{"id":631467,"date":"2026-09-21T14:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/631467\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T14:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T14:16:14","slug":"cartoon-saloon-pitches-mebh-and-the-wolf-pups-at-cartoon-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/631467\/","title":{"rendered":"Cartoon Saloon Pitches \u2018Mebh And The Wolf Pups\u2019 At Cartoon Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the first time in its 26-year history, Cartoon Saloon is returning to one of its established worlds.<\/p>\n

The iconic Irish studio pitched Mebh and the Wolf Pups at Cartoon Forum on Thursday morning, unveiling a preschool spin-off centered on the breakout character from its Oscar-nominated 2020 feature Wolfwalkers.<\/p>\n

The 52 x seven-minute series follows Mebh and four wolf pups as they explore the forest, cause trouble, and help the animals that live there. Directed by Jeremy Purcell and written by Cian McGarrigle, it\u2019s produced by Cartoon Saloon with longtime Luxembourg collaborator M\u00e9lusine Studio.<\/p>\n

Wolfwalkers co-director Tomm Moore admitted that he initially resisted the idea of revisiting the film.<\/p>\n

\"Mebh<\/a>Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Production pitch \u2018Mebh and the Wolf Pups\u2019 at Cartoon Forum 2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hadn\u2019t really done anything like prequels or sequels or spin-offs before, and I was a little bit pure about it,\u201d he told Cartoon Brew ahead of the pitch.<\/p>\n

What changed his mind was the audience response to Mebh, particularly from children much younger than the film\u2019s intended audience. Moore\u2019s granddaughter Mara was three or four when Wolfwalkers was released and became fascinated by the character. He shared an adorable picture of the two of them together at the time, sharing playtime with a Mebh plushy.<\/p>\n

\"Mebh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cShe would go out into the woods whenever we were walking the dogs, and she would howl and growl and snarl and put leaves and flowers in her hair,\u201d Moore recalled during the pitch. \u201cShe really wanted to be a Wolfwalker.\u201d<\/p>\n

As similar stories began arriving from other families, Moore and his colleagues realized that Mebh could carry a series of her own. For studio founder and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), Mebh\u2019s appeal comes from the freedom she represents.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s wildness itself,\u201d Twomey said during the pitch. \u201cShe\u2019s like the impulse to take your shoes off when you see a beautiful meadow of green grass and see what that feels like under your feet, or to raise your face up when it\u2019s raining and feel those droplets on your skin. She\u2019s the invitation to be wild.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each episode begins during Mebh\u2019s free time with the pups and introduces a simple problem that the pack must solve together. At some point in every story, Mebh transforms into a wolf pup, gaining heightened speed, hearing, and smell. The transformation will be accompanied by a recurring musical cue that children can anticipate.<\/p>\n

\"Mebh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s running out into your back garden, and you\u2019re a wolf, and you\u2019re howling,\u201d lead producer Jason Tammem\u00e4gi explained. \u201cIt\u2019s freedom. For me, this is the infinite playtime of youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

That freedom became increasingly important as the series took shape.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids\u2019 lives are so scheduled, they\u2019re so fixed,\u201d Tammem\u00e4gi said. \u201cIt seems weird to say it, but I think in 2026, the freedom to just be able to go out and play feels aspirational.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mebh learns something during each adventure, although Twomey emphasized that those lessons will grow naturally from the stories. The series, like the film on which it is based, will continue to celebrate her impulsiveness and independence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never forget that Mebh is a free spirit and she\u2019s a wild child,\u201d Twomey said. \u201cWe celebrate that wildness, even if the only wildness that our audience can have access to is in their imaginations. That\u2019s still a very beautiful place. It\u2019s a place of power, creativity, and resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u20ac7.8 million ($9.25 million) series is already almost 85% financed, with Screen Ireland and Film Fund Luxembourg providing support. RT\u00c9 and RTL Luxembourg have already acquired the show. Production is expected to run from late 2026 through early 2028.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time in its 26-year history, Cartoon Saloon is returning to one of its established worlds.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":631468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[93,61,60,270],"class_list":["post-631467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631467","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=631467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/631468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}