Aardman and CITV unveil voice cast for new CGI comedy series Lloyd of the Flies

Friday Night Dinner actor, Tom Rosenthal is among the British talent to be lending their voices to Lloyd of the Flies, a new CGI comedy series from Aardman Animation and CITV. The series is scheduled to air on CITV in autumn 2022.

Rosenthal will voice lead character Lloyd, a housefly and middle child of 453 siblings. With his best friend Abacus Woodlouse, little sister PB, and eccentric tag-along Cornea Butterfly, the motley crew will embark on a series of misadventures in a family comedy of entomology.

Rosenthal joins a cast of British acting talent, including Alex Lawther (Black Mirror) who will voice Abacus, Lauren Patel (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) who will take on the role of PB, Teresa Gallagher as Cornea Butterfly, and Callum Scott Howells (It’s a Sin) will voice Lloyd’s nemesis, Berry.

Pearl Mackie and Rob Rackstraw provide the voices of Lloyd’s parents, Gena and Malcolm. Completing the cast are Ayesha Antoine, voicing Julie and Libby, and Marcel McCalla who plays Ampersand and Bob.

Lloyd of the Flies is created and directed by Matthew Walker (episode director, Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom Farm and winner of a jury award at Aspen Shortsfest, Jury Special Mention at Clermont-Ferrand for his film ‘John and Karen’ and best graduation film ‘Astronauts’ at Annecy Animation Festival 2006). He is joined by co-director and voice director Jane Davies, who has over 25 years animation and directing experience in long form series.

Aardman’s Sarah Cox will act as executive creative director.

Seamus Malone (Arthur Christmas, Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death) is Animation Director, with Tom Parkinson (Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom Farm) in the role of Script/Story Advisor. The Series Editor is Victoria Stevens (A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon).

The writing team includes Anna Leong Brophy, Alex Collier, Tasha Dhanraj, Isabel Fay, Mark Oswin, and Jen Upton. Black Sheep’s Andrew Barnett Jones and Ciaran Murtagh are Script Editors on the series.

Using a mix of computer animation and 2D techniques, Lloyd of the Flies is the first CGI series to be produced entirely in-house at Aardman’s headquarters studio in Bristol.

Tom Rosenthal, voice of Lloyd, said: “Despite the fact that I believe Lloyd of the Flies to be a work of genius and am thrilled to bring these fantastic stories to life, the amount of people who have told me that I do actually sound like a fly has begun to get hurtful.”

Lloyd of the Flies is the flagship project for the government-funded Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), which is managed by the BFI and supports the creation of distinctive, high-quality content for audiences up to the age of 18.

The Fund offers production funding for projects which have secured a broadcast commitment from a UK Public Service Broadcaster to make the programme available to a UK audience on a free-to-access, Ofcom-regulated service.

Aardman lines up raft of new partners including online cheese retailer Pong Cheese

The multi-award winning independent animation studio, Aardman, has secured a raft of new licensing deals for Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, spanning a range of core categories, including an officially licensed cheese box.

The studio has lifted the lid on a new partnership with the online cheese retailer, Pong Cheese that will see the launch of a Wallace & Gromit themed cheese box, a variety box containing a selection of the pair’s favourite cheeses. It’s joined by a partnership with the online pet fashion store, Urban Pup for a raft of on trend dog items.

Meanwhile, Shaun the Sheep and the Scout Store have come together to celebrate a mutual love of adventure, creating an exciting range of apparel and accessories to be sold via the Scout Shop network. The collection will be available to purchase this summer.

Also in development is an Aardman arts and craft magazine from specialist children’s publisher Signature Publishing. The new deal will mark the first time that all of the Aardman characters will be brought together to celebrate the creativity that goes into each of Aardman’s popular film titles. The magazine will include pens, modelling clay, crafting activities and colouring pages, and launches in August, in time for the summer holidays.

Aardman continues to work with licensees on design guides and assets targeted at specific market sectors, and this clutch of new deals underpins the effectiveness of this strategy.

