The BBC has revealed the trailer for Superworm, a stop-motion comedy special that is set to premiere this Christmas. Based on the children’s book by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, the story follows a worm that is immensely popular among the animals because it uses its super-strength and elasticity to keep everyone out of harm’s way. But when Superworm is kidnapped, its best friend and the other small animals will have to band together to go to the rescue.
Academy Award winner Olivia Colman voices the narrator of the story, while title character Superworm is voiced by former Doctor Who and The Crown alum Matt Smith. Superworm’s best friend Butterfly is voiced by Patricia Allison (Sex Education), while Rob Brydon (The Trip) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Paddington 2) voice the duo of villains Crow and wicked Wizard Lizard, respectively.
In the trailer, we get a sense of how different Superworm is and, at the same time, how the differences are celebrated by the animals across the garden. It also shows the wicked Wizard Lizard wearing a magician’s hat which makes it look really cute, even though the lizard is supposed to be the villain.
Superworm is directed by Jac Hamman and Sarah Scrimgeour, who are both making their directorial debut in a TV special. The screenplay was written by two-time Academy Award nominee Max Lang, who previously wrote Room on the Broom and Zog and the Flying Doctors. He co-wrote the script of Superworm with Suzanne Lang, who has written for children’s TV series like Pip and Posy and 101 Dalmatian Street.
Superworm is just another entry in a long partnership between the BBC, authors Davidson and Scheffer, and the team of screenwriters. They have come together to adapt the authors’ stories several times, most recently with Zog and the Flying Doctors and The Snail and the Whale. Davidson and Scheffer’s stories adaptations have become a sort of Christmas tradition at the BBC, and this year won’t be any different.
BBC premieres Superworm on December 25. You can watch the trailer below: