{"id":448323,"date":"2026-05-14T11:10:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/448323\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:10:10","slug":"lightcrafts-upcoming-animated-feature-wonderland-expanding-into-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/448323\/","title":{"rendered":"Lightcraft’s Upcoming Animated Feature ‘Wonderland’ Expanding Into TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tPolish production company Lightcraft is expanding the world of its upcoming animated film \u201cWonderland\u201d with a new TV series toplining Louis Serkis<\/a> (\u201c28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,\u201d \u201cThe Kid Who Would Be King\u201d) slated to premiere next year.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe feature film, which stars Roman Griffin Davis<\/a> (\u201c500 Miles,\u201d \u201cKing of Kings,\u201d \u201cJojo Rabbit\u201d) and Mads Mikkelsen<\/a> (\u201cDust Bunny,\u201d \u201cThe Last Viking\u201d), is a fantasy adventure that follows 12-year-old Jake and his friend Jenny, who together face off against the enigmatic Vagapulga in their dreams.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tMads Mikkelsen stars in the upcoming feature film \u2018Wonderland.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLightcraft<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter wowing buyers with the film at last year\u2019s AFM, German distributor and sales company Kinostar<\/a> will be presenting the new series at the March\u00e9 du Film<\/a> in Cannes.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe show, which comprises two seasons, is scheduled to be released in early 2027.<\/p>\n

\n\tSet after the events of the film, in a vibrant world \u2014 and even across multiple worlds \u2014 the series follows the same core characters in a new, standalone storyline, while further expanding and deepening the protagonists and universe of \u201cWonderland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe series further expands the world of \u2018Wonderland.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLightcraft<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Serkis, son of actor-director Andy Serkis and actress Lorraine Ashbourne, the series marks the latest in a growing number of high-profile projects. The young actor has been increasingly busy in both television and film, most recently starring in the gritty ITV crime drama series \u201cOut There\u201d and also appearing in BBC One\u2019s \u201cWild Cherry.\u201d In addition to \u201c28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,\u201d his past credits include ITV legal drama \u201cThe Return\u201d and Netflix\u2019s \u201cThe Queen\u2019s Gambit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSerkis \u201cinfuses \u2018Wonderland\u2019 with a fresh, emotionally grounded energy that elevates the series, stepping into the role of a 12-year-old boy who, this time, encounters an extraordinary visitor in the Honey Valley,\u201d Lightcraft stated. Blending adventure, humor and emotion, the series is squarely aimed at a wide family audience, the company added.<\/p>\n

\n\tLike the movie, the series begins as a deeply human story grounded in relationships that gradually unfolds into a large-scale, epic adventure.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cVisually, it leans into a hybrid 2.5D approach, combining cinematic depth with a pre-planned layer of stylized identity,\u201d Lightcraft noted. \u201cThe production is developed as 100% human made, with each shot crafted individually by artists known for (among others) \u2018Harry Potter,\u2019 \u2018Kung Fu Panda,\u2019 \u2018Superman,\u2019 \u2018Spider-Man,\u2019 \u2018Pocahontas,\u2019 \u2018Mulan,\u2019 \u2018Matrix\u2019 and the Lego movies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe didn\u2019t set out to make a statement about technology,\u201d added co-director, producer and Lightcraft CEO Daniel Markowicz. \u201cFirst and foremost, we wanted to create something meaningful, something engaging, worth watching, with real care.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Wonderland\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLightcraft<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe don\u2019t have anything against AI, but in this project we wanted to create something that comes from the heart and connects directly with the audiences feelings,\u201d Markowicz stressed. \u201cWe all know the difference when something is re-cycled, or based on profound human experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWith the feature film and two seasons nearing release, Warsaw-based Lightcraft has positioned \u201cWonderland\u201d as a long-term global IP. \u201cAt Lightcraft Animation, we have many more stories in development within the \u2018Wonderland\u2019 universe, as well as a slate of other animated projects for next years,\u201d Markowicz noted.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWonderworld\u201d is produced by Markowicz, and executive produced by Paulina Nowak, Dariush Derakhshani and Kinostar CEO Michael Roesch.<\/p>\n

\n\tCo-directing the series alongside Markowicz are Maks Naporowski (\u201cThe Matrix Revolutions,\u201d \u201cSpider-Man,\u201d \u201cHarry Potter\u201d) and Mikolaj Valencia. The creative team also includes Peter Bielicki, a long-time Disney collaborator who worked on \u201cMulan,\u201d \u201cPocahontas\u201d and \u201cThe Hunchback of Notre Dame\u201d; Catherine Chooljian, an artist known for her work on such hits as \u201cPuss in Boots: The Last Wish\u201d and \u201cKung Fu Panda 4\u201d; and Dariush Derakhshani, a visual effects supervisor whose credits include \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d and \u201cApocalypto.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tStuttgart-based Kinostar, which is handling world sales for both the film and series, is further bolstering its international lineup as well as its partnership with Lightcraft, whose recent productions have included the hit Netflix action pics \u201cSoulcatcher,\u201d \u201cLesson Plan\u201d and \u201cBartkowiak,\u201d all helmed by Markowicz. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled by the interest from studios and distributors from around the world, which will be multiplied by the rollout of the amazing series, which expands the \u2018Wonderland\u2019 universe into new worlds,\u201d said Roesch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Polish production company Lightcraft is expanding the world of its upcoming animated film \u201cWonderland\u201d with a new TV…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":448324,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[10532,93,61,60,194996,194997,38141,194998,270,119854],"class_list":["post-448323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-cannes-film-festival","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-kinostar","tag-louis-serkis","tag-mads-mikkelsen","tag-marchu00e9-du-film","tag-movies","tag-roman-griffin-davis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}