Ian Downes from Start Licensing said: “Taking a bespoke and focussed approach to new business development has been rewarding in our work with Aardman. We have prioritised developing new deals with licensees that can benefit from using Aardman’s characters in a way that maximises their effectiveness in the market.

“Wallace & Gromit are closely linked with cheese and the product is an integral part of the characters’ storylines. With this in mind, working with a specialist like Pong Cheese makes perfect sense.”

Spotting Wallace & Gromit’s renowned love of artisan cheese, Pong Cheese has seized the opportunity to align the duo with its own proposition of celebrating hand-made cheese and supporting artisan cheesemakers.

“This allowed Pong Cheese to amplify its marketing message whilst delivering a great new product to its consumers,” contiued Downes. “Meanwhile, Gromit is a natural fit for dog wear and accessories, as one of the UK’s most recognisable dogs.”

Elsewhere, Signature Publishing’s Aardman themed arts and craft magazine has been billed as “a natural development” for the brand, drawing on Aardman’s “tremendous archive of arts and craft material” as well as its “proven pedigree in the category.”

“Working with the Scout Store and developing a co-branded range with Shaun the Sheep makes creative sense. The two are a good match thematically,” concluded Downes.

Forget the crackers, Gromit: Dean’s launches a range of Wallace & Gromit shortbread and biscuits

The Aberdeenshire-based bakers Dean’s has launched a collection of shortbread and biscuits in collaboration with Aardman Studio and its iconic characters, Wallace and Gromit.

The new range features five biscuit flavours, three special keepsake tins containing Dean’s melt in the mouth all butter shortbread and will extend to include an assortment tin in time for Christmas.

The biscuit range features postcard images of Wallace and Gromit on holiday at popular spots around the UK. Using these images as inspiration, Dean’s developed five biscuit flavours: chocolate chunk, stem ginger, oat and honey, strawberries and cream, and savoury cheddar bites. 

Dean’s managing director, Bill Dean, said: “We are incredibly excited to be launching this new range featuring Wallace & Gromit. Wallace & Gromit have enormous appeal across age ranges from eight to 80. Collaborating with such a well-loved British institution in this way will help introduce Dean’s baking to a wider customer base. It is exciting to think of a new audience engaging with the Dean’s brand and enjoying our shortbread and biscuits.”

Adam Vincent-Garland, category manager, Interactive & Toys at Aardman added: “Just like the rest of us; Wallace & Gromit have been staying in the UK this year. But the unique partnership with Dean’s has allowed the duo to share beautiful images of their travels around the country.

“Along with some delicious complimentary biscuit flavours. Including; Honey and Scotch Oats beside the Loch Ness and Savoury Cheddar at the foot of Cheddar Gorge, to name just a few. Working with Dean’s has been an absolute pleasure and we can’t wait to see the mouth-watering biscuits in stores coming soon.”

The collaboration with Aardman for the Wallace and Gromit range follows in the footsteps of successful partnerships with Steven Brown Art in 2017, Oor Wullie in 2019 and Villager Jim in 2020.  

The Wallace and Gromit biscuits and shortbread are available to buy now from WH Smith travel retail stores, Harvey Nichols Foodmarket and on Dean’s website. 

Aurora World and Macmillan Children’s Books lead licensing roster for Aardman’s festive animation Robin Robin

Aurora World has been tapped as the master toy partner for Aardman’s new animated musical special, Robin Robin in a deal that will see the company develop the plush version of the titular character.

The new plush Robin Robin will be launched alongside the publishing and film premiere of the special as it arrives in the UK this Autumn. Leading the publishing roll out for the feature will be Macmillan Children’s Books.

Robin Robin is a 30 minute festive holiday special created in stop-motion by its directors Dan Ojari and Mikey Please. The special is currently in production at the Aardman studios in Bristol and is scheduled to launch on Netflix in November this year.

Robin Robin will feature the voices of Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Adeel Akhtar, and Bronte Carmichael.

