Mercury Filmworks and La Chouette bring a chilling new series to life

Ottawa-based Mercury Filmworks, known for its stellar work on Netflix’s Annie and the Emmy-winning animated series Hilda, is joining forces with France’s La Chouette Compagnie, the creative minds behind Droners, to develop a fresh, spine-tingling anthology series titled Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark.

A promising collaboration

The announcement of this collaboration is creating quite a buzz in the animation industry. A project that marries the animation prowess of Mercury Filmworks with La Chouette Compagnie’s innovative storytelling is bound to generate interest. This union aims to develop, produce, and distribute the horror-suspense anthology that promises to captivate teenage and YA audiences.

An impressive debut at Mipcom

Later this month, Mercury Filmworks will take the project to Mipcom, one of the biggest entertainment content markets globally. This move indicates the project’s potential to attract international media partners eager to invest in unique, high-quality content.

Birth of a series from a YouTube sensation

Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark takes inspiration from a popular YouTube channel bearing the same name. Despite having only a handful of episodes, the channel has amassed over 200,000 subscribers and an astounding 9 million views. One particular short, I Think My Step-Dad’s a Werewolf, has garnered more than 4.6 million views alone, demonstrating the channel’s significant impact and reach.

Crafting stories for a modern audience

Created by Andy Coyle, the Emmy-winning producer and director behind Hilda, the series is set to blend horror traditions with coming-of-age themes. These modern folk tales will resonate deeply with the younger audience, offering them thrilling narratives intertwined with relatable experiences.

Coyle’s unique creative vision promises fresh twists to classic horror conventions. His previous work on Hilda has showcased his ability to seamlessly blend heartfelt moments with suspense, and Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark is expected to follow suit.

Unique format and engaging content

Like its YouTube predecessor, the series will fuse podcast elements with lo-fi YouTube aesthetic to create versatile episodes that can be both watched and listened to. Each episode will stand alone, presenting a complete tale, but together they will form a cohesive narrative universe. This format is designed to be accessible and engaging, featuring plenty of Easter eggs for dedicated fans to discover.

Insight from industry leaders

Chantal Ling, Mercury’s VP of Original Series and Co-Productions, shares her excitement about the project:

“Andy’s distinctive creative vision brings a fresh and electrifying twist to the horror genre. Having worked alongside him on Hilda, we know firsthand his remarkable ability to blend heart and suspense seamlessly. This anthology series will not only thrill existing fans of the YouTube shorts but also captivate new audiences around the globe with its unique storytelling. Whether watching or listening, we’re eager to expand on the series’ established fanbase and share these spine-tingling tales with viewers everywhere.”

La Chouette Compagnie’s CEO, Mariam Hachmi, adds:

“Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark promises to be a fun ride for fans of the horror genre with each episode delivering a new tale, and we look forward to working with Andy and the team at Mercury to make this an epic series that will appeal to teen audiences around the world.”

The future of horror animation

In an industry constantly searching for fresh ideas and compelling content, Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark stands out as a beacon of innovation. By blending traditional horror elements with modern storytelling techniques and relatable themes, the series promises to bring a novel experience to viewers.

Mercury Filmworks and La Chouette Compagnie are set to revolutionize the horror genre for young audiences, merging their extensive expertise to create something truly unique. This partnership showcases the potential of international collaboration in producing high-quality, engaging content.

Stay tuned for more updates as Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark progresses from development to a global sensation. For more insights into the world of animation and to follow the journey of this exciting new series, connect with our platforms.