Sky makes Gutsy Moomins call

Moominvalley will feature an all-star voice cast including Kate Winslet

UK satcaster Sky has come on board the new adaptation of classic children’s property The Moomins.

Moominvalley (fka Moomin and Friends) is being produced by Finnish company Gutsy Animations with the support of Moomin Characters, the business created by Tove Jansson, author of the original books.

Sky follows Finnish pubcaster YLE in picking up the series, which will air on UK screens in late 2018.

Moominvalley will be directed by Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) and will air exclusively on Sky1 in the UK and Ireland. As well as its linear broadcast, the series will also be available on Sky SVoD service Now TV, the Sky Kids app and on-demand.

The show is being developed in association with YLE’s drama department and has the full support of Moomin Characters and Bulls Licensing, the property’s global licensing agent. Moominvalley will star Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Taron Egerton (Kingsman) and Kate Winslet (Titanic) and will be based on Jansson’s well-known novels and comic strips.

“With their beguiling adventures, magical setting and a cast of fantastical creatures, Tove Jansson’s beautiful books have been a well-deserved family favourite for decades and we can’t wait to bring the joyous Moomin world to Sky families in this fabulous new series,” said Lucy Murphy, head of kids content at Sky.

Marika Makaroff, CEO, creative director and executive producer of Gutsy Animations, said: “Moominvalley is very much a Finnish-British collaboration, with a top-quality UK team.”

Speaking to C21 earlier this month, Makaroff noted that leveraging the extensive Moomins fan base through a successful crowdfunding scheme helped convince major broadcasters to pick up the programme.

With Sky and YLE on board, Makaroff said she was confident other countries would acquire the show for a prominent slot, adding that she was in advanced talks with networks in Asia, the Nordics, Europe and the US.