Macmillan Children’s Books has acquired worldwide rights in all languages for an exciting range of children’s books associated with the new film. The publishing range, which will launch in autumn 2021, will include a classic picture book, film tie-in picture book and range of activity and novelty books.

Stephanie Barton, publisher, picture books, brands and classics at Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “To be working with Aardman on Robin Robin is a dream come true; their unique voice, attention to detail and the exuberance and joy with which they approach storytelling is perfect for the printed page, and we are excited to be working in partnership to create what are sure to be classics of the future.”

Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, publisher, Macmillan Children’s Books, added: “We fell in love with Robin Robin at first sight and quickly discovered that the values of Macmillan Children’s Books and those of Aardman were aligned.

“To have the opportunity to publish both a classic illustrated picture book on our Two Hoots list, as well as the animated tie-ins on our Brands and Media list, plays to our strengths across MCB. Robin Robin will be a focus among the other successful high end media brands on our list and is a very exciting acquisition for us.”

The first title, a classic picture book, written by the co-creators of Robin Robin Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, and illustrated by Briony May Smith, will be published by the Two Hoots imprint in October 2021.

A film tie-in picture book featuring stills and lyrics to the songs will be published in November 2021, alongside the Netflix premiere. An audiobook will be available for digital download.

Please said: “We are utterly delighted to be partnering with Macmillan to bring the Robin Robin books to life, and thrilled that we get to actually write one with wondrous pencil-wizard, Briony May Smith. Briony worked with us early on in the development of Robin Robin, so it feels perfect that we get to team up again in creating the classic picture book. And in the hands of the fantastic Macmillan team, we know this picture book and the entire series are going to be things of beauty.”

Alongside the publishing programme, Aardman has appointed Aurora World – a global leader in the character and content industry – as master toy partner, who will be developing the plush version of Robin Robin to be launched alongside the publishing and film premiere in Autumn 2021.

Martin Ringer, sales director, said: “We have built a great relationship working with Aardman to develop Shaun the Sheep plush products over recent years. The opportunity to broaden our relationship and be involved in the development of plush for Robin Robin is incredibly exciting and we look forward to delivering some beautiful product for this wonderful property.”

Robin Robin is the endearing story of a robin who is adopted by a family of burglar mice when her egg fortuitously rolls into a rubbish dump. As she grows up her differences become more apparent. She sets off on the heist to end all heists to prove to her family that she can be a really good mouse, but ends up discovering who she really is.

Shaun the Sheep joins Atari’s RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch in new Aardman partnership

The cast of Shaun the Sheep are entering the world of theme park management thanks to a new partnership between the UK’s award-winning animation studio, Aardman, and the hit games developer, Atari.

Under the new partnership, characters from the popular stop-animated series, Shaun the Sheep will now enter the universe of RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch for mobile devices through a season update that will deliver branded rides, character statues, and various Shaun the Sheep-themed attractions to the game.

“Much like RollerCoaster Tycoon, Aardman is a well-loved brand with years of global prestige; it’s a brand that fans can count on to bring fun and endlessly charming characters to whatever they work on,” said Tony Chien, VP marketing of Atari.

“This partnership allows us to bring a fresh yet well-known face to RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch. We are thrilled to share all of the creatively themed content that the world of Shaun the Sheep offers to our fans.”

Adam Vincent-Garland, category manager, interactive and toys, at Aardman, added: “RollerCoaster Tycoon is one of one the world’s most recognized and established amusement park building game franchises.

Shaun the Sheep attractions have been entertaining families across the globe for years, so it only made sense to bring Shaun to the beloved mobile game. Players will be flocking to customize their parks with new and hilarious rides and attractions featuring everyone’s favorite fuzzy friend.”

 

15 new themed rides and attractions inspired by the world of Shaun the Sheep will now become a part of the game, allowing park visitors to get a high-level view of frantic farm madness by riding the Tower of Sheep and Lu-La’s Helter Skelter, stop in for a slice of ‘za at the Shaun the Sheep Pizzeria (or brave the pizza-themed Baa-gherita ride), and strap into the Shaun the Sheep Farmhouse Coaste.

