Hoho Entertainment today announced that it has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA to bring the riverbank adventures of Mole, Toad, Ratty and Badger to life for a new generation of viewers in Toad & Friends (52 x 11’), a brand-new CG animated series based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic British novel The Wind in the Willows (1908).
“With over 85 million copies of the book sold in 29 languages, The Wind in the Willows is not just a British classic, it’s a global classic,” says Oliver Ellis, Joint Managing Director of Hoho Ent. and producer of Toas & Friends. “We can’t wait to introduce today’s children to these beloved characters, with 52 new and original stories.”
Toad & Friends is produced by London-based Hoho Entertainment, animated in Scotland by Wild Child Animation and directed by Tim Searle (Danger Mouse, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed!). The new series has been developed and supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and produced with the support of the Creative Media Program, MEDIA of the European Union, and is set to launch on Warner Bros. Discovery’s preschool brand Cartoonito across EMEA and on HBO Max in Europe in 2023.
“Toad & Friends is a beautiful series packed full of adventure and wrapped in the nostalgia of the original The Wind in the Willows stories that many parents will remember with such fondness. It’s a perfect fit for Cartoonito and HBO Max and we’re thrilled to add it to our growing slate of European productions,” comments Zia Sands, Lead – Acquisitions, Partnerships & Coproductions, Kids & Family EMEA, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Working with a diverse cast, group of writers and production team, Toad & Friends aims to honor the legacy of the original novel and its gentle values about community and citizenship while refreshing the characters and storylines to resonate with a modern audience. The original characters are joined by some ‘feisty’ new female protagonists, including fearless Hedge, scheming Tinker, diligent Heron, mischievous Adder and motherly Mrs. Otter.
The series celebrates the countryside and children’s simple joy of being outdoors as they follow their favorite characters on brand new humorous adventures in which they discover moral courage, respect and the value of friendship.
“It is a joy to bring the teeming hedgerows and bustling riverbanks of the beautiful British countryside to life using the very latest animated technology and techniques,” adds Wild Child Animation’s Ken Anderson. “We hope our reimagined version of Grahame’s world of natural adventure and discovery will encourage children to venture into the great outdoors a little more themselves.”
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