Ahead of the 61st annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival next week, Netflix has announced a slate of new animated films and series from creators across Europe. Each of these titles has a distinct tone and language, but are universal in their storytelling and themes.
The new films include Ember, Sergio Pablos’ follow-up to the BAFTA award-winning and Academy Award nominated Klaus; animated musical Scrooge: A Christmas Carol featuring songs by acclaimed Academy Award winner Leslie Bricusse; That Christmas based on the children’s books by BAFTA winner Richard Curtis; as well as an untitled animated film by Wallace & Gromit alumni and Academy Award winner, Steve Box. On the series side, Netflix will welcome three brand new original productions including; Bad Dinosaurs from Snafu Pictures and Able & Baker, Mermaid Magic from Rainbow, The Seven Bears from Folivari, as well as Wereworld from Lime Pictures, which is based on the series of fantasy novels by Curtis Jobling .
These projects join a growing list of animated titles from Europe including My Father’s Dragon from Cartoon Saloon and Academy Award nominated director Nora Twomey and will debut on Netflix this autumn, as well as Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and an untitled Wallace & Gromit project from the beloved four-time Academy Award winning Bristol-based animation studio Aardman out of the UK, as well as a new adult animated series by Zerocalcare from Italy and Captain Fall from Norwegian showrunners Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgerson.
Here are the details of the upcoming shows:
- Ember (Spain) – It will be in hand drawn animated feature film format. The film comes from the BAFTA award-winning and Academy Award nominated Klaus director, Sergio Pablos and The SPA Studios.
Ember is an epic adventure tale of humankind’s quest for fire told through the eyes of young Dikika who embarks on an impossible race to a distant volcano to retrieve the precious spark that will save her tribe.
2. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (UK) – This is a CG animated feature film. Timeless Films is responsible for the production. This film based on Charles Dickens’ work is directed by Stephen Donnelly.
The ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award winner Leslie Bricusse OBE, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is one for a new generation to sing.
3. That Christmas (UK) – It will be in CG animated feature film format. The film will be produced by Locksmith Animation and is based on the successful series of children’s books by BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Yesterday).The heartwarming film marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are the producers.
That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!
4. Untitled Steve Box Animated Film (France) – It will be in CG animated feature film format. The film will be produced by SUPERPROD Animation. From Academy Award-winning and three-time BAFTA-winning director Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were Rabbit) and SUPERPROD Animation, comes a yet to be titled, all original animated family comedy heist movie.
Struggling to feed themselves with the proceeds of their ever-inventive, but low-yield heists, Tibbles and his rag-tag gang of stray cats are forced to go undercover to pull of the biggest heist of their lives, posing as the thing they most despise – the pampered pets of suburbia.
5. Bad Dinosaurs (UK/ Spain) – This is a CG animated series produced by Snafu Pictures. Bad Dinosaurs is the debut animated series from Snafu Pictures. Based on a series of phenomenally successful online shorts co-created by animation veteran Joel Veitch; animation will be produced by Able & Baker (Love Death & Robots, Dragon Rider), and directed by Academy Award shortlisted and multi award winning Simone Giampaolo.
It is a high-octane thrill ride through the Mesozoic, that follows the hilarious shenanigans of a Tyrannosaurus family as they deal with the trials of life in the prehistoric wilderness, while surrounded by incompetent dinosaurs.
6. Mermaid Magic (Italy) – This is a CG animated series produced by Rainbow. This groundbreaking animated series comes from multi-award winning creator and director Iginio Straffi (Winx Club) and Emmy award winning animation studio Rainbow/Bardel (Rick and Morty, Dragon Prince), together with highly acclaimed head writer, Rich Burns (Spirit Riding Free).
Mermaid Magic is about a teenage mermaid princess named Merlinda who leaves her undersea world for the unknown land above to track down a rare source of magic that will help her take on the evil forces above the waves and below that seek to destroy her kingdom.
7. The Seven Bears (France) – This is also a CG animated series produced by Folivari. The animation is done by Cube, and Robert Vargas serves as the showrunner. The Seven Bears, based on the acclaimed graphic novels by Emile Bravo, are brought to animated life by the award-winning Animation Studio Folivari.
Forget the Seven Dwarfs, here come the Seven Bears! So, look out Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White, because this lovable pack of furballs is putting a fuzzy twist on the fairytales we thought we knew.
8. Wereworld (UK) – This is a CG animated series coming on Netflix. The series is directed by Tom Brass for Jellyfish Pictures and produced by Angelo Abela, Tim Compton, Curtis Jobling and Barry Quinn for Lime Pictures. Wereworld is based on the books by Curtis Jobling.
It is an epic fantasy adventure series that follows Drew Ferran, as he comes of age and discovers he’s the last of a long line of Werewolves, and rightful (yet reluctant) ruler of a land governed by Werelords. Drew must fight to abolish the tyranny of the Lionlords and reclaim the throne.
Along with these titles, Netflix has announced many new projects in its Geeked Week.