Jellyfish Originals teams with Dermot O’Leary, Hachette for Toto the Ninja Cat

Dermot O’Leary with Toto the Ninja Cat

The originals arm of UK animation and VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures has secured the rights to the children’s book series by author and TV presenter Dermot O’Leary about a crime-busting partially sighted cat.

Jellyfish Originals will adapt Toto the Ninja Cat into an animated comedy adventure series following a deal negotiated by Karen Lawler, head of media rights and audio at Hachette Children’s Group (HCG), and Natalie Llewellyn, MD of animation and originals at Jellyfish Pictures.

Inspired by O’Leary’s own cats and illustrated by Nick East, the books tell the story of a partially sighted cat with razor-sharp senses, a nose for danger and a crime-busting spirit of adventure.

HCG has published five books in the Toto the Ninja Cat series to date, selling over half a million copies worldwide and translating the titles into 17 different languages.

Writing duo Huckerby & Ostler (Peter Rabbit, Moomin Valley, Danger Mouse) will head up the TV adaptation, which incorporates themes of friendship, inclusivity and winning in the face of adversity.

O’Leary will also act as executive producer, alongside Dee Koppang O’Leary, whose credits include Bridgerton, The Crown, The Split and Rivals.

The adaptation joins Jellyfish Originals’ inaugural series Stan & Gran, coproduced with Jollywise Media, after the latter was recently greenlit by Paramount-owned Milkshake! in the UK to go into production in early 2024.

Dermot O’Leary said: “Toto the Ninja Cat is about to go on her next big adventure, being brought to life in her own animated children’s series. I had so much fun writing the books and so I can’t wait to see the world I created on the page unfold on the screen.”