Players can also collect statues of fan-favorite characters including the Farmer, Bitzer, Timmy, and of course, Shaun himself.Shaun the Sheep rides and attractions are available via the in-game store or unlocked by completing in-game challenges. 

Based on RollerCoaster Tycoon, one of the best-selling franchises in PC gaming history, RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch is a free-to-play, innovative 3D simulation game where players can create, build, manage, and share their own imaginative park creations.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch features a touch-control coaster creator that encourages players to easily design coasters – giving them the freedom to express their creativity. Released in early 2017 on mobile devices, RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch has been downloaded over 30 million times and soared to the top of the charts after being featured numerous times on the App Store and Google Play.

Big Picture Licensing named UK and Eire licensing agent for Brave Bunnies as portfolio plans get underway

Big Picture Licensing has been appointed the exclusive licensing agent for the UK and Eire, and master agent across EMEA and APAC for the animated pre-school series Brave Bunnies.

Created and developed by the Ukrainian creative production hub, Glowberry, the new series aims to blend the traditional feel of a pre-school property with modern and relevant themes of diversity and inclusivity. It follows the adventures of two brave and curious bunnies who journey through their world on the Bunny Bus in search of new friends.

52 episodes make up season one that, thanks to a partnership with Aardman as global content distributor, has already been placed with the likes of Milkshake and Nick Jr in the UK, SuperRTL in Germany, ABC in Australia, SVT in Sweden and more. The  show has already gone live in some territories, with further international roll-out scheduled during  Q1 2021.

On a global scale, Brave Bunnies has appointed a portfolio of licensing agents that includes DeAgnostini in Italy, and LaPanaderia, the master agent for the property in Latin America. Meanwhile, Big Picture Licensing has signed up a roster of leading agents in their respective regions, including CPLG for Benelux, Nordics, CEE, and Southern Europe, CLM for Africa, Centa IP in Australia and New Zealand, and Mediogen in Israel.

Brave Bunnies licensed products are set to roll out from Easter 2022, with Spin Master leading the charge as the property’s global master toy licensee. The firm will develop a range of pre-school toys based on the series. On top of this, Big Picture Licensing has signed up Penguin Random House as a strategic multi-territory licensee, joining Planeta Libra as publishing partners.

Brave Bunnies has already gone live in some territories, with further international roll-out scheduled for Q1 2021. A complimentary and comprehensive digital content plan is also in development. At MIPCOM last month, Brave Bunnies was the second most viewed show in the MIP Junior Screenings  Library (and number one in its preschool target-demo), and unsurprisingly interest is brewing in the licensing  arena. 

Sergey Molchanov, CEO at Glowberry, said: “We have taken a lot of care to ensure that Brave Bunnies has received the best quality treatment from the off, and we are delighted to maintain that  standard across our key commercial partner appointments.

“We’re grateful for the support and the  broad positive response to our property, and we’re just getting started.” 

Dan Frugtniet, MD at Big Picture Licensing, added: “We’re extremely proud and excited to be  working with Glowberry on this wonderful property, and delighted, but not at all surprised at the strong start – without exception, everybody who we have showed Brave Bunnies to has been  overwhelmingly positive about it.

“As well as finalising APAC agency appointments, we’re now  looking to secure UK licensing partners in all major product categories. Please get in touch to discuss  how you can hop on the Brave Bunny Bus.”

Aardman teams with Circa Contemporary Circus to bring Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show to Queensland

The multi-award winning UK animation studio, Aardman, has joined forces with the performance company Circa Contemporary Circus to produce a new circus-theatre production called Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show.

The world premiere season of the new show will be held in Queensland, Australia’s QPAC’s Lyric Theatre, scheduled in for March 2021. It marks a major win for the arts community that has struggled through a lengthy shutdown at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, said: “Thanks to the way Queenslanders have managed the coronavirus pandemic, we’re now able to return  to the theatre. Today’s announcement is a great win for Queensland, not only for our arts community but also for our economy as we continue to rebuild from the pandemic. 

