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| Formerly | Orange Eyes Limited (2008–2019)[1] |
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| Company type |
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| Founded | 2003; 22 years ago (2003) |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Website | magiclightpictures |
Magic Light Pictures Limited is a British 2003 independent film andtelevision production company based inLondon, England. The company was founded in 2003 by producersMartin Pope andMichael Rose.
Since 2009, Magic Light Pictures has produced twelve half-hour animated specials based on the best-selling children's story books byJulia Donaldson andAxel Scheffler:The Gruffalo (2009),The Gruffalo's Child (2011),Room on the Broom (2012),Stick Man (2015),The Highway Rat (2017),Zog (2018),The Snail and the Whale (2019),Zog and the Flying Doctors (2020),Superworm (2021),The Smeds and The Smoos (2022),Tabby McTat (2023), andTiddler (2024). Overall, their productions have won more than 40 awards, including two Children's BAFTAs[2] and the Prix Jeunesse,[3][4] and have been nominated three times for anAcademy Award for Best Short Animation. Their most recent production,Tiddler, premiered at approximately 2:35pm onBBC One during Christmas Day 2024, and was watched by more than 7.3 million viewers. They are currently producing an adaptation ofJulia Donaldson's andAxel Scheffler'sThe Scarecrow's Wedding, due for broadcast onBBC One overChristmas 2025.[5]
Their other productions include the Oscar-nominated[6]Revolting Rhymes (2016), a live-action/animated short based onThe Velveteen Rabbit (2023), a preschool animated TV series calledPip and Posy (2021), and feature films including the Oscar-nominated[7] Spanish-language animated featureChico & Rita (2010), a comedy thriller starringBill Nighy andEmily Blunt calledWild Target (2010), the British English version of a Danish-language animated feature calledTerkel in Trouble (2006), and a romantic comedy feature starringShaun Evans andStockard Channing calledSparkle (2007).
| Title | Year | Co-produced with | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terkel in Trouble (English UK dub) | 2006 | A. Film Production | Animated Feature |
| Sparkle | 2007 | Isle of Man Film | Romantic Comedy |
| Glorious 39 | 2009 | BBC Films Quickfire Films Screen East Content Investment Fund Talkback Thames UK Film Council | Thriller |
| The Gruffalo | Studio SOI | Animated Short | |
| Wild Target | 2010 | CinemaNX Isle of Man Film Matador Pictures | Black Comedy |
| Chico and Rita | Fernando Trueba PC Estudio Mariscal | Animated Feature | |
| The Gruffalo's Child | 2011 | Studio SOI | Animated Short |
| One Life | IM Global BBC Earth Films | Documentary | |
| Room on the Broom | 2012 | Studio SOI | Animated Short |
| Stick Man | 2015 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
| Revolting Rhymes | 2016 | ||
| The Highway Rat | 2017 | ||
| Zog | 2018 | ||
| The Snail and the Whale | 2019 | ||
| Zog and the Flying Doctors | 2020 | Giant Creative | |
| Superworm | 2021 | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | |
| Pip and Posy | Animated TV Series | ||
| The Smeds and The Smoos | 2022 | Animated Short | |
| The Velveteen Rabbit | 2023 | Samson Films Red Knuckles Studio | Live Action/Animated Short |
| Tabby McTat | Red Star 3D | Animated Short | |
| Tiddler | 2024 | ||
| The Scarecrow's Wedding (in production) | 2025 |
| Production | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Snail and the Whale | British Academy Children's Awards[8][9] | Best Director | Magic Light Pictures | Won |
| Best Animation | Magic Light Pictures | Won | ||
| The Highway Rat | 46th Annie Awards[10] | Best Animated Special Production | Magic Light Pictures | Nominated |
| Rose d'Or[11] | Children and Youth | Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
| Revolting Rhymes | 90th Academy Awards[12] | Best Animated Short Film | Jakob Schuh Jan Lachauer | Nominated |
| British Academy Children's Awards[13] | Best Animation | Jakob Schuh Jan Lachauer Martin Pope Michael Rose | Won | |
