Disney Australia has joined commissioning broadcasters Disney EMEA and Channel 9 Australia in support of Space Chickens in Space, a new global co-pro from UK-based CAKE, Mexico’s Anima Estudios (Legend Quest), Aussie prodco Studio Moshi (Rocket Dog) and Dublin-based Gingerbread Animation.

Studio Moshi, which handles the 2D-animated show’s distribution in Australia, secured the Disney deal following the Channel 9 commission.

Currently in production and set to debut later this year, the 52 x 11-minute show and 11 x two-minute shorts follow three chicken siblings who are mistakenly taken from their homes and enrolled in an elite intergalactic former military academy. Originally commissioned last June for kids ages six to 11, Space Chickens in Space is created by José Carlos García de Letona and Rita Street (Hero: 108, Los Wiggles), and designed and directed by Norwegian twins Tommy and Markus Vad Flaaten (Twin Tackle).

Jordan Gaucher is showrunning, while Alan Keane (The Amazing World of Gumball) and Shane Perez (Oddbots) round out the core creative team as story editors. CAKE is the series’ international distributor excluding Latin America, which is handled by Anima Estudios. CAKE and Studio Moshi launched Gingerbread last March.

The Disney Oz pick-up follows the launch of Street’s new LatAm-focused kids co-production company, Panita Productions.