Bluey Producer Preps New Animated Sitcom

Ludo Studio, the Australian studio that makes the megahit Bluey, is working with Mad Ones Films on the development of Samuel Leighton-Dore’s animated sitcom Willy.

Co-created Leighton-Dore and his husband, Bradley Tennant, the proof-of-concept for the series features the voice talent of Judith Lucy, Reuben Kay, Danielle Walker and Anne Edmonds. The coming-of-age comedy is set in the pre-smartphone, early internet era in Far North Queensland, Australia, following the escapades of Wilbur “Willy” Davis navigating small-town life on his family’s banana farm as he contends with sexuality, religion and masculinity. The property is being pitched at Annecy next week.

Leighton-Dore and Tennant said, “Working on the Willy proof of concept with Ludo Studio and Mad Ones Films has been a bit like reliving puberty — fun, challenging, exciting, vulnerable, and ultimately a bit horny. We wrote these characters with Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds, Danielle Walker and Reuben Kaye in mind, so to have their voices bring our story to life has been such a career highlight. We’re excited to share the work we’ve done with commissioners in Annecy, and are confident they’ll see something special in our Willy.”

Chloe Hume. head of development at Ludo Studio, added: “Ludo Studio have loved developing Willy with Sad Man Studio and Mad Ones Films and are excited to share with everyone a bit of what we have been working on together. Samuel and Bradley are brilliant creative talents with a strong vision for the series, so we are looking forward to finding other partners to join us.”

Liam Heyen, producer at Mad Ones, added: “We’ve been huge fans of Sam’s work since his award-winning short film Showboy. With Willy, he and Brad have created a vibrant cast of characters that we believe will become part of the great animated canon. We’re thrilled by the prospect of bringing them to (2D) life with the talented team gathering around the series.”