With the Annecy International Animated Film Festival underway, Groupe M6 has just announced the arrival of Kid Lucky — a new children’s animated series inspired by the beloved Lucky Luke cowboy comics — produced by Dargaud Media for M6 Kids’ autumn schedule. Groupe M6 is also working with Dupuis Edition & Audiovisual on an animated sitcom adapted from the Living with Dad comic books.
Kid Lucky is directed by Olivier Brugnoli, and based on Lucky Luke by Morris and Goscinny, and Les Aventures de Kid Lucky by Achdé. The 52 x 11’ digital 2D series for children 6 and up tells the story of the childhood of “the greatest cowboy in the West!”
“It was a pleasure to get down to kids’ level with our partner M6 and explore Lucky Luke’s Wild West, while still developing a unique identity for the series,” said Caroline Duvochel, head of Média-Participation Audiovisual Production. “The pioneer outpost of Nothing Gulch gives Kid and his gang a unique backdrop for an adventurous childhood filled with freedom, discovery, fantasy and friendship. These are all ingredients which will attract today’s children, whether they already know the universe or not. But beware, there’s no room for lily-livered greenhorns!”
“It’s a great pleasure for us to work with Dargaud Media to broadcast the adventures of a young Lucky Luke in our children’s slot M6 Kids,” added Lila Hannou, Director of animation coproductions and pre-buys at Groupe M6. “A hero who has thrilled generations of readers in a new, positive, modern series with all the ingredients needed to take the whole family off into the Wild West… Wagons roll!”
Series director Brugnoli reflected, “The best way not to feel overwhelmed by the weight of the gigantic comic-book monument of Lucky Luke … is simply not to think about it! Even if we had a bit of fun slipping in a few nods – mainly for parents – in the direction of the universe of Lucky Luke, and westerns in general, our main aim has always been to speak to children of today. ‘The Kid’ is still far from being the ‘poor lonesome cowboy’ he’ll later become, meaning that there is a lot of freedom to invent a bucolic childhood world full of fun and frolics, with all his friends and his young foal, Jolly Jumper. Viewers will be shown a fresh and unique vision of our little hero.”
Kid Lucky is co-produced with Belvision (Belgium). Series writers are Romain Gadiou and Chloé Sastre. Mediatoon Distribution is handling international distribution.
Living with Dad, in development for Groupe M6 by Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel, is a fast-paced, touching sitcom about contemporary blended family life, adapted from the comic books by NOB. The 52 x 11′ digital 2D series, aimed at kids 6+ and their families, is being produced by Arthur Colignon and Caroline Duvochel.
The Living with Dad series of six comics albums (the latest, Père à tout faire, came out in October 2019) and a special one-off have been published by Dupuis since 2014, and have sold more than 500,000 copies and been translated into six languages: Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, Croatian and Serbian.
While the comics show life from Dad’s point of view, the animated series will explore the perspectives of his four daughters. The sisters — ages two, eight, 12 and 18, and each as different as their respective mothers — share their lives with their actor dad, who is dedicated to caring for his darling daughters.
Mediatoon is handling international distribution for Living with Dad as well.
