Thunderbirds creator's story confirmed to be turned into all-new feature film with "real emotional weight"

A previously unseen original story by the late Gerry Anderson is being developed into a new animated feature film.

UK producers Anderson Entertainment and Space Age Films are partnering on Merry Christmas, Earthlings!, a theatrical animation based on a story written by Thunderbirds creator Anderson in 2006, reports Screen Daily.

The project will be pitched later this month at the Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Market’s Berlin Animation Days (12th–14th February), as part of a showcase highlighting UK animation.

Merry Christmas, Earthlings! centres on the friendship between a young boy and an alien who embark on a heartfelt quest to discover whether Father Christmas really exists. The story was penned by Anderson six years before his death in 2012, aged 83.

Alongside Thunderbirds, Anderson’s legacy includes influential series such as Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Stingray.

The film is currently at the financing stage, with casting underway and plans to announce talent at the Cannes Film Festival later this year. A Christmas 2028 release window is being targeted.

Production will be led by Robert Chandler for Space Age Films, working alongside Anderson Entertainment, which manages the late creator’s intellectual property. The screenplay adaptation is being written by Keiron Self and Giles New, with the film designed for a full theatrical release.

Jamie Anderson, managing director of Anderson Entertainment and Gerry Anderson’s son, said: "My father wrote this story at a moment when he was thinking a lot about family, belief, and what we pass on to the next generation. For Anderson Entertainment, this needed to be approached as a contemporary animated film with real emotional weight rather than as a heritage project. Space Age Films, and Robert specifically, understood both sides of that challenge."

Chandler’s recent animation credits include The Canterville Ghost and The Amazing Maurice, both UK independent productions. Reflecting on Anderson’s influence, Chandler described him as "our Walt Disney and Irwin Allen rolled into one" praising "the power of Gerry Anderson’s vision — his creativity and fearless storytelling in making shows that were high-stakes and exciting, carried big philosophical ideas, and were far ahead of their time."

Read more:

• Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson-inspired new animated series confirmed
• UFO and Space: 1999 revisited – How new novellas are bringing Gerry Anderson TV classics back to life

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