Studio 100 Producing New Heidi Movie

Studio 100 Media is set to produce a brand-new animated movie based on the Heidi IP.

The film is currently in preproduction as a co-production between Studio 100 Media and Fabrique Fantastique. It is planned for completion in 2024.

Rob Sprackling, best known for Gnomeo & Juliet, is attached as scriptwriter. Studio 100 Film will be responsible for international sales, with LEONINE Studios as distribution partner for German-speaking territories. Presales have been secured with Adler in Italy, Kaleidoscope in the U.K., NOS Lusomundo in Portugal, FilmHouse in Israel and Blitz for ex-Yugoslavian territories.

Studio 100 is the rights holder of the classic 1974 series and producer of the CGI series from 2015, which was followed by a second season in 2019.

Thorsten Wegener, executive producer, said: “To stay true to the spirit of the original work and its characters that generations of children and adults have loved and embraced, coming up with a new storyline was indeed challenging. However, we have remained loyal to Heidi’s personality as a brave, cheerful, and extremely sensitive girl. In this new film, Heidi combines all the qualities of a positive heroine while touching on environmental topics for a global and modern audience.”

Sprackling commented: “Heidi is one of the world’s most well-known and beloved children’s literary characters—and has been for over 100 years! So, it’s a great honor to revive her and the wonderful world of Dorfli in this sequel to the original story.”

Farbrique Fantastique’s Tom Van Gestel, director and producer of the film, added: “There are several reasons why we want to produce this film. First, it’s refreshing to see something with a leisurely and calm tempo that Heidi’s film has to offer. The execution of this film has really taken time, which is in stark contrast to the more recent animation films or series now available. We see this as a fun challenge and want to preserve this calm aspect throughout. In addition, the film takes a special stand on ecology, nature and deforestation, which is now more topical than ever.”