Gervais to animate Flanimals

Ricky Gervais is to turn his children’s book Flanimals into an animated TV series.

He had been poised to make a $50million Hollywood movie about such bizarre creatures as the Underblenge, the Coddleflop and the Ovarian Fliphanger. But now he’s decided to make his creations into a series of five-minute cartoons for British TV instead.

He said: ”I’ve done a story-board for one programme and hope to turn it into a series by the end of the year.

“I’ll almost certainly voice it, as I’m the only person who can pronounce some of the words. I’m probably the only person who’d want to.  I’ll write and direct it too. I’ll more or less make the programme myself then hand it to a broadcaster”

Meanwhile, the book has entered the New York Times bestseller list, at number 8 in the children’s book charts.

Doug Whiteman of Penguin in the States said: “We’re so pleased that Flanimals has hit the New York Times bestseller list.  The book is already in its third printing, and we’re getting substantial reorders from our major accounts.”

Gervais will extend his influence in the US later this month, when the US remake of The Office, on which he was executive producer, makes its premiere on NBC.

He said “The remake is great. I hope fans of the original watch the new one with an open mind. Particularly previewers.”

Published: 1 Mar 2005