The Highway Rat
A Christmas viewing treat for all the family from Oscar nominated producers Magic Light Pictures.
I’d told the Magic Light guys a few years ago, when we were doing Stick Man that if they ever did it I’d love to narrate it. All good things to those who wait!
A glorious animated swashbuckler, The Highway Rat is based on the richly imaginative book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the UK’s bestselling picture book team. First published by Alison Green Books, an imprint of Scholastic, in 2011.
This is Magic Light’s fifth adaptation of a Donaldson & Scheffler picture book. Their previous films are established family classics; The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Room on the Broom and Stick Man, premiered on 主播大秀 One Christmas Day respectively in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015. Most recently, Stick Man achieving huge ratings of 9.3 million viewers, with an overall 41% audience share, making it the fourth highest rated programme of the day. The film has won critical praise and a raft of global industry awards including: the coveted Cristal for best TV Production, Annecy Animation Festival, France and Best Voice Performance for Martin Freeman, British Animation Awards.
Last Christmas the company produced a two-part animated special based on Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. Premiering on 主播大秀 One on the 26 and 27 of December the films featured the voices of Dominic West, David Walliams, Rose Lesley and Jemma Chan. With over 10 million viewers for their first broadcast slots, the films have just been nominated for a BAFTA and an International Emmy, and have already won multiple awards including the Cristal for best TV Production, Annecy.
SF/TB
Cast quotes
Rob Brydon (the Narrator): “My favourite Donaldson/Scheffler books are a tie between The Highway Rat and The Snail and The Whale. They’re both a joy to read. I loved everything about voicing the narrator. I’d told the Magic Light guys a few years ago, when we were doing Stick Man that if they ever did it I’d love to narrate it. All good things to those who wait!”
Frances De La Tour (the Rabbit): “I had the most wonderful day recording my voice part. This is a story that I know will delight my grandchildren and their mates as well as us adults! It was great watching the process of how the 'characters' took shape early on before the voices were added, and then after!”
Nina Sosanya (the Duck): “I didn’t know the story of The Highway Rat before voicing the Duck. She's an excellent Sort - a great role model. I loved every bit of it, particularly trying to make the right sounds for a duck riding a horse while holding a basket of cupcakes.”
Biographies
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are the creators of some of the world's best-loved children's books, many of which are considered to be modern classics, from The Gruffalo to Stick Man.
In 1993, Julia and Axel embarked on their acclaimed partnership when a song Julia had written for the 主播大秀 - A Squash and a Squeeze - was turned into a picture book illustrated by Axel. The duo have gone on to become the UK’s number one picture book pair with titles including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, Stick Man, Zog and Superworm. Six of Julia and Axel’s books have each sold over one million copies in the UK alone and have been awarded Specsavers Platinum Bestseller Awards. Julia and Axel’s most recent book, The Ugly Five, is a number one bestseller (Sept 2017).
Both Julia and Axel enjoy international renown for their work. Julia was the UK Children’s Laureate 2011-13 and honoured with an MBE for services to Literature. Axel’s artwork is exhibited internationally; he has illustrated for many charities, and designed the Royal Mail Christmas stamps in 2012.
Julia Donaldson divides her time between Scotland and West Sussex where she lives with her husband. Axel is from Hamburg, and has lived in the UK since 1984. He lives in London with his family but travels extensively.
Jeroen Jaspaert (Director)
Jeroen Jaspaert directed Stick Man for Magic Light Pictures in 2015. The award-winning animation premiered that year on 主播大秀 One Christmas Day and achieved record ratings of 9.3 million viewers, with an overall 41% audience share, making it the fourth highest rated programme of the day. The film has won critical praise and a raft of global industry awards including the coveted Cristal for TV Production at the International Annecy Animation Festival, France; Magnolia Award for Best Animation at the Shanghai TV Festival; Rockie Award for Animation at the Banff Word Media Festival, Canada; and was nominated for a BAFTA at the 2016 Children's awards.
Jeroen is a Belgian director, based in London. After completing a BA and MA in Film Studies at the Media and Design Academy in Belgium, he moved to London in 2001 to specialise in Character Animation at Central Saint Martin College of Art and Design. He remained in London to work as a freelance animator for various animation studios. In 2003 he became part of the director's rostrum at Academy Award winning studio Tandem Films. He specialised in character driven animation, exploring various styles and techniques. He worked mainly in the commercial industry, with clients including Kinder Bueno, Rennie, Steradent, Jeyes Bloo loo and Persil.
At Tandem Films, Jeroen gradually ventured into storytelling, creating pilots for Simon's Cat and Bing Bunny. When Bing got picked up by Cbeebies in 2012, Jeroen became series story director on its first series (78 episodes). Bing has proven very popular, winning 'Best Pre-school series' at the 2016 International Emmy awards, and a Bafta nomination at the 2014 Children's Awards. Together with Nicky Phelan, he won 'best director' at the 2015 Irish Animation Awards.
Jeroen is flexible in a variety of styles and techniques, ranging from old-fashioned cartoons to modern design. The core of his work always centres on observational character animation and emotional story development.
Michael Rose (Producer)
Michael Rose runs London-based Magic Light Pictures together with Martin Pope. Their recent animated productions include the Oscar and Bafta-nominated The Gruffalo; the Bafta-nominated The Gruffalo’s Child; the Oscar-nominated and Bafta-winning Room On The Broom; the Bafta-nominated Stick Man; Bafta and International Emmy-nominated Revolting Rhymes and the Oscar nominated and European Film Award winning Chico & Rita, an animated feature directed by Fernando Trueba and star designer Javier Mariscal. Other feature films include Wild Tartget starring Billy Nighy, Emily Blunt and Rupert Grint; natural history documentary One Life; and romantic comedy Sparkle starring Stockard Channing and Bob Hoskins.
Previously, Michael headed up the feature film division of UK animation studio Aardman. He was executive producer of animated features Chicken Run and the Oscar and Bafta-winning Wallace & Gromit: Curse Of The Wererabbit. He was joint producer of Nick Park's 1995 Oscar winning Wallace and Gromit film, A Close Shave and has won two Baftas for animated short films, A Close Shave and Stage Fright.
Martin Pope (Producer)
Martin Pope runs London-based Magic Light Pictures together with Michael Rose. Their recent animated productions include the Oscar and Bafta-nominated The Gruffalo; the Bafta-nominated The Gruffalo’s Child; the Oscar nominated and Bafta-winning Room On The Broom; the Bafta-nominated Stick Man; Bafta and International Emmy-nominated Revolting Rhymes and the Oscar nominated and European Film Award winning Chico & Rita, an animated feature directed by Fernando Trueba and star designer Javier Mariscal. Other feature films include Wild Target; natural history documentary One Life; and romantic comedy Sparkle starring Stockard Channing and Bob Hoskins. Martin also produced features Stephen Poliakoff’s Glorious 39 (starring Bill Nighy and Romala Garai) and Paul Andrew Williams’ The Cottage.
Prior to starting Magic Light, Martin produced feature films Touch Of Pink (starring Kyle Maclachlan); The Heart Of Me (starring Helena Bonham Carter); Lawless Heart and Alive & Kicking. TV credits include The Turn Of The Screw (starring Colin Firth); John Madden’s Meat and John Schlesinger’s Bafta award-winning film of Alan Bennett’s A Question Of Attribution.
