Written by Zoe Crombie

Beyond Japan, which stands as one hell of an exception, it’s rare to see a full theatrical release animated entirely in a 2D hand drawn art style. This is especially true of Britain – while we abound in modes like stop motion where Aardman dominate the competition, we rarely see any home grown outings in a traditional style, in part due to how time consuming this process can be. Fortunately, we have a rare release coming up that once again reveals Britain’s talent in this medium with beautiful visuals crafted by the wonderful Lupus Films, the studio behind beloved TV releases like The Snowman and the Snowdog and The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Following up with yet another adaptation of a British children’s classic, we have their take on Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom, a story that follows a fictionalised version of the author as a boy as he becomes shipwrecked on an island. Not only are you treated to gorgeous visuals here courtesy of directorial team Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, but Lupus managed to gather up some brilliant voice talent too, with Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins playing the young Michael’s parents. The result is a rare opportunity to celebrate British animation in cinemas, and you won’t want to miss the chance to see these intricate visuals on the big screen.

A spectacular take on a thoughtful but adventurous novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom is another British animation to be proud of that’s sure to be a classic for families in years to come.