The campaign to crowdfund an innovative new Moomin animation has raised a total of US$253,320 towards the visual development of the forthcoming television series. Thanks to 3,701 superfans from all over the world, the campaign reached 127% funding – meaning it far exceeded its initial target of US$200,000.
The stellar team behind the new animation will now proceed with the development of a cutting-edge 2D/3D hybrid technique, where characters are rendered in 3D in an environment with some 2D illustrative or painterly elements.
The first sale of the new animation has already been made, to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, who have signed an agreement to broadcast the first two series of thirteen episodes each in spring 2019, and the production company Gutsy Animations is now in talks with major networks in the UK, US and Japan, where Moomintroll’s popularity continues to soar.
Marika Makaroff, CEO of Gutsy Animations, said: “We knew that a new television series would be hugely popular with Moomin fans, but we are completed bowled over by the excitement and enthusiasm that we’ve seen in response to the campaign. We will now be able to give fans what they deserve – which is the most faithful Moomin animation there has ever been. We won’t shy away from the complexity and depth found in Tove Jansson’s original stories and the result will be a beautiful and heartfelt series that appeals to the whole family. We will be sharing new visual concepts, behind-the-scenes stories, and clips as the production progresses and are so excited to take fans on this journey with us.”