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Acclaimed actor Andy Serkis has been cast in “A Lamb’s Stew,” a new animated TV special created and directed by Joeri Christiaen.
Best known for his legendary motion-capture performances as Gollum (“The Lord of the Rings”) and Caesar (“Planet of the Apes”), Serkis joins a cast that includes British actor T’Nia Miller (“Sex Education”) and 11-year-old newcomer Iris Onyejiuwa.
Produced by French studio La Cabane Productions in partnership with Belgian co-producer Thuristar, the half-hour special is described as a modern fable for family audiences. Serkis will lend his voice to the Wolf, a central character in this heartwarming tale about courage, empathy and looking beyond appearances.
“Andy Serkis’ work, particularly on Caesar in ‘Planet of the Apes,’ was a source of inspiration for writing the character of the Wolf – although I didn’t dare imagine that he would one day play the role,” said writer-director Christiaen. “As for T’Nia Miller, the quality of her performance in the teaser led me to make Miss Shearlington a central character in the story. I’m equally honored to be working with the very promising Iris Onyejiuwa, who is playing her very first role in the film.”
A Lamb’s Stew tells the story of Billie, a lamb determined to prove that sheep are just as brave as other animals. She devises a plan to lure a wolf into a trap, only to realize that he may not be the monster she was led to believe. The story challenges assumptions and celebrates individuality, with a tagline that sums up its core message: “Don’t judge a sheep by its wool, nor a wolf by its fur!”
The film features high-quality CG animation made using open-source Blender software – the same software used on this year’s animated feature Oscar-winner “Flow” – blending tactile textures and stop-motion aesthetics to bring its whimsical world to life. It includes both 3D and 2D sequences.
Produced by Perrine Gauthier, A Lamb’s Stew is La Cabane and Thuristar’s first original mid-length film, following their internationally recognized work on “Mush-Mush & the Mushables” and the award-winning short “Luce and the Rock.” The project has been co-funded by the European Union and supported by the CNC, Procirep and Angoa.
Behind the scenes, Christiaen collaborated with Claire Paoletti (“Shoom’s Odyssey”) during the film’s early development and with script editor Julia Smuts Louw (“Star Wars: Visions – Aau’s Song”) on the final screenplay.
“A Lamb’s Stew” was previewed at the Cartoon Forum in Toulouse, where a teaser featuring Miller and Onyejiuwa was first unveiled. With the addition of Serkis to the voice cast, the special is poised to become a standout title in the upcoming family animation slate.
