Bagpuss, the saggy pink-and-white cloth cat beloved by generations of British children, will be revived in a live-action feature film due in cinemas in 2027, producers announced Tuesday. The project, described as a sequel to the original 13-episode series, follows celebrations marking the character's half-century on screen.
Birmingham-based Threewise Entertainment is developing the family movie and said it has the blessing of the estates of the show's original creators. Michael Ford, chief executive of Threewise, said the film will "rouse the sleepy old cat from his slumber and reunite him with his spirit of adventure for a fun and heartfelt quest that will delight fans old and new." The company described the project as "a modern-day quest that blends heart-felt storytelling, comedy and music, while staying true to the spirit of the classic series."
The film is set to awaken Bagpuss and his companions in contemporary Britain, where they will resume their mission of mending lost and broken objects, according to production notes. The revival aims to appeal to long-standing fans of the 1970s television series as well as to a new generation of children and families.
The original Bagpuss was created by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate and featured Firmin's daughter, Emily, as the young girl who brought broken items into a shop window. Each episode began in sepia tones; when the girl left, the scene shifted into colour and Bagpuss and a cast of toy characters came to life to repair the items. Memorable supporting characters included Professor Yaffle the woodpecker, Gabriel the toad, the rag doll Madeleine and a group of mice who operated the "Marvellous Magical Mouse Organ."
Emily Firmin said she was moved by the announcement and welcomed the chance for new audiences to discover the character. "Bagpuss was an integral part of my childhood. To me he wasn't just a character on the screen, he was a friend who taught me about kindness, care and imagination," she said. "To see our most magical cat return now is incredibly moving and I'm thrilled that new fans will have the chance to discover him, and that his magic will live on and be shared with the next generation."
Threewise has said the film will be live action with elements that preserve the handcrafted qualities of the original puppetry. The production company suggested the film hopes to follow in the footsteps of recent successful family features that blended live-action and voice performance, citing the Paddington films as a possible benchmark.
Most of the original episodes were produced in a barn on Firmin's farm in Canterbury, Kent. Postgate and Firmin collaborated on several noted British children's programmes; Postgate died in 2008 and Firmin died in 2018 at age 89. The original Bagpuss series enjoyed enduring popularity and was voted the nation's favourite children's show in a 1999 BBC poll.
The announcement arrives after the series' 50th anniversary was marked last year. Daniel Postgate, Oliver Postgate's son, said at the time that the series had been discontinued after its initial run because BBC executives regarded it as out of date, even though the creators had hoped to continue. He said the broadcaster was moving toward a different style of children's programming and later acknowledged that the show's longstanding appeal suggested that decision may have been mistaken.
Threewise has not yet released casting details, specifics on the film's creative team beyond the production company, or a production schedule. The company said further announcements would follow as development progresses toward the planned 2027 release.
The return of Bagpuss adds to a broader trend of reviving classic children's properties for modern family audiences while attempting to balance nostalgia with contemporary storytelling approaches. The film will be watched closely by those who grew up with the original for indications of how faithfully it preserves the tone and handcrafted aesthetic that defined the series.