Surf's Up Returns With A Gnarly New TV Series From Atomic Cartoons

Break out the boards: the penguins from Surf's Up are waddling back, but this time as a TV show. And yes, the mockumentary vibe is still part of the DNA.

So what are we getting?

Per Deadline, Thunderbird Entertainment Group's Atomic Cartoons is developing 'Surf's Up: The Series', a small-screen spin on Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures' 2007 animated film from directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. The plan is short-form episodes aimed at younger kids, with some familiar faces returning and a new lead taking the spotlight.

• Who is making it: Atomic Cartoons, the animation studio inside Thunderbird Entertainment Group
• Format and target: 11-minute episodes geared at ages 6–9
• The setup: an over-confident teen penguin named Flip teams up with a crew of young surfers to chase surf legend status; it goes spectacularly off the rails, so they pivot and build their own surf community on Pen Gu Island
• Returning characters: Cody Maverick, Big Z, and Chicken Joe are back in the mix
• Where this comes from: the 2007 feature was a mockumentary-style look at the Penguin World Surfing Championship, starring up-and-comer Cody
• Rollout plans: the team is aiming for an international TV partner lineup
• Merch angle: expect a full consumer products push — think action figures, apparel, backpacks, lunch boxes, the usual kid-targeted gear

Atomic and Thunderbird CEO Twiner McCarron is already in launch mode:

'Our team at Atomic is thrilled to be working on Surf's Up: The Series and for the opportunity to introduce these adored characters to the small screen, reaching new and existing fans of the iconic animated film.'

Atomic's Aaron Behl also shouted out a trio of creatives — Lienne, Dan, and John — calling them the right team to translate the film into a 'hilarious' animated series. Inside baseball note: the announcement did not bother with last names, which is either mysterious or just very press release.

No network or premiere window yet, but the plan is clear: keep the surf-doc tone, skew younger with bite-sized episodes, bring back the fan favorites, and build a whole new penguin surf scene around Flip. If you grew up on the original, you might feel the pull of the tide; if you are 8, the backpacks are incoming.