It’s official! Riverdance: The Animated Adventure is coming to Netflix on January 14th 2022!

This production has been such a labour of love and we cannot wait for the world to watch this epic adventure into the magical land of the dancing megaloceros giganteus!

The co-production between UK animation studio Aniventure and River Productions is based on the Riverdance stage show franchise and features Bill Whelan’s musical score, which was recorded remotely during the Coronavirus lockdown using a 73-piece orchestra on a socially-distanced Vienna concert stage!

Cinesite’s team created the film from start to finish, from designing the characters to building the magical world.  Our artists also created the performances which capture the technicality and intricacy of the various styles of dance featured throughout the film, including Irish Dancing (obviously!), Spanish flamenco and the Russian dervish, using a combination of motion capture and key frame animation.

Directed by Eamonn Butler and Dave Rosenbaum, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure stars an impressive Irish voice cast, including Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day, Mamma Mia!), John Kavanagh (Vikings, Alexander), Brendan Gleeson (Calvary, the Harry Potter series) and Aisling Bea (This Way Up, Living with Yourself).

The film follows an Irish boy named Keegan (Sam Hardy) and a Spanish girl named Moya (Hannah Herman Cortes) as they journey into the mythical world of the legendary Megaloceros Giganteus, who teach them to appreciate Riverdance as a celebration of life. The film also stars Lilly Singh (Bad Moms, Ice Age: Collision Course), Jermaine Fowler (Coming 2 America, Friends of the People) and Pauline McLynn (Father Ted, The Young Offenders), plus a brand-new single by Ireland’s musical sensation, Lyra.

 The stage show Riverdance, which is currently celebrating its 25^th anniversary, is known for its Irish dancing, as well as its original score, by Grammy award-winning Bill Whelan.  Dave Rosenbaum, director of Riverdance: The Animated Adventure observes “This transcendent entertainment is what makes Riverdance a unique and exciting source for an animated feature. Our film celebrates the power of music and dance in new, unexpected ways. It illustrates the richness of Ireland’s history, nature and people. And it brings to the screen an original world full of comedy and drama, drawn from our imagination.”

Riverdance: The Animated Adventure will be released on Netflix on the 14^th of January.

We look forward to sharing with you soon more details about how Cinesite animated the Riverdance and brought this magical world to life.