Mercury Filmworks Unveils Debut Original Feature ‘Once Our Land’

Mercury Filmworks, the Ottawa, Canada-based service studio behind Netflix’s Hilda, has unveiled its first original animated feature. Once Our Land is a fantasy-meets-sci-fi family film based on Peter Ricq’s eponymous graphic novel.

The 2d-animated film, which will be produced with Amber Ripley’s Goodbye Productions, is set in 1830s Europe. The story follows 11-year-old Ingrid and grizzled warrior Fritz as they journey through an apocalyptic world ravaged by beasts.

Ricq will direct the adaptation, with Phil Ivanusic-Vallee attached as screenwriter. The pair previously collaborated on animated series including The League of Super Evil, as well as the live-action feature film Dead Shack (which was produced by Goodbye Productions).

Mercury, an Emmy-winning service studio whose credits also include Disney’s Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure and Netflix’s Kid Cosmic, announced a major push into original content in November. It has a number of original series in the works including Hello, My Name Is Octicorn, which is based on a children’s book, and Pangors of Puddle Peak and Bloopymerps, which are being developed in-house.