Chris O’Dowd and Amy Huberman to lead the voice cast of Puffin Rock and the New Friends
Date Posted: February 14, 2023
Chris O’Dowd (My Father’s Dragon) and Amy Huberman (A Cat Called Jam) will lead the voice cast of Puffin Rock and the New Friends, a new animated feature from WestEnd Films in collaboration with Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Derry-Londonderry based Dog Ears.
The Puffin Rock Movie will be the first animated feature produced in Northern Ireland and is co-funded by Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Ireland, RTÉ and BBC Alba. Wildcard Distribution will be releasing it in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Puffin Rock and the New Friends sees our family favourites, Oona, Baba, May and Mossy joined by a new cast of characters, as Isabelle, Phoenix and Marvin arrive on the island. It’s an action-packed story which celebrates our magnificent natural environment, and features themes of belonging, courage and friendship. When the last Little Egg of the season disappears under mysterious circumstances, Oona and her new friends race against time to bring the Little Egg home before a big storm hits Puffin Rock and puts the entire island in danger.
The film is directed by Jeremy Purcell who previously directed the animated TV series Joe and Jack and worked on the TV series Puffin Rock, as well as on Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells.
Elizabeth McCafferty (Wolfwalkers, Millie and Lou) and Eva Whittaker also join the voice cast.
Director Jeremy Purcell said: “Puffin Rock is a wonderful place to live, but what if it just doesn’t feel like your home. Sadly in the world we live in, more and more children are being forced to leave all they have known, and move somewhere new. Puffin Rock and the New Friends is a story of one little puffin’s journey to making friends, finding happiness and, most importantly, making a new place a home.”
Sara Daddy wrote the screenplay, based on the award-winning pre-school TV series Puffin Rock (2 seasons, 79 x 7 min episodes) which she also penned. The series has enjoyed worldwide success: it was nominated for an International Emmy, won two Kidscreen Awards and a Royal Television Award, and has been a huge hit with pre-school audiences. It has been acquired by various international broadcasters including a global deal with Netflix, and a Chinese acquisition by China Nebula Group (CNB). It broadcasts on Tencent in China, where it has been streamed over 170 million times.
The film is produced by Paul Young, Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey from Cartoon Saloon, John McDaid from Dog Ears and Axinear from China Nebula Group. The film’s creators are Tomm Moore, Paul Young and Lily Bernard. Other crew members include editor Sophie Borlée, assistant director Lorraine Lordan and art directors Fran Bravo and Stefano Scapolan. The score is composed by Eberg.
Irish outfit Cartoon Saloon has established itself as one of the world’s most consistently excellent animation studios, having received Oscar nominations across projects including Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers.
Paul Young, CEO of Cartoon Saloon, said: “I’m very happy to announce our Puffin Rock feature with our brilliant partners Dog Ears, China Nebula Pictures and WestEnd Films. There are a lot of kids hungry for some more adventures with Oona, Baba and Friends and we don’t want to let them down! Our movie has lots of laughs and thrills for younger viewers and for many we expect Puffin Rock and the New Friends will be their first cinema experience!”.
Puffin Rock and the New Friends is currently in post-production and WestEnd is revealing a first exclusive look at the film.
WestEnd will be launching sales at the EFM where it will be showing buyers first footage of the film.
“We’re very proud and excited to continue our long-lasting collaboration with Cartoon Saloon, following The Breadwinner and Song of the Sea” said Maya Amsellem, WestEnd Films’ Managing Director. “Puffin Rock has already established itself as one of the best pre-school shows and we have no doubt the movie will resonate with families all over the world”.
