The UK’s Wild Child Animation and Hoho Entertainment are developing Toad & Friends, an animated feature adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s classic British novel The Wind In The Willows, supported by Screen Scotland.
The CG-animated film will be written by Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Barnett-Jones, the writing duo who go under the name The Black Sheep.
The production will feature the characters from the original novel of Toad, Mole, Badger and Ratty, plus new female characters Hedge, Tinker, Heron and Adder.
The producers are meeting with potential directors, and will raise finance from May until September with a view to production starting from October 2025 for a 2027 delivery.
Animation writer-director-producer Robert Chandler is on board the feature as consultant.
Hoho, Wild Child and The Black Sheep previously collaborated on an animated series of the same name, inspired by the Toad character from The Wind In The Willows.
Toad & Friends debuted on Warner Bros. Discovery’s Boomerang channel in the UK in summer 2024, and launches on Boomerang and Max in the US early this year
“The Wind In The Willows may have its roots in the 20th century but as audiences for Toad & Friends have proved, its values of community, citizenship and kindness are as relevant today as they’ve ever been,” said Oliver Ellis, joint MD at Hoho Entertainment.
“Feature film production is a natural next step as the studio expands its creative scope,” added Sueann Rochester, CEO of Wild Child Animation.
Korean rights company Asiana Licensing has acquired TV and licensing distribution rights in Korea on the series.
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