 December 2007). "Winx Club fairies take the world by storm". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  149. ^ "Nickelodeon Programming and Marketing Calendar 2011-2013". Nickelodeon. 2011. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  150. ^ Lisanti, Tony (24 September 2012). "Turtle power". License! Global. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  151. ^ a b "Le Winx in edicola e in libreria". FantasyMagazine. 28 February 2004. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  152. ^ "Viz Media's Perfect Square Imprint Delivers Fairy Action and Adventure in New Winx Club: Magic Collection Omnibus". Viz Media. 10 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  153. ^ "Random House Announces New Publishing Partnership with Nickelodeon" (Press release). Random House. 20 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019.
  154. ^ "Winx Club Now Accepting Members". IGN. 15 November 2005.
  155. ^ McCleary-Harris, Sierra (20 September 2012). "D3Publisher, Nickelodeon To Release New Games for Holiday Season". The Toybook. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  156. ^ Zay, Kayla (21 December 2012). "Winx Club: Magical Fairy Party enlightens young fashionistas (review)". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013.
  157. ^ "The Upper Deck Company Announces New Entertainment Products for 2005 Season". Upper Deck Entertainment. 17 February 2005. Archived from the original on 14 May 2005.