Gkids has picked up U.S. rights to Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom from Studiocanal, slating the film for release in theaters this fall.
Based on characters created by filmmaker Nick Park, The Beast of Mossy Bottom is the third film in the Shaun the Sheep franchise, on the heels of the Academy Award–nominated A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon (2020) and Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015). Marking Gkids’ first-ever collaboration with the celebrated British stop-motion studio Aardman, the feature is the first from Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, who worked from a script by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, with Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, and Kate Harbour in the cast.
Following the adventures of the titular sheep, the franchise’s latest takes place at Mossy Bottom Farm on Halloween Eve, watching as excitement turns to dismay when the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch. Shaun tries fixing it with science experiments, but things go wrong when a wild beast appears in the woods.
“We are so excited!” said Gkids founder and CEO Eric Beckman regarding the Shaun the Sheep deal. “I have been an Aardman super-fan since the earliest days of the studio, from the Academy Award–winning Creature Comforts and original Wallace & Gromit shorts, through Rex the Runt, Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and of course the beloved Shaun the Sheep. For decades, Aardman has forged a unique place in the hearts of fans by infusing so much love, humor, and humanity into the hand-crafted art of stop-motion. Aardman is absolutely one-of-a-kind and we could not be more thrilled to be working together at long last.”
Said Studiocanal’s Chloé Marquet, “We are so delighted to announce today that Shaun the Sheep is ready for his next big U.S. adventure, and STUDIOCANAL couldn’t ask for a better partner than GKIDS to make it happen. Their passion and expertise in animation make them the ideal home for Shaun and his very welcome return to the big screen in 2026.”
Aardman MD Sean Clarke added, “We have been longtime friends and fans of GKIDS. Their unparalleled track record in bringing acclaimed international animation to American audiences makes them an ideal partner for us, and we are excited to be working together to bring Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom to American audiences this Halloween!”
Studiocanal will release Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom in France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, and Poland, and is representing sales worldwide outside of the UK, where Sky is confirmed as exclusive distributor, releasing in cinemas and on Sky Cinema. The film marks the company’s fourth collaboration with Aardman on the heels of Shaun the Sheep Movie, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon, and the Park-helmed Early Man.
Following 13 nominations for Best Animated Feature, Gkids earned its first Oscar for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron in 2024. Up next, they’re set to release Lupin the IIIrd the Movie: The Immortal Bloodline on January 4 and All You Need Is Kill on January 16.
The deal was negotiated by Dave Jesteadt and Beckman at Gkids, as well as Marquet and Sophie Leuthreau at Studiocanal.