Gaumont & Submarine Join Forces for Pol the Pirate Mouse

Gaumont and Amsterdam-based Submarine have teamed up to co-produce Pol the Pirate Mouse, an animated series based on the children’s book of the same name written by Tingue Dongelman and illustrated by Denise van Leeuwen.

Aimed at children aged 2 to 5, Pol the Pirate Mouse follows a mouse who doesn’t let her limitations—her small stature, sleepy eye and distance from the ocean—get in the way of her dreams of being the first pirate mouse of the forest. With her new woodland friends, Pol takes her majestic vessel on adventures down rivers and streams on the lookout for new discoveries.

Nicolas Atlan, president of animation and family at Gaumont, said: “We’re incredibly excited to work with Bruno and the talented team at Submarine to develop this heartwarming story for TV. When Courtney Arumugam, our VP of creative development in our U.K. office first brought the book to us, we instantly fell in love with it. Brilliantly written by Tingue Dongelman and illustrated by Denise van Leeuwen, Pol’s story, about moving to the forest and making friends, will appeal to children everywhere as they fall in love with these adventure-seeking characters.”

Bruno Felix, co-founder and managing director of Submarine, added: “We love to tell stories that inspire, surprise and delight. With Pol, we hope that our characters share the same wonder as their preschool audience, with them both discovering the world around them for the first time. The series will be funny, action-packed and at the same time sweet and considered. This is all brought to life by Denise Van Leeuwen’s rich and beautiful designs that children will want to explore and get lost in. The Submarine team of 2D and 3D artists have created an animation style that helps to tell cinematic stories while staying true to the hand-drawn style of Denise’s work. Doing this with the support of a strong and established partner like Gaumont, is a great help. With the experience in their team, we can create a series that is memorable, heart-warming and full of joy.”