All art forms are a real labour of love, but stop-motion may involve the most intensive process of all. It requires painstaking, detailed work by devoted artists, who know that it could take years for their project to become reality.
Case in point: Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! and Harry Sinclair.
Alongside Antony Elworthy, Sinclair has brought Kiri and Lou to the big screen, a major leap for the beloved Kiwi children’s TV series whose episodes are usually around five minutes long.
“It took about four years off and on for me to write the script then about a year for the animation,” Sinclair says. “Stop-motion is an extremely slow process, we had animators moving characters frame-by-frame for a year – a super slow process.”
It was all worth it in the end. Like its Australian counterpart Bluey, Kiri and Lou has found phenomenal success with fans of all ages across the world, being picked up by the BBC and earning a BAFTA nomination along the way.
After 104 episodes across seven years, a feature film made a lot of sense on paper, but Sinclair explains that he “didn’t initially plan” to adapt the series for cinema. “[T]he idea developed with an interest in telling a longer story with the characters after completing several seasons of the show.”
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is a prequel, taking fans back to the very beginning to reveal how Kiri, “a feisty little dinosaur,” and Lou, “a gentle and sensitive ‘palorchecie’,” became best friends.
“With its signature hand-crafted, stop-motion claymation style, ‘Kiri and Lou’ takes kids on prehistoric musical adventures that explore themes of empathy and friendship, a welcome antidote to the fast-paced, noisy world of children’s content today,” the official logline reads.
The film boasts two of the most beloved names in the New Zealand arts, with Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) lending his voice acting talent and Don McGlashan providing the music. The latter was presumably an easy get for both the series and the film: Sinclair and McGlashan formed The Front Lawn, their famed musical duo, in Auckland in the ’80s.
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! is showing at New Zealand International Film Festival 2026 this Saturday (August 8th) at the family-friendly time of 8am. It will also arrive in nationwide cinemas on the same day.
Ahead of the screening, I caught up with Sinclair to find out more about the series — read our conversation below.
Find out more about Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Did you always want to take the TV series to the big screen?
Harry Sinclair: No I didn’t initially plan to adapt Kiri and Lou to the big screen but the idea developed with an interest in telling a longer story.
When did the idea for a prequel first come to you?
The idea came as Kiri and Lou the series moved along and they are such contrasting characters, so I wanted to explore how two such different personalities met. How on earth did these guys ever become friends?
Jemaine Clement, Olivia Tennet, Don McGlashan – that’s some serious star quality. How did they all first come aboard?
Jemaine was an old friend whose voice I had always love. Lou was pretty much written for Jemaine really, so he was an easy ask to come on board and it happened. Kiri was a little different — Olivia Tennet was found after a lengthy bunch of auditions, we had never met before. And Don and I have a long history with each having worked with each for over 40 years… it was just a natural fit with it involving music.
How long did it take to make a feature-length version?
That’s a good question… It took about four years off and on for me to write the script then about a year for the animation. Stop-motion is an extremely slow process, we had animators moving characters frame-by-frame for a year – a super slow process.
How did it feel to be nominated for a BAFTA for the series? Still remember the moment you first heard the news?
I thought it was a mistake when I first heard Kiri and Lou had been nominated and it wasn’t until I called my producer Fiona [Copland] who confirmed it – it was very exciting. It had been very popular in the UK, gaining significantly during COVID when families were watching together at home. So yeah, it was a real honour to be nominated.
What’s one thing you hope fans get out of your prequel?
I wanted to create a fun family story that would entertain both children and adults.
Tell me about being a working filmmaker in Aotearoa today. How do you find it?
I have been very fortunate with Kiri and Lou to be in consistent work for the last decade so it has been a definite period of reduced anxiety.
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Who is your biggest filmmaking inspiration?
I have to say my mother — if it wasn’t for her encouragement and support, I would have never had the confidence to try the things I did. She still inspires me now.
Do you have any future projects lined up?
I am working on another kids series which has just launched in New Zealand called Tralala now that Kiri and Lou is over for the moment.
From Rolling Stone AU/NZ