Netflix Unveils Upcoming Titles From Sergio Pablos, Steve Box, Folivari

It’s been a week of major announcements at Netflix Animation.

After a Wednesday dedicated entirely to animation news at Geeked Week, today Netflix unveiled new details regarding its ambitious line-up of new animation titles from across Europe. The projects join an existing European pipeline that includes Cartoon Saloon’s My Father’s Dragon, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, an untitled Wallace & Gromit project from Aardman, a new adult animated series by Zerocalcare from Italy, and Captain Fall from Norsemen showrunners Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgerson.

Here are the details from today’s announcement, and accompanying images from each production:

FEATURES

Ember (Spain)

• Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Sergio Pablos and The SPA Studios (Klaus) are back with their next feature, an action-adventure story about mankind’s search for fire. In the film, young protagonist Dikika sets out on a seemingly impossible journey to a far off volcano to retrieve a spark that could save her tribe. The film features hand-drawn animation that is sure to benefit from the advancements SPA made in lighting techniques on Klaus.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (U.K.)

• Timeless Films (Koati, Extinct) produces and Stephen Donnelly (Monster High: Welcome to Monster High) directs this musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story. The film features re-imagined songs from two-time Academy Award winner Leslie Bricusse. Scrooge will be available to stream this holiday season.

That Christmas (U.K.)

• Netflix has acquired Locksmith Animation’s (Ron’s Gone Wrong) sophomore feature That Christmas, based on the children’s book series from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually). The feature debut of veteran character animation and story artist Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon), That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake. Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) produce with DNEG handling animation.

Untitled Steve Box Animated Film (France)

• Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were Rabbit) is hard at work on his next project with Superprod Animation producing. Opting for 3D animation, Box will tell the story of Tibbles the street cat and his rag-tag gang of strays who go undercover as posh suburban felines to pull off the biggest heist of their nine lives. Pictured below: concept art from the project.

SERIES

Bad Dinosaurs (U.K., Spain)

• Snafu Pictures marks its series debut with this Mesozoic-set 3d animated series about a Tyrannosaurus family dealing with life in the prehistoric wilds. Based on a popular series of online shorts from creator Joel Veitch, Able & Baker (Love Death & Robots, Dragon Rider) will handle animation production. Simone Giampaolo (Only a Child) directs.

Mermaid Magic (Italy)

• Iginio Straffi (WinxClub) directs and Emmy winners Rainbow Spa/Bardel (Rick and Morty, Dragon Prince) produce this series, written by Rich Burns (Spirit Riding Free). In the cg animated show, mermaid princess Merlinda leaves her home under the sea to scour the land looking for a rare magic that can help her in a battle against evil forces.

The Seven Bears (France)

• Spoofing on classic fairy tales, Seven Bears follows a goofy group of fuzzy little furballs through a series of misadventures. The show is based on Emile Bravo’s popular graphic novel series of the same name and animated by legendary French outfit Studio Folivari (Ernest & Celestine). Cg animation is handled by Cube and Robert Vargas (The Ollie & Moon Show) is showrunning.

Wereworld (U.K.)

• Another literary adaptation, Wereworld is based on a series of books by Curtis Jobling and tells the fantasy story of Drew Ferran, a young man who comes of age and learns he’s the last in a long line of werewolves, and a royal line of Werelords at that. The cg animated series is directed by Tom Brass at Jellyfish Pictures (Spirit Untamed) with Angelo Abela, Tim Compton, Curtis Jobling, and Barry Quinn producing for Lime Pictures.