New Moomin TV Series
The rumours are true: there’s a new Moomin TV series on the way.
Scheduled for January 2019, it’s got quite a pedigree behind it, with an Emmy, BAFTA or Oscar seemingly the entry-level requirement for the production team. Director Steve Box started out on the brilliantly bizarre Claymation series The Trap Door, before joining up with Aardman and winning a couple of BAFTAs and an Oscar for Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Producer John Woolley won a BAFTA for Shaun the Sheep, whilst writing duo Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler are no strangers to Emmy acceptance speeches, and have written for Danger Mouse, Shaun the Sheep and Thunderbirds Are Go!
Creative Director / Executive Producer Marika Makaroff says of the project: “Previous Moomin animations have been intended for young children but our aim is to create a series that is true to the spirit of Tove’s tales and appeal to the whole family. We won’t shy away from the complexity and depth found in those original stories and the hybrid style of animation will be designed to achieve that. Using state-of-the-art CGI technology combined with more traditional hand-drawn techniques, we’ll follow Moomintroll’s emotional journey through the mysteries and wonders of Moominvalley.”
Steve Box adds “Tove Jansson’s world of the Moomins is a rare and precious body of work which, like all great art, operates on many levels. My duty is to bring her vision to the screen and create a series of films that are beautiful, atmospheric, funny, thought provoking and poignant but, above all else, remind us of our own humble position in the world and our duty to be tolerant and understanding toward our fellow creatures, be they Moomins, Mymbles or Grokes.”
As you can see from this concept art, it’s a mixture of 3D and 2D animation, more akin to the much-loved Polish ‘fuzzy felt’ Moomins of the 1980s than the divisive 1990s Anime series. In fact, that still looks exactly like Moominworld in Naantali in the winter.
Speaking of which: this is a crowdfunded venture – with the full backing of Sophia Jansson – and there are some very tempting perks for investors, ranging from exclusive mugs and t-shirts, to having your artwork (or your voice!) in the series itself. Top of the dial is a trip to Finland to follow in Tove’s footsteps and a chance to meet up with Sophia herself.
I’ll share more information when I get it, but suffice to say that this is a treat long-awaited by Moomin fans. There have actually been fourteen Moomin TV series to date (which I’ll be covering in future posts), but this promises to be something particularly special.
You’ll want to get right over there and have a gawk – Here’s the link to the site.