New ‘Pingu’ Series In Development

A new ‘Pingu’ series is finally in the works. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barbie giant Mattel is teaming up with award-winning animation studio Aardman (known for Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, and Wallace & Gromit) to co-develop a new stop-motion animated ‘Pingu’ television series.

The series will feature Mattel’s beloved cheeky penguin, who has delighted audiences for decades with his mischief and his catchphrase, “Noot Noot!” Designed by Otmar Gutmann in the 1980s, the show first premiered on the U.K.’s BBC One in 1990.

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Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer of Mattel, shared his enthusiasm with The Hollywood Reporter at MIPCOM Cannes, saying, “You couldn’t ask for a more perfect marriage [than between Mattel and Aardman]. I was just with their team. We are overjoyed about the project. It’s going to be really, really special. Pingu just continues to, organically, have a tremendous amount of affection and attention. And a tremendous amount of relevance.”

The ‘Pingu’ series will be co-developed by Sarah Cox and Alan Thorpe for Aardman, along with Sidney Clifton, Rob David, and Melanie Shannon for Mattel Television Studios. Mattel acquired ‘Pingu’ through its purchase of HIT Entertainment in 2011.

Silverman discussed Mattel’s mission to capitalize on what he termed “new-stalgia”—shows that resonate with both adults and children due to Mattel’s enduring legacy. For instance, the familiar purple dinosaur Barney recently had a new premiere with the rebooted ‘Barney’s World’ on October 14. “It’s an IP that is nostalgic for adults, but new for preschoolers,” he explained.

He continued, “And so Barney really fits very quite well there. It’s really entertaining and fun for kids, but allows adults to hearken back to their childhood, their emotional connection to a piece of IP, to this story, this narrative. Instead of watching with children, you are watching with your children and enjoying it together. And I think that it’s something really unique, and something we’re going to continue to so lean into as we mine our portfolio.”

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