BBC picks up ZDF’s Minecraft-inspired Little Red Riding Hood animated film

CARTOON NEXT: UK pubcaster the BBC has picked up German pubcaster ZDF’s Minecraft-inspired Little Red Riding Hood film Herr Bergmanns Rotkäppchen (Mr Bergmann’s Little Red Riding Hood).

Michael Stumpf

ZDF partnered with YouTuber Herr Bergmann on the 27-minute German-language film, which was created by Bergmann, who makes short films for social gaming platform Minecraft.

Produced in an animation style similar to that of Minecraft, the film reimagines the classic fairytale for a modern audience but is aimed at older children and teenagers. It aired on digital channel ZDFneo last year and is available on ZDF’s streaming service, but is not available on YouTube, with ZDF maintaining the rights.

Michael Stumpf, head of ZDF’s children and youth department, presented a case study on the film at Marseille-based animation event Cartoon Next on Thursday, where he revealed that the BBC has picked it up and will dub it into English.

According to Stumpf, ZDF decided to embark on the project in response to declining linear viewership and the increasing amount of time spent by children on social gaming platforms like Minecraft, although he acknowledged that linear viewing in Germany is still strong when compared to other European markets.

“Minecraft is the leading game [among 12-to 15-year-olds in Germany], so it is natural that we as a public broadcaster want to target kids that are gamers, that play Minecraft,” Stumpf said.