In 2022, season three of the new Moomin animation Moominvalley by Gutsy Animations will premiere – here is the history of all the animations that came before it. Many will be surprised to learn that the earliest Moomin animations date back more than 60 years!
Tove Jansson’s (1914– 2001) first Moomin story, “The Moomins and the Great Flood”, was published as a book in 1945 in Finland. Yet, “Finn Family Moomintroll” (originally “Trollkarlens hatt”, i.e. “Hobgoblin’s hat”, which the scene above is from), published in Swedish in 1948 and in English in 1950, was her first true literary success, both in the Nordic countries and further afield.
Since then, all of the Moomin books and later on also comic strips have inspired hundreds of people to re-create the world of Moomins based on their own interpretation in different forms ranging from books to movies and television series, keeping the stories alive and fresh for new generations.
Many different animated versions of Tove Jansson’s beloved Moomin books have been produced over the decades, but many Moomin fans will still be surprised to learn that the earliest Moomin animations date back almost 60 years. Here are some examples of the different shows:
The very first Moomin film to premiere on TV was a German black and white marionette animation filmed in 1959.
The first Japanese animations came ten years later, and the first Russian version following in the 1970s.
At the end of the 1970s a Polish puppet / cut-out animation aired in a number of countries.
To date the most famous Moomin animation ever made was the Japanese Delightful Moomin Family series, which had its TV debut in 1990. The series aired in over 120 countries, followed by repeated reruns.
A brand-new animated series by Gutsy Animations, Moominvalley, has been co-produced in Finland and in the UK. The first season launched outstandingly successfully in Finland, Japan and in the UK during the spring 2019, and it has now been sold to over 50 countries. Season three will premiere in 2022.
Interested in a licensing collab with Moomin? Hit us with your idea by sending an e-mail to licensing@rightsandbrands.com