Bristol award-winning animation studio Aardman is to co-develop a new stop-motion animated Pingu TV series after teaming up with toy giant Mattel.
Created by Otmar Gutmann in the 1980s, Pingu, pictured, first aired on BBC One in 1990. The cheeky South Pole-dwelling penguin has been a mainstay of kids’ television since and more recently has developed a strong social media following.
Mattel, which owns the money-spinning Barbie brand, acquired Pingu through its 2011 acquisition of British-American entertainment company HiT, which also included a stable of much-loved characters from Thomas & Friends to Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam.
Four times Academy Award-winning Aardman, best known for its Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep programmes and movies, said the 3D series was inspired by Pingu’s “loveable and mischievous” personality, with him meeting the challenges of life head on along with his mum, dad, little sister Pinga and all his friends.
Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman said: “When we set out to bring Pingu back, partnering with the top-tier creative team at Aardman was a must.
“With Aardman’s stop-motion magic and Pingu’s universal charm that has made him a social media hit, we are excited to create fresh snow-filled stories about our favourite penguin that are sure to warm hearts worldwide.”
Aardman chief creative director Sarah Cox added: “At Aardman, we love collaborating with IP that shares our commitment to humour, charm and great storytelling.
“From our earliest conversations with Mattel, we felt an immediate and strong connection in our shared love of Pingu, the authentic appeal of the original IP and comedy that transcends language barriers to speak to audiences everywhere.
“Aardman and Pingu is such a natural and enticing combination. The charm of the stop-frame animation along with the quirky irreverence and character-driven storytelling aligns perfectly with our creative approach. There are so many stories yet to tell, we can’t wait to get started.”
The series will be co-developed by Sarah Cox and Alan Thorpe for Aardman, and Sidney Clifton, Rob David and Melanie Shannon for Mattel Television Studios.
Launched in 1972 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, Aardman Animations moved to Bristol four years later after the pair graduated from university.
It has been nominated for an Oscar seven times, winning four of them. The firm has its head office and a studio on Gas Ferry Road, near the SS Great Britain, and production space at Aztec West.
