C4 warmly welcomes The Snowman and The Snowdog

29 November 2012

Thirty years ago this Christmas, Channel 4 broadcast The Snowman - an enchanting animated film that follows the adventures of a young boy and a truly remarkable Snowman, adapted from author and creator Raymond Briggs' iconic children's book.

Now, the team behind the original film are delighted to introduce The Snowman and The Snowdog, a brand new sequel to the Oscar-nominated classic that will premiere on Channel 4 this Christmas.

The Snowman and The Snowdog will be at the heart of Channel 4's Christmas schedule - a testament to the enduring appeal of this all-time family favourite.  It will be full of charm, humour and warmth complete with a brand new soundtrack ‘Light The Night' which features in the flying sequence. The much-anticipated sequel promises to reunite viewers with The Snowman and introduce a new best friend, The Snowdog - complete with odd socks for ears and a satsuma for a nose.

Channel 4's Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt comments, ‘I'm thrilled to announce that The Snowman and The Snowdog, a sequel as delightful and unforgettable as the original, will be the centrepiece of Channel 4's Christmas programming.'

The film has been written by Hilary Audus and Joanna Harrison and is directed by Audus and art directed by Harrison - both of whom worked as animators on the original film.  Producers are Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding. The sequel will be dedicated to the late John Coates, who produced the original The Snowman film and was instrumental in getting The Snowman and The Snowdog into production.

The team worked in close consultation with Raymond Briggs, author and creator of The Snowman, published by Puffin Books. He says, ‘I'm just the person who did the book a quarter of a century ago or something. They (the team) kept me in touch with it, which was very good, but I couldn't suggest anything brilliantly creative to do because it has all been done, they did it wonderfully.'

Camilla Deakin, one of the producers at Lupus Films adds, ‘Making a sequel to The Snowman is a once in a lifetime opportunity and it's been such a privilege to have Raymond Briggs' backing.  We are also delighted that we've been able to make the film using traditional animation techniques, with a team of talented British animators' hand-drawing every one of the 17,000 frames in the film.  We couldn't have done that without the full support of Channel 4, who have shared our vision every step of the way.'

The Snowman and The Snowdog is a Snowdog Enterprises and Lupus Films production.

www.thesnowman.com

Notes to editors

Raymond Briggs began writing and illustrating children's books more than forty years ago. His unique and distinctive style became established with the publication of Father Christmas in the early 70s, followed by Fungus the Bogeyman, the satire on nuclear war When the Wind Blows and, in 1978, The Snowman, which has become one of the most popular children's books ever published.

Originally adapted for the screen in 1982, The Snowman has been screened by Channel 4 every year since it was first transmitted and has enchanted generations of children.

Lupus Films is a London based production company set up in 2002 by Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding. Prior to setting up Lupus Films, Camilla and Ruth worked at Channel 4 as the Arts and Animation commissioning team, where they were responsible for a range of programmes including award-winning short films, documentaries, comedy series and family Christmas Specials. Lupus Films specialises in producing TV programmes and films for children and families, working across all genres and techniques including 2D and 3D animation, puppets, live-action drama and factual entertainment. They have produced shows for the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Disney Junior, France 3 and WDR Germany, and their shows have been broadcast on many other channels around the world.

www.lupusfilms.com