SEASON 2
FORMAT: 12 x 22’ • GENRE: FAMILY • YEAR: 2021 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH • COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CANADA CREATOR'S STATEMENT Set 20 years in the future the first season of Endlings began with the disappearance of the last elephant on earth, a striking real-life possibility based on a 2016 WWF Living Planet report that originally inspired me to create the series. Over the first twelve episodes, it’s revealed that this elephant has been collected by Ling, an alien creature who travels the universe collecting the last of every species, also known as an endling, with the hope of bringing them back from the brink of extinction. When Ling’s ship crash lands at a farm that is home to four kids in foster care it unintentionally releases all of the creatures it has collected from distant planets into the nearby farmland and needs to enlist the kid's help to get them back. Even though they’re are dealing with their own individual hurts, together they manage to move past their own pain to help Ling collect the missing endlings.
“If you knew something bad was going to happen, wouldn’t you do everything you could to stop it?” Abiona, episode 202 “What We May Be”
As we begin Season Two our young heroes have been working together to help Ling finish their mission and collect all of the lost endlings that were released, while simultaneously battling their own individual demons. Each character, including the adults, carries with them the traumas of their past; from the loss of a parent or child, rejection from a biological parent, or abuse from people you are meant to trust. With Ling providing glimpses of possible futures, the characters must choose whether to resign themselves to these fates, or work together to save the future, ultimately demonstrating that in order to move forward you have to let go of the past, or as Mr. Leopold puts it: “you can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
This season is about changing the ending; for ourselves, for our friends and family, and for the other living beings we share this world with. It’s about recognizing our similarities over our differences and appreciating that we’re all in this together. One world. One family.
J.J. Johnson SYNOPSIS The year is 2041; Julia, Johnny, Tabby, and Finn continue to help their extraterrestrial friend Ling save fantastical endlings. With the aid of their foster father Mr. Leopold and animal activist Dr. Abiona Maina, the group is getting closer to retrieving the remaining ‘last of its kind’ creatures and completing their mission. But when Ling accidentally shows Tabby a vision of their quest failing, the team learns that Ling’s powers don’t just allow the alien access to their pasts but also their futures. This glimpse of what’s to come reveals Infinitum CEO Tresa Hewes, who has been tracking them for her own illusive reasons, capturing Ling and tearing their foster family apart. Together, the group makes the choice to confront the pain of their pasts in order to change their futures and save Ling. This decision to fight fate kicks off a season of high-octane adventure where four wounded teens must learn to let their hopes, not their hurts, shape the future. SEASON TWO ARC There are six stages of grief: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Season One of Endlings dealt with the first five; we watched as four very different kids learned to lean on each other as they confronted parts of their painful pasts - all in an effort to save their futures.
Acceptance, the final phase, can only happen when the individual is ready to take action to get closure with what has happened to them. In Endlings Season Two, Johnny, Julia, Tabby, and Finn are not yet prepared to take action, an inability that could cost Ling its life.
Early in Season Two, our heroes inadvertently discover that in addition to Ling’s unique ability to open up people’s pasts to them, Ling can also dip into their future. And in a vision of the not too distant future, they see that their family has been split apart and Hewes has discovered and captured Ling.
Fortunately, they’ll each learn that though their pasts cannot be changed, the future is still in their power. And the vision that seemed a beacon of hopelessness was actually a call to action - a call all four kids, Mr. Leopold and Abiona decide to heed in the present to prevent this possible future outcome. And in order to move forward, they must first look back. That means Johnny must face his father, while Finn lets go of his birth mother. As Tabby prepares to be reunited with her old family, Julia needs to learn to accept her new one. For Mr. Leopold, it means fully embracing his second chance, moving past the fear that he’ll lose it like he did his son. And Abiona must accept that while she may have failed Tuko and the other elephants, there are more creatures to save.
But seeking closure to your past is hard to do when your present is consumed with capturing ever more challenging endlings. This includes a shapeshifting endling that feeds on fear and sadness, a crablike endling that is looking for a new home, an energy based endling that doesn’t want to go back into a trap, a newly extinct earth animal, and an endling that can manifest your greatest hopes and dreams in order to lure you closer.
