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‘Puffin Rock’ Gets Greenlit for the Big Screen!

Based on the award-winning preschool series, film will be the first animated feature produced in Northern Ireland.

Cartoon Saloon, Penguin Books, and Dog Ears have announced that Puffin Rock Movie has been officially greenlit. Nominated for an International Emmy, winner of two Kidscreen Awards and a Royal Television Award, the preschool TV series Puffin Rock (2 seasons, 79 x 7 min episodes) has enjoyed international success and has been a hit with preschool audiences. The series has been acquired by international broadcasters including Netflix, and China Nebula Group (CNB) and is broadcast on Tencent in China, where it has been streamed over 170 million times.

The Puffin Rock Movie will be the first animated feature produced in Northern Ireland and is co-funded by CNB, Northern Ireland Screen and Screen Ireland.

China Nebula Group CEO, Axinear, commented, “I am very honored to participate in this wonderful family film together with the world's leading 2D animation team. As a big fan of Puffin Rock myself, I can't wait to meet the little puffin and her friends on the big screen as soon as possible.”

“We’re delighted to announce the production of the Puffin Rock Movie and to welcome our new partners Chinese Nebula Pictures on board,” added Dog Ears managing director, Fionnuala Deane. “We’re very excited about the movie and have big hopes for it reaching family audiences across the globe.”

“I'm very happy that we are able to begin work on our Puffin Rock feature with our brilliant partners Dog Ears and China Nebula Pictures,” Cartoon Saloon CEO Paul Young shared. “There are a lot of kids hungry for some more adventures with Oona, Baba and Friends and we don't want to let them down! Our movie has lots of laughs and thrills for younger viewers and for many we expect the Puffin Rock Movie will be their first cinema experience.”

Northern Ireland Screen CEO, Richard Williams, remarked, “We are thrilled that the Puffins are migrating to the big screen. Northern Ireland Screen has long been enthusiastic supporters of Dog Ears, they are a hugely talented and highly driven team working at ease alongside major global names in children’s programming. It comes as no surprise that they are behind the first animated feature film to be made in Northern Ireland. This news speaks volumes for the growth and future potential of the animation sector here. We wish Dog Ears every success as they embark on this exciting project.”

“Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland is thrilled to be part of the Puffin Rock Movie, and to support Cartoon Saloon on yet another feature-length animation project, as it has grown into an internationally acclaimed powerhouse animation studio, marking another wave of success for the Irish animation industry,” Screen Ireland CEO James Hickey concluded. “Screen Ireland has been proud to support the original TV series of Puffin Rock, and its continued international success and acclaim highlights the range of creative talent across Irish storytelling and animation, both North and South. This move to the big screen will be a fantastic opportunity for children everywhere to engage with these already much-loved characters and stories.”

The Puffin Rock Movie marks a new co-production partnership with CNB. The film will be produced across three locations: Dog Ears studio in Derry, Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny and China Nebula Studio in Tianjin, China. The film is scheduled for a Spring 2021 release.

Source: Dog Ears