If you’ve seen Song Of The Sea, or The Secret Of Kells, or The Breadwinner, you’ll know that when people mention Irish animation house Cartoon Saloon in the same breath as Studio Ghibli, it’s no hyperbole – their films look stunningly gorgeous, bring traditional stories (often focused on nature) to vibrant life, and they work for kids and adults alike. Which makes the incoming arrival of WolfWalkers all the more exciting – the latest from Sea and Kells director Tomm Moore, co-directed with Ross Stewart. In keeping with Moore’s previous films, he’s conjuring more Irish folktales for the screen, digging into 17th-Century history with a supernatural twist, in a story set against the background of Oliver Cromwell’s invasion of Ireland.
“Because it had been the capital of the Catholic Confederacy, Cromwell’s aim was to crush Kilkenny,” Moore tells Empire in the new issue. “And he did a good job of it!” If that’s the context, the tale itself is one of shape-shifting wolves, the connection between a wild Irish girl and the English hunter girl who stumbles upon her, whose hunter father Bill who is not only voiced by Sean Bean, but visually modelled after him too. “We drew the dad to look like Sean Bean from his Sharpe era,” Moore tells Empire. “He just looks a bit like a dad to me! We were really delighted when he agreed to do the voice.”
Read Empire’s full WolfWalkers story in the the Dune issue, on sale Thursday 3 September and available to pre-order now. WolfWalkers is set to arrive in cinemas and Apple TV+ later this year.