Kensukes Kingdom: Weaving Captivating Music into a Hand-Drawn Visual Feast [Video]

Now a literary staple in UK schools, Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom has been adapted theatrically, but never as a film.

In 2020, directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry entered production of their animated adaptation of Morpurgo’s award-winning adventure story, which follows a young boy, Michael (Aaron MacGregor), who sets off with his family on the sailing trip of a lifetime. Excitement turns to terror when a violent storm erupts, sweeping Michael and his dog, Stella, overboard. They wash up onto a remote island, frightened and struggling to survive. Michael soon discovers he is not alone; he’s confronted by Kensuke (Ken Watanabe), a mysterious Japanese man who has secretly lived on the island since World War II. And he is angry at Michael’s arrival. However, when poachers threaten their fragile island paradise and the animals that live there, Michael and Kensuke join forces to save their secret world.

Kensuke’s Kingdomis a Lupus Films production in association with Kensuke’s Kingdom, Jigsaw …