| 6th International Emmy Kids Awards[14] | Kids: Animation | Michael Rose Martin Pope Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
| Stick Man | British Academy Children's Awards[15] | Best Animation | Production Team | Nominated |
| British Animation Awards[16] | Best Use of Sound | Adrian Rhodes Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
| Best Voice Performance | Martin Freeman Magic Light Pictures | Won | ||
| Best Long Form | Jeroen Jaspaert Daniel Snaddon Magic Light Pictures | Nominated | ||
| Room on the Broom | 86th Academy Awards[17] | Best Animated Short Film | Max Lang Jan Lachauer | Nominated |
| British Academy Children's Awards | Best Animation | Max Lang Jan Lachauer Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
| International Emmy Kids Awards | Kids: Animation | Max Lang Jan Lachauer Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
| The Gruffalo's Child | British Animation Awards[18] | Best Long Form | Johannes Weiland Uwe Heidschötter | Won |
| British Academy Children's Awards | Best Animation | Johannes Weiland Uwe Heidschötter Magic Light Pictures | Nominated | |
| Chico and Rita | 84th Academy Awards[19] | Best Animated Feature | Fernando Trueba Javier Mariscal | Nominated |
| The Gruffalo | 83rd Academy Awards[20] | Best Animated Short Film | Jakob Schuh Max Lang | Nominated |
| 62nd British Academy Film Awards[21] | Best Short Animation | Michael Rose Martin Pope Jakob Schuh Max Lang | Nominated | |
| Prix Jeunesse International[22] | Prix Jeunesse 7-11 Fiction | Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
| Prize of the Children's Jury 7-11 Fiction | Magic Light Pictures | Won |
Magic Light Pictures runs a licensing programme and carries ranges inSainsbury's,Debenhams,John Lewis,Waterstones, andM&S, among others.[23] Launched in 2009, the programme has markets in Germany, Australia, Scandinavia, New Zealand and the USA. Products available in The Gruffalo brand include plush, stationery, homewares, games, toys and apparel.[24]
Magic Light has won five Licensing Awards[25][26][27] for their branded apparel, furniture andForestry Commission trails.
Magic Light Pictures has several award-winning brandpartnerships with organisations includingChessington World of Adventures Resort,[28] Forestry Commission England[29] andArla milk.[30]
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort currently hosts theGruffalo River Ride Adventure, themed hotel rooms, an arena dedicated to the films and characters, and a food outlet. In March 2019 Chessington launched aRoom on the Broom attraction with specifically themed hotel rooms.[31]
Since the year 2014, The Forestry Commission has worked with Magic Light on providing free, self-lead trails based on the Gruffalo brand family on over 20 sites around the UK, as well as offering Gruffalo orienteering, Gruffalo sculptures in several forests, and an augmented reality app, The Gruffalo Spotter.[32]
2019 marked the 20th anniversary of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler'sGruffalo book and 10 years since the premiere of the animated special on BBC One. As part of the celebration, Magic Light partnered with theRoyal Mint to release a set of commemorative silver and gold fifty pence collectors' coins, and with the Royal Mail to release a set of bespoke Gruffalo stamps.[33]
Since 2013, Magic Light Pictures has developed a range of mini-game and augmented reality apps based around the Gruffalo brand family.[34]Room on the Broom: Games andGruffalo: Games were both nominated for a Children's BAFTA in the Interactive Adapted category in 2014 and 2015 respectively.[35][36]
The Gruffalo Spotter app, launched in early 2017, is an augmented reality app that works alongside the Forestry Commission trails, where users can follow a set of clues and signs to locate animated characters from the book and take photos with them. The app was nominated at the 2017 BAFTA awards in the Interactive category.[37]
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