ITV Studios and New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures, in collaboration with Weta Workshop (Avatar, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings), are set to co-produce Thunderbirds are Go! (26 x 30’), a new children’s series debuting on ITV and UK’s CITV Channel in 2015.
Featuring one of the world’s most famous family of heroes, Thunderbirds are Go! will blast the five brave Tracy brothers back on to television screens piloting their incredible vehicles into impossible rescues across the globe.
This re-invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s iconic series will be produced using a unique mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets. Showcasing Pukeko Pictures’ and Weta Workshop’s creative and technical expertise, they hope to deliver a new level of action-adventure animation for today’s audience, while paying tribute to the legacy of model locations from the classic series. Thunderbirds are Go! will be executive produced by Estelle Hughes for ITV Studios, Giles Ridge for ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE), and Richard Taylor and Andrew Smith for Pukeko Pictures with Rob Hoegee (Generator Rex, Teen Titans, Ben 10, Slugterra) as the series head writer.
“Thunderbirds was a hugely influential television series in my childhood. Having watched it originally in black and white, it was only years later that I discovered the full and rich world that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Derek Meddings, Mike Trimm and their team created. It is thrilling therefore to think we have the opportunity to work with ITV on this new series inspired by this most wonderful of British shows. I personally, together with the teams here at Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop, look forward to designing and creating an inspirational world that will engage the imagination of a whole new generation as it did for us nearly half a century ago,” said Richard Taylor, co-owner of Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment retains worldwide rights to the Thunderbirds brand and is the global distributor for the Thunderbirds Are Go! television series and consumer products.
