The Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise is now for sale. The world-famous chipmunks include Alvin, the oldest and most mischievous of the bunch, Simon the middle child and brains of the group, and Theodore, who is the youngest brother and the shy, sweet member of the family. The three chipmunks live with Dave Seville, their manager and father figure who takes care of the boys.

Created in 1958 by Ross Bagdasarian Sr., the Chipmunks voice was first used in the song “Witch Doctor,” and the characters got their names in their first featured song, the 1958 holiday classic, “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late).” Since then, the characters have become pop culture icons as the stars of multiple animated series and films, as well as their own Alvin and the Chipmunks live-action film series. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are known all over the world and are incredibly valuable property.

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According to a report from CNBC, Ross Bagasarian Jr. (son of the original creator) and his wife Janice Karman are reportedly looking to sell the rights to the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise and Bagdasarian Productions for $300 million. The report says they have had meetings with several buyers, including ViacomCBS, but no agreement on terms has been made. The husband and wife duo had previously looked to sell the company four years ago but scrapped the decision.

This would not be the first time Alvin and the Chipmunks had been acquired. In 1999, Universal acquired the rights for a brief period of time which resulted in two direct-to-video movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein and Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman. Universal lost the rights to the characters in 2002 for a breach of contract with Bagdasarian Productions, who took the property to 20th Century Fox for the 2007 live-action adaptation and its three sequels which grossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office, despite poor reaction from critics and the actors involved.

Many studios are looking to acquire IP to bolster their catalog, and Alvin and the Chipmunks would be a valuable asset for any studio. Recently, Netflix purchased the entire Roald Dahl collection, while Apple has exclusive streaming rights to The Peanuts. An acquisition by ViacomCBS makes sense given the company’s strong control over the various Nickelodeon franchises and would fit alongside their purchase of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles they made in 2009. Disney currently owns the four live-action films after its acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and while they certainly have plenty of IP, Alvin and the Chipmunks could just be one of many that the House of Mouse could look to acquire.

Source: CNBC

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Richard Fink
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Richard Fink is a news writer for Screen Rant. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2016 with a degree in Film and Media Production. He loves the finer things in life, like cold Diet Coke on a hot summer day. Richard is a fan of all things Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and Film History.

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