Aardman‘s woolly stop-motion star Shaun the Sheep is getting his third movie.
“Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” is now in the works at the animation powerhouse, having taken over the studio space recently vacated by last year’s “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” StudioCanal has again come on board as partners and will be launching worldwide sales in Cannes, while Sky is confirmed as. U.K. distributor.
Following on from “Shaun the Sheep Movie” and “Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” the new adventure sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch. When Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control, leading to a wild beast roaming the woods.
“Shaun the Sheep is an iconic character, beloved by viewers of all ages around the world,” said Sarah Cox, chief creative director at Aardman. “In our new animated movie, we bring family-friendly thrills to this light-hearted, spooky Halloween adventure. Expect smashed pumpkins, wayward science, and a wild hairy beast on the loose in Mossy Bottom – all delivered with the Flock’s trademark joyous comedy.”
“Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” is written by Mark Burton (“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” “Paddington in Peru,” “Shaun the Sheep Movie”) and Giles Pilbrow (“Horrible Histories,” “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas”) and will be directed by Steve Cox (“Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas”) and Matthew Walker (“Lloyd of the Flies”), with Richard Beek (“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”) as producer, and Nick Park, Peter Lord, Carla Shelley and Cox as Studio Executive Producers.
Shaun the Sheep is one of Aardman’s best-performing properties, broadcast in 170 territories worldwide, and has its seventh series airing later this year. The first Shaun the Sheep feature film landed both BAFTA and Oscar nominations and was one of the highest-grossing animated films of 2015. The second was also BAFTA and Oscar nominated, while in 2021 Aardman released a half-hour special, the International Emmy-winning “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas.”
“We are so delighted to be in development and pre-production on ‘Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom’ and launching worldwide sales at Cannes,” said StudioCanal’s Anna Marsh and Ron Halperin. “We have taken such pride in establishing Shaun the Sheep and the flock as a cinematic must for audiences across the globe and in this – our third feature film in the franchise – we have a tantalising seasonal hook in Halloween with thrills, spills, surprises, a touch of science and characters old and new. We cannot wait to reveal more of this highly anticipated family treat in the coming months. It’s a genuine pleasure to be back in partnership with Aardman for Shaun’s very welcome return to the big screen.”
