Magic Light Pictures Limited is a British independent film and television production company based in London, England. The company was founded in 2003 by producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose.
Productions Since 2009, Magic Light Pictures has produced thirteen half-hour animated specials based on the best-selling children's story books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: The Gruffalo (2009), The Gruffalo's Child (2011), Room on the Broom (2012), Stick Man (2015), The Highway Rat (2017), Zog (2018), The Snail and the Whale (2019), Zog and the Flying Doctors (2020), Superworm (2021), The Smeds and the Smoos (2022), Tabby McTat (2023), Tiddler (2024) and The Scarecrows' Wedding (2025). Overall, their productions have won more than 40 awards, including two Children's BAFTAs and the Prix Jeunesse, and have been nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Short Animation. Their most recent production, The Scarecrows' Wedding, premiered on BBC One during Christmas Day 2025, and was watched by more than 8.7 million viewers.
Their other productions include the Oscar-nominated Revolting Rhymes (2016), a live-action/animated short based on The Velveteen Rabbit (2023), a preschool animated TV series called Pip and Posy (2021), and feature films including the Oscar-nominated Spanish-language animated feature Chico and Rita (2010), a comedy thriller starring Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt called Wild Target (2010), the British English version of a Danish-language animated feature called Terkel in Trouble (2006), and a romantic comedy feature starring Shaun Evans and Stockard Channing called Sparkle (2007).
Filmography TitleYearCo-produced withTypeTerkel in Trouble (English UK dub)2006A. Film ProductionAnimated featureSparkle2007Isle of Man FilmRomantic comedyGlorious 392009 BBC FilmQuickfire FilmsScreen East Content Investment FundTalkback ThamesUK Film Council ThrillerThe GruffaloStudio SoiAnimated shortWild Target2010 CinemaNXIsle of Man FilmMatador PicturesBlack comedyChico and Rita Fernando Trueba PCEstudio MariscalAnimated featureThe Gruffalo's Child2011Studio SoiAnimated shortOne Life IM GlobalBBC Earth FilmsDocumentaryRoom on the Broom2012Studio SoiAnimated shortStick Man2015Triggerfish Animation StudiosRevolting Rhymes2016The Highway Rat2017Zog2018The Snail and the Whale2019Zog and the Flying Doctors2020Giant CreativeSuperworm2021Blue Zoo Animation StudioPip and PosyAnimated TV seriesThe Smeds and the Smoos2022Animated shortThe Velveteen Rabbit2023 Samson FilmsRed Knuckles StudioLive action/animated shortTabby McTatRed Star 3DAnimated shortTiddler2024The Scarecrows' Wedding 2025The Baddies2026
Awards and nominations ProductionCeremonyCategoryRecipientResultThe Snail and the Whale British Academy Children's AwardsBest DirectorMagic Light Pictures Best AnimationMagic Light Pictures The Highway Rat46th Annie AwardsBest Animated Special ProductionMagic Light PicturesRose d'OrChildren and YouthMagic Light PicturesRevolting Rhymes90th Academy AwardsBest Animated Short FilmJakob SchuhJan LachauerBritish Academy Children's AwardsBest AnimationJakob SchuhJan LachauerMartin PopeMichael Rose6th International Emmy Kids AwardsKids: AnimationMichael RoseMartin PopeMagic Light PicturesStick ManBritish Academy Children's AwardsBest AnimationProduction TeamBritish Animation AwardsBest Use of SoundAdrian RhodesMagic Light PicturesBest Voice PerformanceMartin FreemanMagic Light PicturesBest Long FormJeroen JaspaertDaniel SnaddonMagic Light PicturesRoom on the Broom86th Academy AwardsBest Animated Short FilmMax LangJan LachauerBritish Academy Children's AwardsBest AnimationMax LangJan LachauerMagic Light PicturesInternational Emmy Kids AwardsKids: AnimationMax LangJan LachauerMagic Light PicturesThe Gruffalo's ChildBritish Animation AwardsBest Long FormJohannes WeilandUwe HeidschötterBritish Academy Children's AwardsBest AnimationJohannes WeilandUwe HeidschötterMagic Light PicturesChico and Rita84th Academy AwardsBest Animated FeatureFernando TruebaJavier MariscalThe Gruffalo83rd Academy AwardsBest Animated Short FilmJakob SchuhMax Lang62nd British Academy Film AwardsBest Short AnimationMichael RoseMartin PopeJakob SchuhMax LangPrix Jeunesse InternationalPrix Jeunesse 7-11 FictionMagic Light PicturesPrize of the Children's Jury 7-11 FictionMagic Light Pictures
Licensing Magic Light Pictures runs a licensing programme and carries ranges in Sainsbury's, Debenhams, John Lewis, Waterstones, and M&S, among others. Launched in 2009, the programme has markets in Germany, Australia, Scandinavia, New Zealand and the USA. Products available in The Gruffalo brand include plush, stationery, homewares, games, toys and apparel.
Magic Light has won five Licensing Awards for their branded apparel, furniture and Forestry Commission trails.
Brand partnerships Magic Light Pictures has several award-winning brand partnerships with organisations including Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Forestry Commission England and Arla milk.
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort currently hosts the Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, themed hotel rooms, an arena dedicated to the films and characters, and a food outlet. In March 2019 Chessington launched a Room on the Broom attraction with specifically themed hotel rooms.
Since 2014, The Forestry Commission has worked with Magic Light on providing free, self-led trails based on the Gruffalo brand family on over 20 sites around the UK, as well as offering Gruffalo orienteering, Gruffalo sculptures in several forests, and an augmented reality app, The Gruffalo Spotter.
2019 marked the 20th anniversary of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's Gruffalo book and 10 years since the premiere of the animated special on BBC One. As part of the celebration, Magic Light partnered with the Royal Mint to release a set of commemorative silver and gold fifty pence collectors' coins, and with the Royal Mail to release a set of bespoke Gruffalo stamps.
Apps Since 2013, Magic Light Pictures has developed a range of mini-game and augmented reality apps based around the Gruffalo brand family. Room on the Broom: Games and Gruffalo: Games were both nominated for a Children's BAFTA in the Interactive Adapted category in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
The Gruffalo Spotter app, launched in early 2017, is an augmented reality app that works alongside the Forestry Commission trails, where users can follow a set of clues and signs to locate animated characters from the book and take photos with them. The app was nominated at the 2017 BAFTA awards in the Interactive category.
References
External links IMDB Magic Light Pictures Magic Light Pictures