Mattel and multi-Academy-Award -winning animation studio Aardman (Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, Wallace & Gromit) are teaming up to co-develop a brand-new stop-motion 3D animated television series featuring Pingu!
The new animated series will be inspired by Mattel’s loveable and mischievous young penguin who lives in the snow and ice of the South Pole. Often finding himself in tricky and comical situations, Pingu meets the challenges of life head on along with his mom, dad, little sister Pinga, and all his friends.
“When we set out to bring Pingu back, partnering with the top-tier creative team at Aardman was a must,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer of Mattel. “With Aardman’s stop-motion magic and Pingu’s universal charm that has made him a social media hit, we are excited to create fresh snow-filled stories about our favorite penguin that are sure to warm hearts worldwide.”
“At Aardman, we love collaborating with IP that shares our commitment to humor, charm and great storytelling,” said Sarah Cox, Chief Creative Director of Aardman. “From our earliest conversations with Mattel, we felt an immediate and strong connection in our shared love of Pingu, the authentic appeal of the original IP, and comedy that transcends language barriers to speak to audiences everywhere. Aardman and Pingu is such a natural and enticing combination. The charm of the stop frame animation along with the quirky irreverence and character driven storytelling aligns perfectly with our creative approach. There are so many stories yet to tell, we can’t wait to get started.”
The television series will be co-developed by Sarah Cox and Alan Thorpe for Aardman, and Sidney Clifton, Rob David and Melanie Shannon for Mattel Television Studios.
First created in the 1980s, Pingu became a global sensation for his playful humor and his unique “Penguinese” language that is universally understood. In recent years, Pingu has emerged as a fan-favorite on social media, where his mischievous antics and catchphrase “Noot Noot!” have sparked viral content and global engagement. Mattel acquired Pingu through its purchase of HIT Entertainment in 2011.
Fans can keep up with Pingu on his official YouTube channel @Pingu.
