Eco-adventure On the Edge: Donnie Dares! in prep, with endangered species as cast

Not-for-profit multimedia and conservation organisation On the Edge Productions is to collaborate with Munich-based Studio 100 Media on the upcoming feature film On the Edge: Donnie Dares!

Pre-production of the adventure-comedy for kids and families has already commenced, with the movie set for release in late 2026.

The main cast of On the Edge: Donnie Dares! are six unique, quirky, and relatively unknown endangered species. They were chosen from the more than 3,000 animals that make up the EDGE list: a compendium of endangered species that are Evolutionary Distinct, Globally Endangered, and all on the very edge of extinction. Led by Donnie, a Cuban Solenodon, they set out on a mission to make humans see them, appreciate them, and maybe even fall in love with them and, above all, to stop endangering them.

Head Writer Michael Ryan, an Emmy Award-winner, has worked on television projects including Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, and Wolfboy and the Everything Factory, as well as feature films such as Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Gulliver Returns.

The co-producer is LA-based film production studio Viva Kids, while on board for visual and story development is Jellyfish Pictures’ Creative Director Archie Donato, who has amassed over 17 years of experience at DreamWorks and contributed to many of that studio’s biggest hits including Shrek Forever After, Kung Fu Panda, and Megamind.

The movie’s production team is spearheaded by Executive Producers Beth Blood and Karen Vermeulen (On the Edge Productions Ltd), along with Martin Krieger from Studio 100 Media, and Victor Elizalde from Viva Kids. The production team also includes producers Thorsten Wegener (Studio 100 Media), Laura Prieto, and Mayank Jhalani (Viva Kids).

Studio 100 Film will helm international sales and will introduce the project at this year’s American Film Market.

On the Edge, the non-profit organisation behind this project, is leading the charge to reconnect people with nature in an increasingly disconnected world, with the motto of: “animals are our shareholders, and nature is our client.” By crafting original, contemporary content about the natural world across a range of platforms, including social media, TV, film, and gaming, the organisation aims to ignite a newfound love and respect for nature within a diverse and global audience.

“We are excited to have Studio 100 as our partner on a project we are so passionate about,” said Beth Blood, Founder and CEO of On the Edge. “They are not only a great distributor for family and kids’ entertainment, but also have approached this movie in a heartfelt manner, with sincerity and a decisive strategy.”

Martin Krieger, Executive Producer and CEO of Studio 100 Media added: “We were fascinated by On the Edge’s mission to change the status quo in our world in an entertaining way and emotionally connecting people with nature. A true challenge that we would also like to take up.”

“We fell in love with ‘On the Edge: Donnie Dares!’ the moment we heard about it and couldn’t miss the opportunity to come on board as producers,” said Laura Prieto, Vice President Acquisitions at Viva Pictures. “From the concept to the amazing team, everything made sense for us. Now, we just can’t wait to make it a reality.”

On the Edge stated: “The movie’s mission is to make people fall for and respect the natural, wild world around them in a very entertaining way. Audiences will laugh and giggle about the hilarious adventures of the wonderful and unique heroes Donnie (a Cuban Solenodon), Kiki (a Kakapo from New Zealand), Roman (a Jamaican Greater Funnel-eared Bat), Vy (an Aye-Aye-Lemur from Madagascar), Naz (a Bhuparthy’s Purple Frog) and Panic (an African Temminck’s Pangolin), a dynamic team that takes fate into their own paws to fight against annihilation. Everybody should leave the cinema with a feeling of hope, but also be aware there is a call to action to save all endangered species from forever disappearing from existence.”