Sky acquires new Shaun the Sheep movie
May 7, 2025
By Nik Roseveare
Sky has announced a partnership with celebrated studio Aardman to release Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom as a Sky Original feature film.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch! When Shaun tries to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control… With The Farmer missing and a wild beast roaming the woods of Mossingham, all the ingredients are in place for a monstrous adventure.
Aardman has partnered with Sky as the exclusive UK distributor, releasing in cinemas and on Sky Cinema, and StudioCanal as the global partner outside the UK. Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is the third stop-motion animated feature film from Aardman’s globally loved brand.
2025 marks 30 years since Shaun’s first appearance in Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave and the series is one of Aardman’s best-performing properties. It has been broadcast in 170 territories worldwide, with its seventh season airing later this year.
Adding this latest Shaun the Sheep film to Sky’s slate is a continuation of a longstanding relationship with Aardman, with Morph being the first Sky Kids Original commission in 2016. Sky also has Make Your Own Movies with Merlin and Epic Adventures of Morph airing and are in production of Season 3 of BAFTA nominated hit pre-school show, The Very Small Creatures.
Andrew Orr, Executive Producer and Head of Originals for Sky Cinema, commented: “Shaun is a household name, so it’s huge news for us to be welcoming him and the flock to our 2026 Sky Original film slate. It’s an honour to work with Aardman at such an exciting time for the studio, with a film that we know fans of all ages will love. Expect laughs, spookiness and some brilliantly entertaining new characters.”
Sarah Cox, Chief Creative Director at Aardman, said: “Shaun the Sheep is an iconic character, beloved by viewers of all ages around the world. In our new animated movie, we bring family-friendly thrills to this light-hearted, spooky Halloween adventure. Expect smashed pumpkins, wayward science, and a wild hairy beast on the loose in Mossy Bottom – all delivered with the Flock’s trademark joyous comedy.”
Anna Marsh CEO of StudioCanal, Deputy CEO of Canal+ & Chief Content Officer of Canal+ & Ron Halpern EVP Global Production at STUDIOCANAL, added “We are so delighted to be in development and pre-production on Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom launching worldwide sales at Cannes. We have taken such pride in establishing Shaun the Sheep and the flock as movie stars and in this – our third feature film in the franchise – we have a tantalising seasonal hook in Halloween with thrills, spills, surprises, a touch of science and characters old and new. We cannot wait to reveal more of this highly anticipated family treat in the coming months. It’s a genuine pleasure to be back in partnership with Aardman for Shaun’s very welcome return and in Sky we have a UK partner who share our passion and ambition to bring Shaun the Sheep (and friends) to the biggest possible audience with his timeless appeal and in his home territory.”
This new Aardman feature film follows the recent success of the studio’s Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, which broke viewing records in the Christmas period as it became the most-watched animated film broadcast on British television since modern viewing records began in 2002.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is written by Mark Burton (Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Paddington in Peru, Shaun the Sheep Movie) and Giles Pilbrow (Horrible Histories, Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas) and will be directed by Steve Cox (Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas) and Matthew Walker (Lloyd of the Flies), with Richard Beek (Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl) as Producer, and Nick Park, Peter Lord, Carla Shelley and Sarah Cox as Studio Executive Producers.
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