Moomins on the Riviera head down under

Madman plans a September 2015 release. “I’m more than happy to be part of the extended Moomin family,” said Paul Wiegard, the managing director of Madman Entertainment.

The hand-drawn animated feature has now been sold to almost 40 territories, including Vertigo in the UK, Gebeka Films in France, Phantom in Japan, Praesens in Switzerland and Victory in Benelux.

The Finnish-French co-production, which is a huge hit in Finland already, is directed by Xavier Picard and produced by Hanna Hemila.

The story, based on the original comic strips by Tove Jansson, takes the Moomin family from their comfortable Moominvalley to the glamorous Riviera, where they meet a host of interesting characters.