“Shaun the Sheep” is becoming a trilogy.
The beloved franchise is getting a third installment from Aardman and Studiocanal, titled “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.” The film will be released in 2026, IndieWire confirms. Studiocanal is launching worldwide sales at Cannes 2025, with SKY as the U.K. distributor releasing in cinemas and on SKY cinema.
“Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” will show the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm as they look forward to Halloween. That is, until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch, as the synopsis states. “When Shaun turns Mad Scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control,” the logline reads. “With The Farmer missing and a wild beast roaming the woods of Mossingham, all the ingredients are in place for a monstrously fun family adventure.”
The “Shaun the Sheep” movie franchise began in 2015 with the wordless “Shaun the Sheep Movie” from co-directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzak — the character had first been introduced in 1995’s “A Close Shave.” The 2015 film was nominated for several awards, including a BAFTA and an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Its sequel, “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” was similarly Academy Award-nominated. Aardman released a half-hour special with the character in 2021, “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas.”
Burton cowrote “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” with Giles Pilbrow, the “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas” scribe. Steve Cox, also of “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas” fame, will co-direct with Matthew Walker. “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” is produced by Richard Beek, with Nick Park, Peter Lord, Carla Shelley, and Sarah Cox as executive producers.
“Shaun the Sheep is an iconic character, beloved by viewers of all ages around the world. In our new animated movie, we bring family-friendly thrills to this light-hearted, spooky Halloween adventure,” Sarah Cox, Chief Creative Director at Aardman said. “Expect smashed pumpkins, wayward science, and a wild hairy beast on the loose in Mossy Bottom – all delivered with the Flock’s trademark joyous comedy.”
Anna Marsh, the CEO of Studiocanal, and Ron Halpern, the EVP Global Production at Studiocanal, added, “We are so delighted to be in development and pre-production on ‘Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom’ launching worldwide sales at Cannes. We have taken such pride in establishing Shaun the Sheep and the flock as a cinematic must for audiences across the globe and in this – our third feature film in the franchise – we have a tantalizing seasonal hook in Halloween with thrills, spills, surprises, a touch of science and characters old and new. We cannot wait to reveal more of this highly anticipated family treat in the coming months. It’s a genuine pleasure to be back in partnership with Aardman for Shaun’s very welcome return to the big screen.”
