The world of Kiri and Lou is about to get bigger as a new feature film based on the preschool toon has just started production at Stretchy in New Zealand.

Positioned as a prequel, Kiri and Lou Rarararara! (60 minutes) will explore how the original series’ prehistoric protagonists first met and became friends. New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, Screen Canterbury and Hinterland have all committed financing to the project.

Rarararara! will be distributed both theatrically and on broadcast platforms in 2026. Vendetta Films is managing distribution in New Zealand and Australia, with UK-based CAKE taking the lead in all other territories. Plans are also underway to support the film’s release with a multi-category consumer products program that will include everything from books to toys to music.

Series director and writer Harry Sinclair (90210) will have the same credits on the film, which Fiona Copland is producing on behalf of Stretchy. Plus, Antony Elworthy (Coraline) is heading up a team of stop-motion animators on the project. 

Kiri and Lou (104 x five minutes) debuted four years ago on TVNZ in New Zealand and CBC Kids in Canada. Now into its fourth season, the toon also airs on CBeebies (UK), Nickelodeon (US), ABC Kids (Australia), RTP Portugal, EVision and BeIN (Middle East) and Showmax (Africa).