“Shaun the Sheep is a global phenomenon. It’s great to see Circa – one of the state’s most successful performance companies -premiere this show here in Queensland. The arts industry employs thousands of people throughout the state. World class productions like this will help this sector to recover from the impact of COVID-19.” 

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said Shaun the  Sheep will be able to play to full houses and engage the young and the young at heart. 

Shaun the Sheep is a family favourite throughout the  world and to have this production here is a fantastic win for Queensland,” Enoch said. 

“The arts, cultural and creative sector plays a crucial role  in our COVID-19 recovery, bringing our communities back together and supporting jobs for artists and arts  workers. That’s why the Palaszczuk Government is implementing  nearly $60 million worth of measures to support the sector through the impacts of COVID-19 including the $22.5 million Arts and Cultural Recovery Package. 

“The Palaszczuk Government will continue to invest  in arts and cultural projects to support Queensland’s social and economic recovery.”  

Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show is being supported by the Queensland Government through a unique three-way partnership, comprising investment from  Screen Queensland, Arts Queensland funding via the Queensland Arts Showcase Program and QPAC as the Presenting Partner. 

Aardman teams with Bandai Namco Entertainment to develop a new multi-media IP

Aardman, the multi-award winning animation studio behind the Wallace & Gromit franchise and Chicken Run, has partnered with Bandai Namco to develop a brand new IP.

As reported in Licensing.biz’s sister title, MCV, the partnership’s first major project will exist across multiple media, and the team will approach partners in early 2021 with the development materials. The collaboration will combine Aardman’s talent of creating characters and worlds with Bandai Namco’s expertise in  publishing and development to create games for “current and future platforms.”

“Interactive Entertainment is a huge growth area within the entertainment world,” said Sean Clarke, managing director of Aardman, “and with new emerging technology blurring the lines of watching and playing, we are keen to develop strategic partnerships with partners such as BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe that share our vision of creating new IP that embraces this new world and cement our studio’s reputation as a multi-disciplinary creative hub.”

“This new partnership with Aardman is a dream come true, as it opens up a world of possibilities,” said Hervé Hoerdt, SVP of digital, marketing & content at Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, “The teams at Aardman and BNEE are a perfect cultural and creative fit to build a successful long term partnership, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”

Further details about the collaboration will be available at a later date.

OPINION – Hurrah for the madding crowd: How crowdfunding is fueling the flames of fandom

It’s like the old Funko strapline says: Everybody’s a fan of something. It’s no secret that adult fandom has become an increasingly important market to the toy industry and pop culture scene in general, but – with limited shelf space among retailers – just how can brands and manufacturers cater to it all? Here, Start Licensing’s Ian Downes tells us why he’s such a big fan of the crowdfunding scene

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Whether its football, film or TV, we are all fans of something. Fandom is a bond that ties people together. Fans are at the heart of licensing. Fans are the consumers who buy into licensed products or have licensed products bought for them.

Traditionally, it was difficult to have a direct relationship with fans. In the age of social media it has become easier to communicate with fans and build a rapport with them. Rights owners have got better at dialoguing with fans and have recognised that having a direct relationship with them is a valuable asset.

That said it is still quite challenging to know what fans want. Sometimes as an industry, we haven’t always tried that hard to find out. Licensing can be an industry that lives in the moment. Often reacting to ‘what’s hot’ and delivering a standard range of products.

Moving forward it would be good to see more products developed that reflect IP more distinctively and reflect fan interest.

“It’s a good time to talk to fans more frequently and with a higher level of engagement. Crowdfunding campaigns are a great way of doing this.”

In licensing, you traditionally need a licensee and a retailer to support your brand and back your idea. Retailers have finite space and manufacturers are not able to invest in all new ideas they see. Of course online selling and opportunities like print on demand have changed this up, but there are still gatekeepers to get past to get products to fans.

But there is an increasingly viable alternative, and it’s crowdfunding.

