Charlie Chaplin Classic The Kid to Be Reimagined

Superprod, Big Beach and Bidibul Productions have joined forces to make an original animated sci-fi feature inspired by the characters and themes of Charlie Chaplin’s classic film The Kid.

The film, which is currently untitled, will be co-directed by Christian Volckman, who came up with the idea for the project, and Rupert Wyatt. Boris Starling and Wyatt will pen the script. Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf are producing under their Big Beach banner, alongside Superprod’s Oscar-nominated team Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner (Song of the Sea) and Bidibul’s Lilian Eche and Christel Henon.

FilmNation Entertainment will handle international distribution on the film in its first foray into the animated world. UTA Independent Film Group is handling North American sales and packaged the film. This will mark Big Beach’s third collaboration with Superprod on an animated film. The two companies are currently in production on an animated version of Jack London’s best-selling novel White Fang and are also developing a sequel.

“We are thrilled to be a part of bringing this futuristic vision of the classic original film to life with such a visionary team,” said Turtletaub and Saraf. “Animation gives us the unique opportunity to craft an original and moving story that explores technology and humanity, all told from the point of view of a boy and his robot.”

“Working on Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece is a dream becoming reality and we are proud to give life to our project with such visionary talents,” added Calvet and Fajner. “We love working with Marc and Peter at Big Beach and are very excited to team up with Glen [Basner] and his team at FilmNation, as well as continue our relationship with UTA.”

The team at Bidibul Productions remarked, “We are honored to have the support of the family and the rights holders to develop, produce and remake Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 masterpiece The Kid. We’re thrilled to re-team with filmmaker Christian Volckman as well as Superprod and Big Beach, our co-producing partners on White Fang. We have no doubt FilmNation’s involvement will give this project the international visibility it so deserves.”

“We’ve been waiting for a really exceptional project for FilmNation’s first animated feature,” said Glen Basner, the CEO of FilmNation Entertainment. “With a filmmaking team that is second to none, we are excited to help bring The Kid to a global audience.”