In Season One, Ling was able to give the kids a glimpse into their past to help them navigate the present. This season, Ling will offer the kids a different gift; the chance to see what will happen in the future if they don’t fully come to terms with the past. A gift that will not only save them, but Ling and the planet as well. CAST BIOS
EDISON GRANT Edison Grant III resides near Dallas, Texas. He’s the son of Brenda and Edison Grant, Jr. Edison discovered his love of acting at age 10. Most recently, he has worked on Lockdown, a YouTube original which was shot in his room during quarantine as well as wrapping Season 2 of Endlings, a Hulu/CBC original earlier in 2020. Other work on his resume includes, a principal role in Forget Me Not, which won Best Short Film Drama in the North Hollywood Cinefest, a series regular on a YouTube series, Konnect HQ, industrial work for Cancer Treatments of America and many different commercials.
He’s a Premier Student at Cathryn Sullivan’s Acting for Film in Lewisville, Texas and a member of Concord Baptist Church where he loves to serve in the media ministry. Some of his hobbies include playing X-Box, watching TV and spending time with his family. KAMAIA FAIRBURN Kamaia is best known for the lead role as Julia in Hulu/CBC's original series, Endlings. She is also known for playing the role of Piper Parish on 2 seasons of Hulu's popular TV series, Holly Hobbie as well as her co-starring role as Diamond Brooks on Nickelodeon's, Star Falls. Her work also includes Aaliyah Princess of RnB (Lifetime) and Odd Squad (TVO).
Kamaia currently resides in Toronto with her mother, sister, and the family dog Coco. She is fluent in French and is a dedicated vegan, a reflection of her care and love of animals. When not in front of the camera, Kamaia loves to catch up with her favorite shows and movies, work out, and spend time with her family.
MICHELA LUCI Michela Luci is a Canadian actress and singer. Michela won the 2019 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's, Family Viewing or Special Class Program for her starring role as "Dana" in Dino Dana on TVOKids and Amazon Prime Video. Michela has been nominated twice for a Canadian Screen Award (2019, 2018) and was nominated for her first Daytime Emmy in 2018. Michela first gained recognition as a judge on YTV's Cook'd and went on to book the recurring role of Agent Orchid on the Emmy award-winning TVOKids and PBS hit series Odd Squad. She is the title voice of "True" in the Netflix animated series True and the Rainbow Kingdom. Michela also voices the roles "Princess Flug" in Abby Hatcher (NickJr.), “Farmer Faye” in Mighty Express (Netflix) and “Octobella” in PJ Masks (Disney Jr.,Netflix). She is a member of the Toronto based indie girl group GFORCE that advanced to the semi-finals on Season 14 of America's Got Talent. Most recent credits include title star of “Dana” in Dino Dana The Movie and “Tabby” in the Hulu/CBC series, Endlings. CALE FERRIN Cale Ferrin (14), who plays the role of Finn, is extremely proud to be joining the cast of Endlings, a Hulu/CBC series. Cale is a talented young actor from Omaha, Nebraska.
Cale first appeared as a guest star on the Nickelodeon series Nicky, Ricky, Dicky Dawn, at the age of 8. Since then, he has held other guest star and feature roles for television, national commercials and print modeling, public campaigns, news articles, and on two music videos. Cale was also cast in a lead role as Freddie, in the Nicole Conn independent film More Beautiful For Having Been Broken. In this film, Cale plays a special needs boy who changes the lives of everyone he meets.
He is currently in the 8th grade and his favorite subjects in school are Science and Social Studies. Since he started his acting and modeling career, Cale has continued his training with private coaching and master- level classes.
Cale enjoys spending time with his family, and thanks his parents for allowing him to always pursue his dreams. Cale looks forward to using his experience in acting and modeling to help spread awareness for the rare disease Fanconi Anemia. Cale is actively involved in promoting the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund and Kidz1st Fund, two non-profit organizations dedicated to finding a cure for Fanconi Anemia.
LISA RYDER Lisa Ryder is a Canadian based actor whose versatility can be seen on stage and screen. Delighted to be portraying the enigmatic “Hewes” in Endlings for Hulu/CBC, she also just wrapped filming Sienna Films’ Happy Place, directed by Helen Shaver. Lisa may be best known for her role Beka Valentine on the enduring sci-fi series, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and her role as Kay-Em 14 in the genre classic, Jason X. Other tv credits include, Mary Kills People (E1/Shaw), Remedy (Global), Cracked and The Newsroom (both for CBC). Lisa is also a theatre creator: writing, producing and acting with her theatre company, Bald Ego Theatre. Her newest play, A Blow in the Face, premiered this year in Toronto at the Theatre Centre in association with Nightwood Theatre. Other theatre credits include, Possible Worlds (Theatre Passe Muraille), Macbeth (Hart House Theatre), Insomnia (Da Da Kamera) and portraying the title character in Canadian Stage’s international tour of the multi-media spectacle, Helen Lawrence. OYIN OLADEJO
Ms. Oladejo graduated from the prestigious Humber School of Creative & Performing Arts in Toronto, having immigrated to Canada from Nigeria in her teens. Within a year of graduating she was cast in a production of In This World, by Roseneath Theatre, for which she won Toronto’s top theatre award, The Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance.
