‘Shooom’s Odyssey’ Team Launches Production On Buzzy Debut Feature ‘The Little Run’

Following up their Annecy and Annie-winning French short Shooom’s Odyssey, Julien Bisaro and Claire Paoletti’s debut animated feature, The Little Run, has officially entered pre-production, three years after first drawing industry attention at the 2023 MIFA Pitch sessions in Annecy and, later, our attention at Cartoon Movie 2024.

Directed by Bisaro and co-written by Paoletti, the family film is being produced by Paris-based Picolo Pictures and is targeting a 2028 theatrical release. The project was one of the standout titles at MIFA 2023, where it picked up the Ciclic Centre-Val de Loire Region Award, the SACD Award, and the Cristal Publishing Award. Diaphana
Distribution will release the film in France, and Charades is handling international sales.

According to the producers, work is now underway to build out the film’s animation pipeline with partner studios, while a Luxembourg co-production is being developed with Doghouse Films. The project has also secured support from France’s CNC Advance on Receipts program, along with presales to Canal+, Ciné+, France 3 Cinéma, and Germany’s ZDF.

The Little Run follows Cookie, a young blue penguin whose life is upended when a volcanic eruption destroys his New Zealand home. After unexpectedly becoming the guardian of an echidna egg, he embarks on a journey that explores adoption, attachment, and chosen family.

“It’s amazing to see the movie we dreamed up with Julien come to life right before our eyes. I can’t wait to share this story — which is especially close to our hearts — with a large audience thanks to the partners and exceptional artists who came together for the film,” Paoletti said in a release.