Animation oriented sales outfit Gebeka International has boarded Xilam Films’ upcoming family feature “Lucy Lost,” while France’s Le Pacte and Canal+ have picked up French domestic distribution and pay-tv rights.
Together the three new partners will help launch this seaside adventure tale, co-written and directed by animation vet Olivier Clert and adapted from “War Horse” author Michael Morpurgo’s 2014 novel “Listen to the Moon.” Production is now underway at Xilam’s animation studio in France, ahead of a March 2026 delivery date.
A longtime collaborator with Mark Osborne (“The Little Prince,” “Escape from Hat”) and Sergio Pablos (“Smallfoot,” “Klaus”), director Olivier Clert will make his feature debut with this project co-written with BAFTA-winner Helen Blakeman and produced by Xilam’s Marc du Pontavice and Lucie Bolze.
Set on the Isles of Scilly just off the Cornish coast, the film follows a young girl named Lucy raised by a clan of fishermen she knows not to be hers. However, she remembers little else about her past, and as a terrible war rages off in the distance, a chance encounter with the mysterious girl her own age soon helps Lucy put back the pieces of her own life’s story and come to better understand her place in the world.
‘Lucy Lost’
Cartoon Movie
“[Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Listen to the Moon’] is a captivating novel that weaves together themes of family, love and memory against a backdrop of vivid landscapes – which Olivier and Helen have done a remarkable job at translating into our spectacular adaptation,” said Xilam CEO Marc du Pontavice.
“As we begin production on this moving and visually stunning story of resilience, we have the best travelling companions in Gebeka International, Le Pacte and Canal+ to join us on this epic adventure. Lucy is a fragile yet courageous character who will move audiences – and we hope the film sparks a desire to connect with one another, consider each other’s differences with kindness, and the courage to face adversity.”
“’Lucy Lost’ is an incredible journey through time and space which deals with universal themes such as the search for identity and friendship,” added Vincent Maraval, whose sales company Goodfellas co-runs Gebeka International alongside French media group Hildegarde. “We are very proud to board this beautiful project, which we are convinced will be deeply moving. The scale of Lucy’s adventure will with no doubt appeal to international audiences, for children and adults alike.”
Source Agencies
