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Kirk Jones to Write and Direct Live-Action Mr Benn Film

Casting is slated to start later this year with production planned for 2027.

Overview

  • The project, announced Tuesday by 48 Films, BeaglePug, Jackpot Productions and One Story High, moves the long-discussed adaptation into active development.
  • Producers include Branwen Prestwood Smith and Mike Prestwood Smith for 48 Films, David Barron for BeaglePug, Jack Whitehall for Jackpot, and Jones for One Story High.
  • Jones joins after BAFTA wins for I Swear, setting the stage for a fresh take from the Nanny McPhee filmmaker.
  • The McKee family backed the plan, calling the film a long-held wish and praising Jones’s role in guiding it.
  • Mr Benn began as a 1971 BBC animated series of 13 episodes about a man who enters a costume shop and steps into themed adventures, with a 1999 film attempt later fizzling out.