This is, of course, not a new thing and is a path that has been trod by IP owners and licensees already. Aardman Animations used Kickstarter to help finance a new Morph animation series back in 2013, while many a boardgame has been launched following on crowdfunding campaigns. Meanwhile, Unbound offers a route to market for authors with a highly engaging crowdfunding platform for new books. It’s true that a number of their books wouldn’t have been published otherwise, but have been commercially successful as they found their audience.

It’s a good time to talk to fans more frequently and with a higher level of engagement. Crowdfunding campaigns are a great way of doing this. Crucially they are also a proven way of bringing good creative ideas alive. So often these ideas would have stayed on the drawing board.

The Vine Lab has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign around Wallace & Gromit’s A Close Shave. The team is crowdfunding a high spec Collector’s Model that is being launched to help celebrate the film’s 25th Anniversary. In the real world it would have been difficult to find a retail home for it. Fans would have missed out on a super product.

As more and more, consumers are looking for original products and experiences, crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly  viable way of tapping into their passion and getting closer to fans. Used carefully and responsibly crowdfunding should be a feature in a contemporary licensing programme. It’s also a fabulous way of supporting the creative community.

We are all fans of something, and I’m a fan of crowdfunding.

Aardman and Shaun the Sheep partner with The Sleep Charity for Better Sleep Week plush

Aardman Animations and Shaun the Sheep have partnered with the Sleep Charity to launch a new plush toy as part of the organisation’s annual awareness campaign, Better Sleep Week.

As the charity’s ambassador, the Shaun the Sheep plush toy features a pillow with the campaign slogan ‘Sheep Dreams’ and will retail at £25, with 15 per cent of the proceeds going to The Sleep Charity.  The new plush can be purchased exclusively online at www.sheepdreamswithshaun.com from Friday 23rd October. 

“Shaun the Sheep has been our sheepy sleep ambassador for two years now, championing the work that we do and working with us to develop resources like colouring sheets to help families enjoy the benefits of a good night’s sleep,” said Vicki Dawson, CEO of The Sleep Charity.

“We are delighted that they’ve specifically produced this super soft cuddly plush toy in support of the charity and to coincide with our Better Sleep Week. The donation from the sale of these cuddly Shaun the Sheep toys will ensure that we can continue to provide the services we offer to help the nation to sleep better. 

“Children thrive on routine and they can also meet their full potential more easily when they have had a good night’s sleep.  And part of getting a good night’s sleep is the bedtime routine checklist which includes turning off screens an hour before bed and doing calm, relaxing activities, having a warm bath, brushing teeth, dimming the lights, snuggling up with a story and a cuddly toy and then saying goodnight.”

Aaron Simpson, CEO, of Kindred.co, added: “We are honoured to help and support The Sleep Charity raise urgently needed funds at this time. Every penny counts and we hope that everyone can join in and buy a little something for Christmas stockings and presents to help out The Sleep Charity.”

Along with the plush toy there are also a range of other Shaun the Sheep products to purchase.

Rachael Peacock, senior brand manager at Aardman said: “We are proud of our partnership with The Sleep Charity and are delighted that the exclusive Shaun the Sheep plush toy is now available for fans to buy. We developed the Sheep Dreams initiative to encourage  an understanding of the importance of a good night’s sleep.

“Shaun is known for his fun adventures, but sleep has always been a prevalent theme in the series. It’s great to be able to use our brand as a force for good.” 

Aware that many children and their families do not enjoy the benefits of a good night’s sleep, Aardman was keen to ensure this initiative would help and asked Louis Kennedy’s director of partnerships and licensing, Tracey Richardson to identify a charity partner.  

Tracey Richardson said: “The Sheep Dreams concept and style guide from Aardman is a complete delight. I was thrilled to be asked to find a charity partner aligned to the theme. The Sleep Charity is the perfect fit being the only national charity helping children and their families benefit from a good night’s sleep. This exclusive Shaun is a fantastic way to bring this special partnership to life.”