Ludo Studio, the company behind preschool megahit Bluey, has received story development funding from Screen Australia for a new coming-of-age animated series called Willy (pictured, 10 x 24 minutes). 

It centers around a gay 15-year-old who’s in the closet and struggling to navigate puberty—which is made more difficult by the arrival of an attractive new neighbor. Daley Pearson (The Strange Chores) and Charlie Aspinwall (Bluey) are driving the project as executive producers, and Ludo is planning to co-produce it with domestic partners Mad Ones Films (Latecomers) and Sad Man Studio. 

Ludo is tapping into US$527,000 in funding that Screen Australia has allocated to 23 films and six TV series. 

The government org is also investing in Brisbane-based Moving Floor Entertainment’s first family feature film The Last Tiger, about a 12-year-old girl who rescues a young Tasmanian tiger and must find a way to return the cub to its family in the wild. Moving Floor’s previous work includes TV dramas Harrow for ABC/Disney and Tidelands for Netflix. This live-action shoot will take place in Tasmania. 

Both Willy and The Last Tiger are both being supported by Screen Australia’s Premium Fund, which is for bigger-budget projects from producers with successful track records. A complete list of funding recipients is available online.