Mercury Filmworks And La Chouette Partner On Original Horror/Suspense Series ‘Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark’
Ottawa, Canada-based animation producer Mercury Filmworks has partnered with French animation studio La Chouette Compagnie to develop, produce, and distribute an original horror/suspense anthology series Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark. The companies will be showing the 2d project, currently in development in a 12 x 13-minute episode format, to potential partners at the MIPCOM content market in Cannes later this month.
The series concept was created by Mercury veteran Andy Coyle, who directed and produced the Hilda animated series. Coyle developed the idea independently and produced a couple of online shorts, with the project later being optioned by Mercury. The most popular online short to date, The Worm, has nearly 2.5 million views on Youtube and can be viewed below:
Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark is described as “a suspenseful collection of modern folk tales that often explore coming-of-age themes intended to be equal parts scary and heartfelt.” Each episode is designed as a stand-alone mini-scary movie, and episodes are designed to either be watched, listened, or both. The individual episodes are part of a larger world with a “hidden connective tissue and Easter eggs” that add an additional layer of storytelling for those who watch the entire series.
“Andy’s distinctive creative vision brings a fresh and electrifying twist to the horror genre,” said Chantal Ling, Mercury’s vice president, original series & co-productions. “Having worked alongside him on Hilda, we know firsthand his remarkable ability to blend heart and suspense seamlessly. This anthology series will not only thrill existing fans of the Youtube shorts, but also captivate new audiences around the globe with its unique storytelling.”
In addition to Hilda, Mercury Filmworks is the animation service studio on numerous series including Mickey Mouse Shorts, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, The Lion Guard, Wander Over Yonder, and Jake & the Neverland Pirates. La Chouette produces and distributes animated series including Droners, Imago, Dragon Striker for Disney+, and L’épopée Temporelle for Adult Swim. The company has a creative studio in Montreuil and a second production studio in Angoulême.
