With over 50 years of experience in clay animation, Aardman has revealed a glimpse of its bright future at this year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, which opens on June 21st.
The studio’s legendary trio of co-founders Peter Lord, David Sproxton and fellow director Nick Park, along with chief creative director Sarah Cox and a surprise guest, took to the stage earlier today at Annecy’s main venue, the spectacular lakeside Bonlieu Theater, for a presentation filled with first-look footage, never-before-seen footage and fond memories of Aardman’s history.
Aardman’s biggest announcement of the day came when Phil Linda, director of original animation at The Pokémon Company International, joined Cox on stage to reveal for the first time a behind-the-scenes look at the previously announced series Pokémon Tales: Sirfetched and the Misadventures of Pichu.
The pair delighted the Annecy audience with behind-the-scenes insights into the project’s development and creative collaboration, featuring never-before-seen footage from the pilot and production material in development. With early looks at Sirfetch and Pichu in action, exquisite claymation and state-of-the-art special effects brought in by Aardman for this particular project, the series (coming next year) delighted Bonlieu audiences eager to learn more.
Set in Pokémon’s Galar region, which shares many geographic similarities with real-world Britain (a fitting backdrop for a collaboration with Aardman), the panel also touched on the project’s uniquely British sense of humor, with Gromit’s signature move also making its way into the Pokémon world. It has long been associated with many of Aardman’s most popular works.
“I was honored to join Mr. Aardman’s panel at Annecy to discuss our shared commitment to quality, powerful storytelling, memorable characters, and true respect for audiences and fans,” said Phil Linda, director of original animation at The Pokémon Company International. “This project gives us a unique opportunity to tell the story from a Pokémon perspective, made possible by Aardman’s exceptional technology and masterful artistry. Their warmth and love for this beloved cast of Pokémon is evident in every masterfully crafted frame.”
Sarah Cox, Aardman’s Chief Creative Director, added: “The team at Aardman is thrilled to bring the vivid physics of stop-frame animation to the world of Pokémon. Director Tom Parkinson and his team will bring the gala to life with a fun and quirky quest. “Aardman and Pokemon share a strong commitment to creativity and talent in this common quest, with comedic storytelling that celebrates the quirks, eccentricities and charm of our protagonists as they explore the world.” We aim to bring joy to audiences around the world. ”
“Let’s Go Timmy” presented by Aardman
Beyond that presentation, Sarah Cox also announced a newly commissioned stop-motion and 2D animation series, “Let’s Go Timy!,” expanding on the wonderful world of Mossy Bottom. The series will also return to theaters later this year, with the third Shaun the Sheep feature, The Beast of Mossy Bottom, scheduled for worldwide release in September.
In “Let’s Go Timmy!,” Bitzer the sheepdog is tasked with getting Timmy and his two best friends, Yaba and Apricot, to Mossy Bottom School on time and safely every morning. Like all excited children, Timmy and his friends are curious and full of energy, and each morning they veer off course and turn their school run into a surrealist adventure.
In this project, Aardman blends two different animation styles. A combination of signature stop-motion animation and dynamic 2D animation highlights the fantastical world of Timmy, Yaba, and Apricot’s imaginations. The series will be directed by Merlin Crossingham and Daniel Binns and produced by Stephanie Miller and BBC commissioning executive Lucy Pryke.
In a press release following the presentation, CBeebies Senior Head of Commissioning Kate Morton added: “Return to Mossy Bottom with ‘Let’s Go Timmy!'” presents young viewers with an incredible opportunity to expand on an already beloved world. This is a fun, visually rich addition that reflects the high quality homegrown storytelling that is engaging and supports early development that CBeebies is known for. The series captures the humor, warmth and boundless imagination that characterize Aardman’s storytelling, while also introducing a playful new dynamic with Bitzer at the helm. ”
Cox also revealed another new Aardman film, The Almost Untold Story of the Dangerous Delilah, based on Oliver Jeffers’ book series Once Upon the Alphabet.
Aardman director Osa Lucander (Coldplay’s Daddy, Blue Peter), senior development executive James Higginson, and Peter Lord himself are involved in bringing the project to the screen, creating “an entirely new story” from the book and its characters.
“The script is by Pete,” Cox added. “This is a story about Danger Delilah, a girl who realizes that her world is beginning to disappear. But before she realizes that she herself is a character in someone else’s story and is being forgotten…” In order to save herself, Delilah must grab hold of her own story and rewrite her own. “So she has to literally take the story and rewrite her own story.” We have just finished the development phase, so we will be ready to start pitching right away,” Cox concluded.
Ahead of the announcement, Aardman’s legendary trio Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Nick Park look back at the studio’s history in a special opening session celebrating Aardman’s unique approach to storytelling, comedy and craft. , Cox took to the stage, followed by veteran animators, and Dan Ojali, co-director of “Robin Robin” and “Over the Garden Wall,” also took to the stage to share Aardman’s latest success story and finish with an in-depth look back at Aardman’s work. Aardman’s over 50 years of animation history.
From early kitchen table experiments to iconic characters and award-winning creations, the team shared how their unique handcrafted process has evolved over the years.
Peter Lord and David Sproxton, who were recently knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours, began their animation partnership at school, creating short animated sketches called ‘Aardman’ when they were still teenagers, which were purchased by the BBC for the Vision On series. According to Aardman, Peter and David needed a name for their bank account when they received their first check from the BBC, so they registered the name Aardman Animations in 1972.
The session combined archival material, behind-the-scenes footage, and conversation to provide insight into how Aardman continues to create award-winning animation that connects with audiences around the world, and what’s next for the studio as it advances its technology to look to the future of stop-motion animation and beyond.
After more than 25 years of teaching his unique craft, Erdman also announced the launch of a new Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at the Royal College of Art in London. The team announced this collaboration through a quirky, handcrafted teaser. This is, and always will be, a testament to what is at the heart of Aardman’s DNA: a love of people and animation.
Or as Aardman co-founder and director Peter Lord puts it: “Our animation may be ‘old-fashioned’ but we do it out of love for the work. Our team is very good at what they do and that love shines through on screen. Basically, we keep doing what we love and people love it too.”
More to come…
