6 October 2025

Moomin Characters partner with Annapurna for a new animated Moomin film

Moomin Characters, the parent company of global phenomenon the Moomins, and Annapurna today announced they are bringing the beloved creatures to life as an animated feature film—the first Moomin film produced in the United States.

The film will be written and directed by Rebecca Sugar, the creator of the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe. Julia Pistor, who was behind animated features including The SpongeBob Squarepants Movies and The Rugrats films, will produce.

Created by Finnish artist, illustrator, and writer Tove Jansson during WWII, the Moomins are gentle, rotund trolls who live in Moominvalley, a magical place where adventures are always waiting around the corner and the values of friendship, bravery and respect are ever-present. The Moomins novels, on which the film is based, have been published in more than 60 different languages, with television adaptations in 120 countries, and a Moomin comic strip drawn by Jansson was syndicated in 40 countries. In recent months, they’ve received renewed attention in the U.S., with a feature in the New Yorker on the “joys of Moomscrolling” and an exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library.

Rebecca Sugar. © Elizabeth Weinberg

“We are thrilled to partner with the talented Rebecca Sugar as well as Annapurna for this milestone new film. We are excited to see how this accomplished team will reinterpret the beloved Moomin stories and for them to be discovered and rediscovered by old and new fans alike, ” said Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters.

“We’re honored to bring Tove Jansson’s timeless vision to the big screen” said Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein, co-presidents of Annapurna Animation. “Along with Rebecca and Julia, we can’twait to introduce these beloved characters—and the humor, heart, and subversive spirit Tove brought to her work—to new audiences.”

About Annapurna

Annapurna is an independent multi-platform media company and content studio founded by Megan Ellison in 2011. Working with artists across film, television, games, animation, and theatre, Annapurna creates, produces, and acquires high-quality original stories, helping creators reach audiences globally across mediums. Its animation division, which was founded in 2022 by former Disney animation execs Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein, is known for the Academy Award® -nominated NIMONA and is currently adapting the hit indie game STRAY.

About Moomin Characters

Moomin Characters Oy Ltd is the official copyright holder of all the Moomin characters. All characters from Moominvalley are trademark registered worldwide. The company was founded in the 1950s by Tove Jansson (1914-2001) and her brother Lars Jansson to manage the copyright of the Moomins and is still run by family members. Rights and Brands is the worldwide licensing agent of the company.

About Rebecca Sugar

Rebecca Sugar is an animator, director, screenwriter, producer, singer and songwriter known for her emotionally authentic animated characters, and for her platinum single “Love Like You.” Creator of the Emmy-Nominated, GLAAD and Peabody award-winning series, “STEVEN UNIVERSE,” Sugar has been recognized for accelerating acceptance through her storytelling and art. Prior to “Steven Universe” she served as a writer, storyboard artist and songwriter on the formative seasons of “Adventure Time.”

“Steven Universe: The Movie,” a full musical directed by Sugar, aired on Cartoon Network to rave reviews. She recently celebrated the release of her new album “Lonely Magic” with a sold-out concert at Gallery Nucleus.