The Swiss-German animated series was created in the 1980s and first aired in 1990, with generations of children worldwide falling in love with the mischievous penguin, his unique Penguinese language, and his life in the South Pole.
Pingu originally ran until 2000, and was briefly revived on British TV between 2003 and 2006.
The creative team includes Aardman veterans Sarah Cox and Alan Thorpe, alongside Mattel Television Studios' Sidney Clifton, Rob David, and Melanie Shannon.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mattel's chief franchise officer Josh Silverman said that there was not a more perfect marriage than between Mattel and Aardman.
“We are overjoyed about the project. It’s going to be really, really special. Pingu just continues to, organically, have a tremendous amount of affection and attention. And a tremendous amount of relevance,” he said.
"When we set out to bring Pingu back, partnering with the top-tier creative team at Aardman was a must. With Aardman’s stop-motion magic and Pingu’s universal charm that has made him a social media hit, we are excited to create fresh snow-filled stories about our favourite penguin that are sure to warm hearts worldwide.”
After the record success of Barbie, Mattel has been keen to build a catalogue of “new-stalgia” films and series that resonate with both adults and children.
"It allows adults to hearken back to their childhood while enjoying it together with their children," Silverman explained.
Aardman is best known for its stop-motion animated projects, including Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit.
Sarah Cox, Aardman's chief creative director, said being involved in Pingu’s revival is "such a natural and enticing combination" for the studio.
"At Aardman, we love collaborating with IP that shares our commitment to humour, charm and great storytelling,” she said.
On Tuesday, Aardman revealed that Pingu would continue to find himself in “tricky and comical situations”, while meeting “the challenges of life head on along with his mom, dad, little sister Pinga, and all his friends”.
A Pingu series produced by Aardman is something I never knew I needed till now https://t.co/r9NSIJb7ve pic.twitter.com/IaiWbk1x2Y
— Tinted Who (@frombwtocolor) October 21, 2024
