The official trailer for this highly anticipated New Zealand production has been unveiled, offering a first look at the stop-motion animated feature ahead of its world premiere at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. As the first-ever stop-motion feature film to emerge from New Zealand, the project represents a significant milestone for the nation’s cinematic history and its burgeoning animation sector. Directed by Harry Sinclair and co-directed by world-renowned animator Antony Elworthy, the film serves as a prequel to the critically acclaimed television series Kiri and Lou, which first captured international audiences in 2019.
The debut footage reveals a vibrant prehistoric world brought to life through a unique "2.5D" stop-motion technique, utilizing clay models animated on glass. This aesthetic choice distinguishes the film from the prevalent CGI-dominated landscape of modern children’s cinema, emphasizing tactile artistry and hand-crafted detail. The narrative focuses on the origin story of the central duo: Kiri, a feisty and often ungrateful little dinosaur, and Lou, a gentle, purple creature characterized by his remarkably stretchy trunk.
The Journey from Small Screen to Global Feature
The transition of Kiri and Lou from a series of short episodes to a feature-length cinematic experience follows years of international success. Since its inception in 2019, the original series has been broadcast in over 50 territories, gaining a dedicated following for its gentle humor, musicality, and focus on emotional intelligence. The series was designed to help children navigate complex feelings, a theme that Harry Sinclair has confirmed will remain central to the feature film.
Production on the feature began in earnest following the conclusion of the show’s later seasons, with the creative team at Stretchy, the production company led by Fiona Copland, seeking to expand the scope of the prehistoric world. While the television episodes were typically five minutes in length, the feature film format allows for a more expansive "road movie" structure, taking the characters far beyond their usual forest habitat.
Technical Innovation: 2.5D Clay on Glass
A defining characteristic of Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is its specific animation methodology. Co-director Antony Elworthy, whose portfolio includes prestigious projects such as Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, Henry Selick’s Coraline, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, brought a high level of technical sophistication to the project. The film utilizes a "clay on glass" technique, often referred to as 2.5D animation.
In this process, clay characters are flattened and animated on multiple layers of glass. This allows for a unique depth of field and a painterly quality that mimics traditional 2D illustration while maintaining the physical texture and light-reactivity of 3D stop-motion. This method is notoriously labor-intensive, requiring animators to manipulate the clay frame by frame to achieve fluid movement. The choice to use this technique for a full-length feature is a bold artistic statement, positioning the film as a boutique alternative to big-budget studio animation.
Casting and Creative Leadership
The film reunites the core vocal cast that defined the original series. Jemaine Clement, internationally recognized for his work in Flight of the Conchords, Moana, and What We Do in the Shadows, returns as the voice of Lou. Clement’s performance has been praised for its deadpan warmth and musical timing, which serves as the emotional anchor of the story. Olivia Tennet reprises her role as Kiri, capturing the high-energy and often volatile temperament of the young dinosaur.
The production also features the voice of Rachel House, known for her roles in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Soul, who provides the narration and additional character voices. The synergy between these actors, all staples of the New Zealand creative community, ensures a continuity of tone that fans of the original series will find familiar.
Harry Sinclair, the writer and director, brings a diverse background to the project. Before venturing into animation, Sinclair was a prominent figure in New Zealand’s indie film scene, directing cult favorites like The Price of Milk and Toy Love. His background in music and performance—most notably as part of the duo The Front Lawn with Don McGlashan—is evident in the rhythmic pacing and lyrical quality of the Kiri and Lou franchise. Don McGlashan serves as the film’s composer, crafting a prehistoric soundscape that utilizes unconventional instruments to match the film’s visual eccentricity.
Narrative Scope and Plot Summary
According to the official synopsis provided for the Annecy Film Festival, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is an adventure of prehistoric proportions. The story begins when a catastrophic flood threatens the forest. Lou, despite his gentle nature, must rescue the recalcitrant Kiri from the rising waters. This event sparks a journey that sees the pair swept away from their home and into the wider world.
The trailer showcases several key set pieces, including a sequence where the duo hurtles down a rushing river, their eventual trek across an ocean, and a surreal segment involving travel inside a giant sea creature. The climax of the film appears to involve the duo outrunning an erupting volcano, a classic trope of prehistoric cinema that is given a fresh perspective through the film’s unique animation style. Beyond the physical peril, the narrative serves as a deep dive into the mechanics of friendship, exploring how two vastly different personalities learn to support one another in the face of adversity.
Chronology of Production and Festival Premiere
The development of the feature film has followed a multi-year timeline:
- 2019: The Kiri and Lou series premieres, gaining instant acclaim for its animation style and emotional depth.
- 2022-2023: Script development and pre-production for the feature film begin, with a focus on scaling the 2.5D animation process for a 90-minute runtime.
- 2024-2025: Principal animation takes place in New Zealand, involving a specialized team of stop-motion artists and sculptors.
- Early 2026: Final post-production and sound mixing are completed.
- June 2026: The film is selected for the "Annecy Presents" category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is widely regarded as the most significant event in the global animation industry. Selection for the "Annecy Presents" category is a prestigious nod, often serving as a springboard for international distribution deals. The 2026 festival, held in the French Alps, will host the world’s top animators, studio executives, and critics, providing Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! with a high-profile platform for its global rollout.
Historical Context: New Zealand’s Animation Milestone
While New Zealand has long been a hub for visual effects and digital animation—largely due to the global dominance of Weta FX—the country has lacked a robust history in feature-length stop-motion. Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! changes this trajectory. By successfully producing a feature in this medium, Stretchy and the creative team have proven that the infrastructure and talent for artisanal animation exist within the South Pacific nation.
This achievement is expected to have a ripple effect on the local industry. The New Zealand Film Commission has historically supported a wide range of live-action projects, but the success of Kiri and Lou may encourage further investment in high-end animated features. Industry analysts suggest that the "New Zealand brand" of storytelling—often characterized by a mix of dry humor and sincere emotion—is particularly well-suited to the international animation market.
Industry Implications and Market Analysis
The release of the trailer and the upcoming festival premiere come at a time when the animation industry is seeing a resurgence in "tactile" media. Following the critical and commercial success of stop-motion films like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Aardman’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, there is a clear appetite among both audiences and distributors for content that feels "handmade."
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is positioned to capitalize on this trend. By targeting a family audience with a "gentle" aesthetic, the film avoids the frantic, high-octane pacing that characterizes many modern children’s films. This "slow media" approach has become increasingly popular among parents looking for high-quality, educational, and calming content for their children.
Furthermore, the involvement of Jemaine Clement provides a level of star power that will assist in North American and European marketing efforts. While a specific theatrical release date has not yet been announced for the United States or United Kingdom, the buzz generated at Annecy is expected to lead to significant acquisition news in the third quarter of 2026.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! represents a confluence of artistic ambition and national pride. By taking a beloved local series and expanding it into a feature-length epic, Harry Sinclair and Antony Elworthy are testing the limits of what stop-motion can achieve on a boutique scale. The film’s reliance on traditional clay animation techniques in an age of AI and digital rendering serves as a testament to the enduring power of physical craftsmanship.
As the film prepares for its June premiere in France, the global animation community remains watchful. If the feature manages to capture the same charm and emotional resonance as its television predecessor, it could very well become a staple of international children’s cinema for years to come. For now, the trailer serves as a promising glimpse into a prehistoric world that is as beautiful as it is eccentric.
