The Gruffalo author Dame Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler’s children’s book The Baddies is to be adapted into a BBC special.
The half-hour animated feature, produced by Magic Light Pictures, will star Gavin And Stacey actors Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith and Alison Steadman, and tells the story of a group of baddies made up of a troll, a ghost and a witch, who target a girl who moves in nearby.
Dame Julia said: “The Baddies was enormous fun to write because I loved inventing these gloriously wicked characters and then thinking about what might happen when they finally meet someone brave enough to outwit them.
“Magic Light has done a brilliant job bringing the story to life and the cast have captured all the humour, silliness and spookiness perfectly.”
Brydon, 61, will voice the ghost and Steadman, 79, will play the witch, while Black Ops actor Hammed Animashaun will play the troll, Trying actress Robyn Cara will play the girl, and Harlots’ Francesca Mills will voice a mouse, with Smith, 44, taking up the role of narrator.
The feature, which will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas, sees the mouse challenge the baddies to steal the girl’s blue spotty hanky, but they soon discover they have met their match.
Smith added: “I’ve always loved Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s stories, so it was such a joy to be part of bringing The Baddies to life.
“The film is funny, spooky and full of heart, and the animation is absolutely beautiful. I think families are going to have enormous fun watching these wonderful characters causing chaos this Christmas.”
It comes after a number of Dame Julia’s books have already been adapted by Magic Light Pictures for BBC Christmas specials including The Gruffalo, Zog and last year’s The Scarecrows’ Wedding, with the previous adaptions available on iPlayer.
An exact air time and date is yet to be announced.
