A co-production with Fabrique Fantastique, the film reimagines the classic tale with a family of lynx, an endangered species being brought back from extinction in the Alps; film scheduled for 2024 completion.
Studio 100 Media, rights holder of the classic Heidi 1974 anime series and producer of the 2015 CGI series, is producing a new animated film inspired by Johanna Spyri’s novel about the famous little girl from the Swiss Alps. The film is in pre-production and slated for completion in 2024.
The show is a co-production between Studio 100 Media and animation studio Fabrique Fantastique with a script by Rob Sprackling (Gnomeo & Juliet). Studio 100 Film will lead up international sales, with LEONINE Studios on board as a distribution partner for German-speaking territories. In addition, pre-sales have been confirmed with Adler in Italy; Kaleidoscope in the UK; NOS Lusomundo in Portugal; FilmHouse in Israel; and Blitz for Ex-Yugoslavian territories.
“To stay true to the spirit of the original work and its characters that generations of children and adults have loved and embraced, coming up with a new storyline was indeed challenging,” commented executive producer Thorsten Wegener. “However, we have remained loyal to Heidi's personality as a brave, cheerful, and extremely sensitive girl. In this new film, Heidi combines all the qualities of a positive heroine while touching on environmental topics for a global and modern audience.”
In the film, the story of Heidi touches on the importance of a simple life, the preservation of nature, kindness, and compassion. It also introduces a lynx family, an endangered species struggling to make a comeback in the Swiss Alps after nearing extinction at the end of the 19th century.
“Heidi is one of the world's most well-known and beloved children's literary characters - and has been for over 100 years!” shared Sprackling. “So, it’s a great honor to revive her and the wonderful world of Dorfli in this sequel to the original story.”
Fabrique Fantastique’s Tom Van Gestel, the film’s director, and producer, added, “There are several reasons why we want to produce this film. First, it’s refreshing to see something with a leisurely and calm tempo that Heidi’s film has to offer. The execution of this film has really taken time, which is in stark contrast to the more recent animation films or series now available. We see this as a fun challenge and want to preserve this calm aspect throughout. In addition, the film takes a special stand on ecology, nature, and deforestation, which is now more topical than ever.”
Studio 100 Film will present first looks of the project at this year’s AFM in Santa Monica.
Source: Studio 100 Film
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
