Key Takeaways

• New Series: Surf’s Up: The Series is an adaptation of the original animated film.
• Target Audience: The show aims to entertain kids aged 6-9 with 11-minute episodes.
• Returning Characters: Iconic characters like Cody, Big Z, and Chicken Joe will appear in the series.
• Merchandising Plans: There will be a significant push for related merchandise, including action figures and apparel.

Cowabunga, dudes! Who’s ready to catch a blue wave with Cody, Chicken Joe, and Zeke? According to Deadline, Ash Brannon and Chris Buck’s animated mockumentary feature Surf’s Up is riding the waves to the small screen for a TV series adaptation!

Thunderbird Entertainment Group’s Atomic Cartoons is developing Surf’s Up: The Series, with the presentation, based on the 2007 animated film from Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures, targeting kids aged 6-9 with 11-minute episodes.

In 2007’s Surf’s Up, Brannon and Buck’s animated mockumentary featured a behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship, and its newest participant, up-and-comer Cody Maverick.

In the new series, “an over-confident teen penguin named Flip teams with a zany bunch of young surfers in his attempt to become a surf legend. Things go spectacularly wrong and the wipeouts are spectacular, so instead they build their own surf community on Pen Gu Island. Characters from the movie such as Cody, Big Z, and Chicken Joe will return.”

“Our team at Atomic is thrilled to be working on Surf’s Up: The Series and for the opportunity to introduce these adored characters to the small screen, reaching new and existing fans of the iconic animated film,” said Twiner McCarron, who is also the CEO of Atomic in addition to Thunderbird.

“Lienne, Dan, and John are passionate about only two things in life – penguins and surfing,” added Atomic Cartoons’ Aaron Behl. “It was undeniable that they were the right team – pun intended – to adapt Surf’s Up as a hilarious animated series.”

Creatives expect Surf’s Up: The Series to go international with TV partners. The initiative includes a significant consumer push, so expect action figures, apparel, backpacks, lunch boxes, and whatever else counts as merchandising for young audiences.

I have fond memories of Surf’s Up. It was one of those “it’s better than you’d expect” animations from that era, and considering how much Sony Pictures Animation has grown with projects like Into the Spider-Verse and KPop Demon Hunters, it could get a significant upgrade in the looks department. Are you excited about Surf’s Up: The Series? Let us know in the comments section below.