Adventures of Paddington producers prep Pippi Longstocking animated series

The various version of Pippi Longstocking include a 1969 TV series

StudioCanal is developing a CGI animated series based on the Pippi Longstocking IP in partnership with The Astrid Lindgren Company and the producers of The Adventures of Paddington.

Written for television by head writer and screenwriter Sara Daddy (The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland), the 52×11′ series is set to go into production in October.

As well as StudioCanal and The Astrid Lindgren Company, other companies on board the project are Heyday Films (The Adventures of Paddington) and Dutch producer Submarine.

First published in Sweden as Pippi Långstrump in 1945 and written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, the books follow a red-haired, freckled, unconventional and superhumanly strong girl who is playful and unpredictable.

Described as a “fresh, modern reboot,” the producers said the new series will follow Lindgren’s “fearless, funny and free-spirited hero in all her red-headed glory.”

The books have sold over 90 million copies translated into 80 languages worldwide and continue to sell 1.5 million annually. The first TV adaptation launched on SVT in Sweden in 1969, while numerous films have been made based from the IP. A Canadian-German-Swedish coproduced animated series ran for two seasons in the late 1990s.

The new series will be produced by David Heyman, Rosie Alison and Rob Silva of Heyday Films alongside Simon Quinn and Karen Davidsen, who also worked on three seasons of The Adventures of Paddington. Ron Halpern is overseeing for StudioCanal.

StudioCanal Kids & Family will handle merchandising and licensing in France and the UK. StudioCanal, Heyday Films and the Astrid Lindgren Company are also in development on a Pippi Longstocking movie. Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford and Alison will produce the feature film for Heyday.

Daddy said: “To be entrusted by the Lindgren family and the brilliant Heyday and StudioCanal teams with the keys to Villa Villekulla [Pippi’s home] is such a privilege.

“As the daughter of a seaman who overturned convention and took me out of school to sail around the world, I have always felt a connection with Pippi. I am having so much fun honouring her fiercely independent spirit, free-thinking ways and of course, superhuman strength. With the brilliant wit and warmth of Astrid Lindgren’s voice as our guide, our aim is to ensure Pippi remains a joyful, empowering icon for today’s children. It is a dream project.”