Children’s TV show Bluey will be turned into a film to be shown in cinemas around the world.
The Australian-made animated series features a family of dogs, including blue heeler puppy Bluey, his sister Bingo and parents Bandit and Chilli.
The animated feature film will be released in 2017 by BBC Studios and Thea Disney Company said the cod.
“I’ve always thought Bluey deserved a theatrical movie,” Bluey creator Joe Brumm said in a statement. “I want this to be an experience for the whole family to enjoy together.”
Brumm will write and direct the film, which is a Ludo Studio production in collaboration with BBC Studios and Disney will release it in cinemas to a global audience.
After the film’s run in theaters, it will stream on Disney+ and ABC iview and ABC Kids in Australia.
The film will include the voices of Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack as Bluey’s mum and dad.
As a children’s TV show developed in Queensland and commissioned by the ABC and BBC, Bluey is funded by Australian taxpayers – although the BBC reportedly have exclusive commercial rights.
The federal and Queensland governments are also supporting Blue Film through producer belts and a Queensland screen, digital and visual effects incentive.
Bluey has taken the world by storm, ranking among the most popular programs in the United States.
In April, Australia House in London – home to the Australian High Commission – hosted a celebrity event organized by BBC Studios, in which the embassy was decorated with bluey flags.