CAKE has announced that production has begun on a 60 minute movie for the multi-award-winning New Zealand stop-motion animated series Kiri and Lou. Titled Kiri and Lou Rarararara!, the movie will be theatrically distributed by Vendetta Films Ltd. in New Zealand and Australia with CAKE handling the rest of world, launching for theatrical and broadcast release in 2026 supported by a merchandise roll out including books, music, softlines and toys.
“We are delighted to see Kiri and Lou’s enchanting world brought to life as a film, offering audiences a heartwarming adventure that will resonate with viewers of all ages,” said Ed Galton, CEO of CAKE.
Kiri and Lou Rarararara! is a long-form prequel that tells the tale of how an unlikely friendship between two different creatures began in a forest a long, long time ago, when Lou — a kind, purple prehistoric creature with an embarrassingly stretchy trunk — rescued an ungrateful little dinosaur named Kiri from a flood and taught her how to be a friend. With warm, gentle humor and uplifting songs, Kiri and Lou embark on their epic adventure and come to appreciate each other’s special qualities.
The movie project will be produced by Fiona Copland for Stretchy, written and directed by series director Harry Sinclair and voiced by Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows) and Olivia Tennet (Power Rangers, The Lord of the Rings). Animation director Antony Elworthy (Pinocchio, Isle of Dogs, Coraline), heads an international team of leading stop-motion animators for this production.
“The idea of this film was to make something that’s terrifically entertaining from start to finish, but with a thumping big emotional heart,” said Sinclair. “After writing a hundred and four episodes of the TV series, I know these characters well and I can promise you, Kiri and Lou are dying to go on an extraordinary adventure and see the world and we’re going to want to be along for the ride.”
The film is financed by New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, Screen Canterbury and Hinterland.
