What’s Growing in the Apple TV+ Animation Orchard?

With the first puppetry project announced in Apple’s multiseries children’s content deal with Sesame Workshop revealed at the company’s “It’s Showtime” event as educational coding series Helpsters — starring Cody the Muppet — it’s a good time to review the diverse projects headed to the Apple TV+ streaming platforms of interest to Animag readers!

Among Apple’s previously announced animated and fantasy-themed projects are:

Wolfwalkers. Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon (The Breadwinner, The Secret of Kells) is behind this animated feature about a young apprentice hunter who travels to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack of wolves, seen as demonic and evil creatures in an era ruled by superstition and magic. The pic is directed by Oscar nominee Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea) and Ross Stewart. Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) provides one of the main voices.

Peanuts. Apple and DHX Media are producing short-form Peanuts content that promote science, technology, engineering and math. The animated series will feature astronaut Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Woodstock and the rest of the popular Peanuts characters.

Central Park. Loren Bouchard (Bob’s Burgers), Josh Gad and Nora Smith’s new animated musical series centers on a family of caretakers who live in New York’s famous park and end up saving the world. The voice cast includes Gad, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Titus Burgess, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs..

Amazing Stories. Exec producer Steven Spielberg is reviving his anthology series which first aired on NBC in 1985. This collection of strange and fantastical tales will be directed by Lost and Once Upon a Time showrunners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and will star Edward Burns as a government agent, Austin Stowell and Kerry Bishe.

Time Bandits. Who doesn’t love Terry Gilliam’s brilliant 1981 movie about a young boys adventures with a gang of time-traveling little people? Well, the amazing New Zealand writer/director/comedian Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Thor Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) is in charge of delivering a new live-action series based on the property, produced by Anonymous Content, Paramount TV and Media Rights Capital.

Untitled M. Night Shyamalan Thriller. There are a couple of things we know about the new psychological thriller show which stars Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Rupert Grint and Nell Tiger Free. There will be lots of suspenseful moments, and unpredictable twists. Shyamalan is also directing the first episode.