Oyin was then asked to join one of Canada’s most acclaimed theatre companies, Soulpepper Theatre, and went on to do several productions with them including: Crucible, Tatuffe, Eurydice, A Doll’s House and Noises Off. An innovative production of Tomorrow Love with Outside the March followed, in which the actors were told nightly which roles they’d play by the audience.
In film and television, Oyin again bounded to the top very quickly, landing the series regular role of “Joann Owosekun” on the hit series Star Trek: Discovery for CBS, opposite Jason Isaacs and Sonequa Martin-Green, currently in its third season, while shooting the Hulu/CBC series Endlings simultaneously. NEIL CRONE Neil is an actor and writer who lives in a town so small everybody knows where everyone else’s birthmarks are. He has performed in dozens of television and radio commercials, TV shows and is the voice of numerous cartoon characters every Saturday morning, including The Ridonculous Race, Ella and the upcoming Kody Kapow! His most current television and feature film roles include Christmas Inheritance, a guest starring appearance in Carter, Rogue, Murdoch Mysteries, Bon Cop BadCop 2, Stephen Kings It and It 2 and CBC’s soon to be released digital comedy series The Ninth as well as a regular in Hulu/CBC’s series Endlings. Neil enjoyed six seasons playing the role of Radio Redneck Fred Tupper in CBC’s hit sit-com Little Mosque on the Prairie and two seasons of Family Channel’s Really Me.
A Second City Mainstage alumnus, Neil has been performing improvised and sketch comedy for over twenty years and is the recipient of a Canadian Comedy Award Best Radio Comedy for his work as Bad Santa on Q107’s Derringer in the Morning. When not performing, Neil is busy writing; as an award-winning weekly humour columnist for Metroland papers. His books; Semi-Colon; A Writers cheeky journey through Colo-rectal Cancer, Who Farted? – Stories in Verse for big and little kids and The Farmers Secret Midnight Dance and his first collection of syndicated columns Enter Laughing – The Early Years are currently available at major bookstores. Neil is a cancer survivor and is a National Spokesperson for both the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada and Colon Cancer Canada. He is available as a motivational speaker, focusing on the power of laughter in healing. When Neil grows up, he wants to be an Astronaut. CREW
J.J. JOHNSON DIRECTOR, WRITER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
J.J. Johnson is the creative force and founding partner of Sinking Ship Entertainment. He is a four-time Emmy winning executive producer, three- time Emmy winning director, WGC and CSA award winning writer and best selling author. J.J. has created over 15 series, most notably Dino Dana and Annedroids (Amazon), Endlings (Hulu/CBC), and the Ghostwriter reboot (Apple TV+). Most recently he created Lockdown (YouTube Originals), a teen mystery event series that was shot exclusively on webcams and cell phones during the Covid-19 crisis. Known for making progressive and inclusive choices in his work on-screen, J.J. is also committed to increasing the diversity of voices off the screen. As such, he has created initiatives at Sinking Ship that have gender balanced and diversified their directing and writing teams. J.J. has co-authored multiple academic papers and has been a guest speaker at institutions such as the Geena Davis Institute panel on STEM Trends in Media, the International Communication Association, and the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva. He is also the co-chair of the Youth Media Alliance in Canada. CHRISTIN SIMMS WRITER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Christin Simms is an Emmy Award-winning producer and Emmy nominated writer who joined Sinking Ship in 2008. She has written and executive produced multiple exceptional kids and family programs for the company including Dino Dana and Annedroids (Amazon/TVO), Endlings (Hulu/CBC), Ghostwriter (Apple TV+), and most recently Lockdown (YouTube Originals). Christin’s talents and contribution to the industry have been awarded with two Canadian Screen Awards, two Canadian Screenwriting Awards, and the Youth Media Alliance’s Emerging Talent Award. She was named one of Playback Magazine’s Top Ten to Watch, and has recently become a best- selling author.
