Ludo Studio juggernaut Bluey is set to grace the big screen with BBC Studios and the Walt Disney Company announcing an animated feature centred on the Blue Heeler dog, Mum Chilli, Dad Bandit, and little sister Bingo.
Disney has acquired the global theatrical rights for the project, to be written and directed by creator Joe Brumm, which will land in cinemas in 2027 before streaming on Disney+.
The CG animated film will star vocal talent from the hit show including Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack as Bluey’s mum and dad, Chilli and Bandit Heeler, and music created by Bluey composer Joff Bush.
It will be produced by animation producer Amber Naismith with Richard Jeffery returning to co-direct.
Brumm is executive producing alongside Justine Flynn for BBC Studios, and Ludo Studio’s Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson. For Disney, the film will be overseen by David Greenbaum, president of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, and his team.
BBC Studios is financing and licensing the picture for distribution. The film is being supported by the Australian government through the Producer Offset and Screen Australia, and support from the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Post, Digital and Visual Effects Incentive.
It comes as Brumm announced he would be stepping away from the TV series, sharing the “trifficult news” in a blog post.
“I always said I wouldn’t keep making the show if I thought I couldn’t make any new season as good as the last,” he wrote.
“This would have been the case for me with a potential season four, so I’ve decided to take a break from my involvement in the TV series. In the event I can’t wrap my head around doing more seasons myself, The Sign will mark my TV finale for Bluey and I wrote it as such.”
In a separate statement, Brumm said he always felt Bluey deserved the feature treatment.
“I really enjoyed the experience of working with a longer format on ‘The Sign’ in Series 3, so going even further with a feature film feels like a natural extension of that,” he said.
“I want this to be an experiential event for the whole family to enjoy together. I’m excited to continue to partner with Cecilia Persson, Tom Fussell and the team at BBC Studios, and Dana Walden, Alan Bergman and Disney to bring this new Bluey story to the big screen.”
According to data from Disney+, which streams the episodes in all Territories outside Australia, New Zealand, and China, 28-minute special ‘The Sign’ debuted to 10.4 million views globally on Disney+ after seven days of streaming, with Bluey consistently falling in the Top 5 series on Disney+ by monthly views.
In September, the ABC/BBC Studios series was crowned the most-watched program in the US for 2024, with 35 billion minutes viewed, according to Nielsen Media Research data.
Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden ’Bluey’ had united families everywhere with its “heartfelt stories of play, imagination and connection”.
“We are so proud to expand upon our relationship with BBC Studios to bring the magic of Bluey to the big screen – for real life! – and we are deeply grateful to Joe Brumm for creating a world that continues to inspire and delight families everywhere.”
BBC Studios CEO said the company was “incredibly excited” to take Bluey to cinemas.
“It has been such a privilege to work with Joe and the team at Ludo Studio on Bluey‘s meteoric rise from inception through to becoming one of the most beloved TV shows of all time,” he said.
“BBC Studios has a long history of bringing the very best children’s television to the world in new and exciting ways, so working with Joe and the team, we felt a feature-length film was the natural next step.”
*This article has been updated.