Netflix Is Making Six New Animated Movies And Shows

Following the news last month that Netflix is producing Guillermo Del Toro's new animated movie version of Pinocchio, it has been announced that the streaming giant has another six animated projects in the works.

As reported by Variety, Netflix is developing two movies and four new shows, and has tapped some impressive talent to work on them. In terms of the movies, Kris Pearn, who worked on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and directed its sequel, will helm The Willoughbys. It's based on the 2008 novel by Lois Lowry, and the voicecast is set to include Ricky Gervais, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, Martin Short, and Jane Krakowski. Variety states that this movie is already in production.

There's also My Father's Dragon, which will be a 2D animated movie from Nora Twomey, who previously made the Oscar-nominated animated film The Secret Of Kells. In terms of TV shows, The Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracke has been hired to make Kid Cosmic, a new series which will focus on the struggles of a young boy who becomes a superhero. There's also a pair of shows aimed at pre-schoolers. Trash Truck will be about a child's friendship with--you guess it-- a trash truck, while Go! Go! Cory Carson is based on the Go! Go! Smart Wheels toyline.

Finally, there's the limited-run fantasy show Maya and the Three, which is being developed by Jorge Gutierrez. Gutierrez directed the acclaimed 2014 movie The Book Of Life, and he described the new show as "a Mexican Lord of the Rings, but hilarious."

These latest additions to Netflix's animated roster indicate that the company is increasingly pushing into the area, ahead of the launch of Disney's streaming service next year. Last week, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Netflix plans to launch its own animation studio, which will enable it to make projects in-house without having to outsource much of the technical work to existing animation companies.