BLAIR POWERS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Blair Powers is a founding partner at Sinking Ship and an Emmy-winning executive producer. He oversees all financial, business and funding aspects of Sinking Ship’s television, film and digital properties. Blair has financed over 300 million dollars over numerous series, working with CBC, TVO, Corus, SRC and Yoopa in Canada as well as KIKA in Germany and Amazon, Hulu, Apple, PBS and Nickelodeon in the US. In addition, he heads up the Interactive division of the company which has produced award-winning interactive companion websites, games and apps for all of Sinking Ship’s series. Blair has won 4 Daytime Emmys in three separate categories: Outstanding Pre-school Children’s, Outstanding Educational Series and 2 for Outstanding Children’s & Family Series. Blair is a Canadian Media Producers Association member where he is the Co-Chair of the CMPA’s Children & Youth Committee. MATT BISHOP EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, VFX
Matt Bishop is a founding partner at Sinking Ship Entertainment. He leads the animation and visual effects division of Sinking Ship and is an Emmy award-winning producer. In addition to animation, Matt leads the technology and digital infrastructure of the company and has lead the move into 4K production and real-time animation workflows. Matt is the animation co-chair for the Computer Animation Studios of Ontario and has won multiple awards including Youth Media Alliance Awards, Gemini Awards, Canadian Screen Awards, Banff Rockie Awards, Kidscreen Awards, and the Shaw Rocket Prize.
GEORGE LAJTAI CINEMATOGRAPHER
Emmy-nominated George Lajtai is one of the invisible pillars at Sinking Ship Entertainment. Since 2004 he has been Director of Photography, helping to tell stories by establishing the visual look of a show through artistic and technical decisions regarding lighting. He has played a major role in bringing all of the Sinking Ship shows to life. His hard work and dedication can be seen on Are we there yet?: World Adventure, This is Daniel Cook, Dino Dan, Dino Dana, Annedroids, Odd Squad, Endlings, Ghostwriter and many more. George’s hobby is his work and he feels very lucky to be part of the Sinking Ship family. CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
JOHNNY “I’d tell him that it stops with me. That I want to become what Mr. Leopold says...said: that I was going to be the person I needed when I was a kid. That I was going to be everything he wasn’t. And that my kids wouldn’t be scared of me.”
Johnny’s a tough kid with a soft core; he hasn’t had it easy, growing up with an abusive father. But under Mr. Leopold’s care, he’s been able to grow and develop his nurturing side; caring for his family and working together on their mission has given Johnny a purpose. But when that purpose comes under threat, Johnny’s tough side comes out again and risks everything they’ve worked so hard to build. Johnny must move past his hurts and anger at his father in order to embrace a positive future. Fortunately, thanks to his foster family and Ling, he’s well on his way. JULIA “I need to stop looking backwards and start looking forward. Maybe we all should.”
Julia has come a long way. Thanks to Ling, her foster family, and their mission, she is no longer on the run. She has successfully transformed her anger at the world for the sudden loss of her father into anger for the world and has become a warrior in the process. But anger can only take you so far. When we start Season Two, Julia is no longer pushing people away but she isn’t letting them in either. But when she almost loses the people who are closest to her, Julia learns that allowing Johnny, Tabby and Finn to get close to her is far less scary than losing them entirely.
TABBY “Maybe we just have to break things more before we can fix them.”
Tabby has been let down by a lot of people in her life, which is why she gravitates towards machines – they’re far less complicated than human beings. But thanks to her foster family, she’s warmed up. A bit. However, just as she’s settled into her life at Mr. Leopold’s and the mission of saving endlings, the past she thought she left behind comes back into her life. The thing she wanted most of all, her mother to get clean and take her back home, is happening but Tabby’s no longer sure it’s what she wants. Struggling with complex emotions, Tabby will learn that families come in many forms and, for her, family can include new and old members. FINN “Mom...”
An old soul in a young package, Finn is the heart of the Leopold family. He’s also its most vulnerable. Where Johnny and Tabby had bad parents, and Julia lost a good parent, Finn never had parents at all. Never being wanted, it turns out, can be just as painful as loss. But where most would turn to anger, Finn has turned to love. A quiet spirit, Finn has slowly found his voice thanks to the love and support of his foster family. But, as Finn has made himself heard, he’s also developed a longing for the family who abandoned him. Before Finn can fully embrace his place in the world, he’s going to go back to see where he came from.
