By: Ryan Tuchow and Sadhana Bharanidharan 

Gilbert – 5 to 8
Producer: Gaumont (France)
Style: CG animation
Format: 52 x 11 minutes
Budget: US$8 million to US$10 million
Status: A bible and a script written by Kris Marvin Hughes (Stillwater, Alma’s Way) are available. There’s also an animatic, an animation test from M2, and early artwork from Giant Animation. Gaumont is looking for broadcasters, distributors and financing.
Delivery: Q3 2027

Like plenty of kids, Gilbert the goblin loves being in his comfort zone—so much so that he thinks doing any new thing is just the worst. In each episode of this comedy-driven toon, Gilbert’s friends encourage him to broaden his horizons and open up to new experiences. Planned storylines will see him meeting and making friends with his new neighbor, and abandoning his favorite seat in the bleachers to play in a pivotal game of “glitterball” that he helps his team win. The show is based on a five-book series written by Alex Willan and published by Simon & Schuster. Title number six, Mermaids are the Worst!, is due out in March 2025.

Best Boo – 4 to 6

Producer: The Jim Henson Company (US)
Style: CG animation
Format: 26 x 11-minute series, plus a 30-minute Halloween special
Budget: US$6.5 million to US$7.5 million
Status: A bible and script are ready, and France’s Superprod Animation is working on visual development, while Henson hunts for key commissioning and co-pro partners.
Delivery: 18 months after greenlight

Spooky cuteness abounds in this adaptation of Rebecca Green’s illustrated kids book How To Make Friends with a Ghost, published by Tundra Books. In the quaint village of Boosboro, where every kid is matched with a ghost who becomes their lifelong companion, young Bellis and her adorable specter learn and grow together while discovering what positive friendships look like. The series models play patterns around nurturing and taking care of a pet. Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford are executive producing, and longtime Henson collaborator Ashley Gris is attached as an EP and writer.

My Friend Maisy – 2 to 5

Co-producers: Trustbridge Entertainment (US), BBC Studios
Kids & Family (UK)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 52 x fi ve minutes
Budget: US$8 million to US$9.3 million
Status: In pre-production, with talks underway with multiple potential broadcasters. BBC Studios Kids & Family is handling distribution.
Delivery: 2026/2027

Lucy Cousins’ classic books about a friendly mouse named Maisy have sold more than 46 million copies since 1990. This is the IP’s second screen adaptation, and it takes a decidedly more fantasy-forward approach under the experienced hand of head writer Matilda Tristram (Peppa Pig). Each snackable episode will blend the real and the surreal—much like a kid’s imagination—whether it’s Maisy creating a rainbow painting that comes to life, or meeting a zebra who takes her to a stripey world. The animation also echoes the trademark art style of the books, featuring bold brush strokes and slightly uneven lines. And in another nod to the publishing franchise it’s based on, the show will feature “lift-the-flap” moments, such as the mouse lifting a leaf to be greeted by a worm.

Kiki Can Fly – Preschool

Producer: HooRoo Studio (Australia)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 20 x seven minutes
Budget: US$660,000
Status: Season one is complete and ready for distribution, with episodes available in English and French. Season two is in development, and HooRoo is seeking co- producers.
Delivery: Q3 2026

In each episode of this preschool series, Kiki—a bird who dreams of flying but can’t shows how perseverance, creative thinking and confidence are the keys to solving any problem. In one sample episode, a family trip to the ocean is threat- ened when the beach gets overcrowded. But Kiki, determined not to let the setback ruin her day, discovers a secret sandy cove where her family can make its own fun. Aussie Illustrator
Murray Van created this series concept, and former ABC Australia head of kids content Michael Carrington is consulting with HooRoo on production and distribution through his new Carrington Media shingle.

Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark – Tweens/Teens

Co-producers: Mercury Filmworks (Canada), La Chouette (France)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 12 x 13 minutes
Budget: Approximately US$3 million
Status: Two episodes are up on a same-name YouTube channel, with a pitch deck available, and an animatic for episode three in the works for MIPCOM.
Delivery: 15 months after greenlight

In this anthology series that blends coming-of-age stories with creepy suspense, kids come face to face with scary monsters. Created by Hilda director/producer Andy Coyle, Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark is based on a same-name YouTube channel that has racked up more than 200,000 subscribers and eight million views. One episode called “The Worm” has been watched more than 2.3 million times on the platform since rolling out in October 2023. Its teen protagonist tells a frightening story about being haunted by a mysterious invertebrate creature. Described by Mercury as a “suspenseful collection of modern folktales,” the show’s episodes can either be watched independently or as a series—but maybe with the lights on.

Entre 2 Mundos – Teens

Producers: Ad Astra Media (US), Nuestro Stories (US)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 13 x 22 minutes
Budget: US$1.5 million to US$3 million
Status: A bible, a theme song and a handful of animation tests are ready, and the series’ pilot script is written. Latino Alternative TV is lined up as a lead broadcaster.
Delivery: Q4 2025

Created by Marc Sanchez, this intricately diverse anime project revolves around three friends who must find their way back home after a magical artifact transports them into a world that’s a mix of modern-day and ancient Mesoamerica. With a strategy to showcase Latino heritage, Entre 2 Mundos will draw from Mayan, Aztec, Incan and Taíno folklore, as well as South American, Afro-Caribbean and Central American culture. The show’s title, which roughly translates to “between two worlds” in Spanish, describes the state of its protagonists, as well as the theme of code-switching—evident in dialogue that swings between English, Spanish, Nahuatl and other languages of the Latine diaspora. Emmy-winning animator and writer Jorge R. Gutierrez (Maya and the Three) is attached as an executive producer.

Yesterday’s Girl – 8 to 12

Co-producers: Tailored Films (Ireland), beActive Media (Portugal)
Style: Live action
Format: Eight x 25 minutes
Budget: US$2.2 million
Status: In development with Irish broadcaster TG4/Cúla4, this project is supported by Creative Europe. Its team is looking to meet with international broadcasters at MIPCOM, as well as investors/distributors.
Delivery: Spring 2026

Fresh off of delivering tween/teen drama Louise Lives Large to RTÉ ear-
lier this year, Tailored Films is targeting the same demo with Yesterday’s Girl (Irish title: Ar Ais Arís). In this live-action concept, history-obsessed Aodhan and his friends accidentally bring a young girl named Fiadh from the 11th century into present-day Ireland. They give her a 2020s make-over and help her navigate the strange new world she finds herself in, while working to recover a magic gemstone that will send Fiadh back to her own time. The series is banking hard on its time-travel hook, scenic Irish locations and a central love story that plays out between Fiadh and Aodhan. Tailored and beActive are also open to filming an English version in order to help the project appeal internationally.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen‘s Q4 2024 magazine issue.