The slapstick animated comedy centers on Trico the enthusiastic sheep and Wanda the Ewe as she tries to keep the flock safe from hungry Wolf.
French animation studio Xilam Animation has just announced its new CG animated slapstick comedy series Karate Sheep is now streaming on Netflix March 2. This marks the launch of the streamer’s first animated commission supported by the French public funding body CNC.
Created by Xilam Animation’s Hugo Gittard (Zig & Sharko, Mr Magoo), Karate Sheep (formerly Trico) targets kids aged six to nine; it follows Trico, an enthusiastic sheep who loves to share new objects and ideas with the rest of the flock, which causes a ruckus in the mountain pastures that inevitably upsets Wanda, a tough ewe in charge of keeping the sheep safe. No small feat, especially when Wolf is always lurking, waiting to make the most of any chaos. The series premiered on Super RTL in late 2022.
Xilam has developed an extensive digital and social media campaign to build awareness for the Netflix launch. Xilam has created a Karate Sheep YouTube channel, which features episodes, compilations, and shorts, which has achieved nearly 500K views since launching in January. Additionally, a dedicated TikTok account has generated 3M views, where the U.S. market comprises over 25% of the audience. Xilam has also developed a Karate Sheep filter, now available on TikTok, as well as a gaming app for launch later this year.
“Slapstick comedies are a core part of our company’s legacy and DNA, so we’re excited to be collaborating with Netflix to bring another series in this genre to international audiences,” said Marc du Pontavice, Xilam Animation Founder and CEO. “Karate Sheep is a unique blend of themes – there’s friendship, teamwork and accepting the differences of others, but there’s also martial arts, plenty of humour and a celebration of nature in the mix too. The response and engagement for our Karate Sheep digital campaign has been really positive, so we can’t wait to now see the response from families around the world.”
Xilam holds second-window global linear TV distribution and merchandising rights for Karate Sheep.
Source: Xilam
Whitney is a freelance writer focusing on VFX-driven fantasy film & TV as well as preschool animation.