MR. LEOPOLD “Listen Johnny, bad things happen. You can’t stop that. As hard as you try. All you can do is try to make sure that the people and things you care about are a little better off for having known you.”
Mr. Leopold knows how the world can fail you, because it failed him. He’s experienced more than his fair share of sadness, anger and pain but, like Finn, he’s come out on the side of love. It just took him much longer. Decades longer. But despite that love, he’s still scared of loss. He’s scared to lose Johnny, Julia, Tabby and Finn and the family they’ve built together. But, this season, Mr. Leopold will no longer let his fear hold him back from letting them in and he shows all four of our heroes that, even after tragedy, there is a way forward. ABIONA “All of these Endlings that you’ve gathered. Wherever you’re going, you’re going to be able to bring them back, right?”
Growing up in a wildlife refuge colours your view of the world. You understand from a young age that life can be vulnerable. Abiona Maina understands that better than most. She has lost many of her beloved animals to both environmental causes and humans ones too. But instead of letting the losses dim her resolve, Abiona’s activism has only gotten stronger and it is now extraterrestrial in nature. Abiona has fully committed to Ling’s mission, helping to save creatures from this planet and other ones. But this season her motivations have become even more personal as Tuko’s pregnancy means she is no longer the last elephant in existence. Abiona believes in the future because she has no other choice.
HEWES “So if it can bring them back, maybe it can bring other things back? Like people we’ve lost... or are about to lose. Imagine a world where we never lose the things we love.”
Belief is a funny thing; it can cause you to do good or bad. But no one believes they’re the bad guy. Hewes has created an entire division of her company Infinitum to track Ling. Her motives are deeply personal and deeply secret. Not even her closest confidants know the truth but this season it becomes clear. Ten years ago, while tracking the last polar bear, Hewes lost her daughter Greta because Ling’s ship destabilized the arctic ice. While it first appears that Hewes’s single-minded goal to track down capture Ling is a vendetta, it is actually the opposite. It is a mission of misguided hope. LING Being alone in the universe may sound lonely but it doesn’t have to be. Not when you have a purpose. Ling turned its alone-ness into the biggest call to arms in the galaxy. But crash landing into the Leopold barn meant that it was no longer alone. While initially resisting help, Ling quickly learned that a mission is only helped by having a team. And more than that, Ling quickly became a member of the Leopold family. The only problem is that now Ling has something at stake. When Ling inadvertently shows Tabby a vision of the future, the kids learn that they have a lot to lose -- including Ling. Julia, Johnny, Tabby, Finn, Mr. Leopold and Abiona quickly mobilize to save Ling and the future. They’ve all learned that family can come in many forms and doesn’t even have to come from the same planet. OUR STORY Sinking Ship Entertainment is a multiple award-winning production, distribution, and interactive company specializing in family and kids’ live action and CGI blended content.
Since its founding in 2004, Sinking Ship has produced over 17 series and won a total of 21 Daytime Emmy® Awards, including Outstanding Series wins for Dino Dana: Trek’s Adventures (Nickelodeon), Odd Squad (PBS), Giver (ION), and Ghostwriter (Apple TV+). The company has also claimed a variety of other international awards including a BAFTA in 2019 for Odd Squad and multiple Canadian Screen Awards, Youth Media Alliance Awards, Fan Chile Awards, Parents Choice Awards, the Shaw Rocket Prize, and prizes at the Prix Jeunesse International.
In addition to production, Sinking Ship operates a cutting edge VFX and Interactive Studio, creating multi- platform digital experiences and interactive content for audiences around the world.
Over and above making smart and inclusive content, Sinking Ship is also dedicated to tangibly making a difference in the world through partnerships with charitable organizations. In 2019, the company partnered with the International Fund for Animal Welfare to fund the building of a new elephant orphanage in Zambia, donating $250,000 towards a matching campaign that raised over $500,000 in its first weekend.
The company has earned a worldwide reputation for creating high-quality, groundbreaking original series and companion interactive experiences.
CONTACTS
SALES AND DISTRIBUTION Kate Sanagan, Head of Sales and Distribution (Americas, French-speaking world, Asia), [email protected]
Marilyn Kynaston, Head of Sales and Distribution (Western Europe), [email protected]
Mehmet Gundunz, Manager of Sales (LATAM & CEEMA), [email protected]
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