Magic Light reveals The Highway Rat details

David Tennant to lead cast as company reveals raft of licensing opportunities.

Magic Light Pictures has been enjoying a strong debut at Brand Licensing Europe this week – and this has been further boosted by the reveal that David Tennant will lead the cast of the eagerly anticipated The Highway Rat.

Airing on BBC One as a festive family highlight this Christmas, the half hour animated special will be voiced by a stellar cast of British acting talent, featuring David Tennant as the Highway Rat, Rob Brydon as the narrator, Nina Sosanya as the Duck, Tom Hollander as the Squirrel and Frances de le Tour as the Rabbit.

First published in 2011 by picture book duo Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Highway Rat is about a ravenous rat who craves buns, biscuits and all sweet things.

Daryl Shute, brand director at Magic Light, commented: “It has been a privilege adapting this wonderful book of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s for the screen, extending further our portfolio of animated half hour specials.

“2017 has been an incredible year for us at Magic Light. March saw the opening of the World’s first Gruffalo theme park attraction at Chessington World of Adventures Resort; our ground-breaking Augmented Reality app ‘Gruffalo Spotter’ has enjoyed over 370,000 downloads; and our best in class licensing programme continues to grow in new categories as we expand our reach to wider audiences.

“We’re delighted to be exhibiting at BLE for this first time this year, to share our successes with the industry.”

Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter.

MORE NEWS
B&LLAs2025500x500
 
The event will take place on Thursday 24 April at the Royal Lancaster London, where the assembled audience of retailers, licensees, brand owners and industry executives will celebrate the achievements of the 219 finalists across 22 categories, as well as witnessing the crowning of this year's Brand Ambassador....
BeanstalkJuliusK9500x500
 
Beanstalk will look to leverage JULIUS-K9's strong brand equity to extend its offering into key categories across the UK and Europe including pet food, vitamins, bedding, cages and travel products....
BobMarleyfragrance500x500
 
"This collection is a tribute to our legacy and how we continue to inspire people, creating a sense of calm and togetherness that lasts across generations."...
BrandLicensingForDummies500x500
 
Available from 19 May in print and digital formats, the book - written by Steven Ekstract and Stu Seltzer - is aiming to become an essential resource for anyone looking to understand, enter or expand within the fast growing world of licensing....
PeterRabbitWildBrainCPLG500x500
 
Under the agreement, WildBrain CPLG will manage the consumer products programme rights across merchandise, promotions, digital and experiences....
GrindClueless500x500
 
Coffee company, Grind has unveiled its latest limited edition collection, teaming with Paramount Pictures' Clueless to commemorate the film's 30th anniversary and the launch of Clueless, The Musical in London's West End....
Get the latest news sent to your inbox
Subscribe to our daily newsletter

The list doesn't exist! Make sure you have imported the list on the 'Manage List Forms' page.