Mighty Nice Announces New Animated Comedy-Caper “The Grot”

Sydney based Mighty Nice (Bottersnikes & Gumbles, Kazoops!, She Creates Change) have teamed up with Australian creator Pat Grant to develop and produce the award winning graphic novel The Grot into an animated comedy series for older kids, tweens - and anyone else looking for a ripping yarn with heart, humour and a thick layer of grunge.

The Grot is a coming-of-age comedy caper for YA audiences that follows two very different pairs of siblings trying to find their way and figure out who they can actually trust in the corrupt chaos of Falter City, a boom-town crawling with con artists and dodgy scammers.

Falter City is booming due to the discovery of a miraculous, green algae found only out in the surrounding swamps - deep in “The Grot”. This has set off the “Green Rush” - the great migration of their time. Fresh hordes pour in daily to try their luck in the murky, toxic Grot. Anyone willing to get filthy can also get rich. (It’s a bit like the Sydney property market.)

As one of the brains behind the co-production of Australian illustrated classic Bottersnikes & Gumbles (Netflix/ABC/BBC), studio founder Darren Price always has his eye out for graphic stories with a strong local voice and the potential to resonate internationally.

“We were drawn to this graphic novel as it deals with substantial issues of trust and the bonds of family in an action-driven, compelling story. The engine of the story is the Art of the Con, which is a non-violent crime form that opens up big issues and high-stakes tension yet still sits safely within a PG-13 rating.” explained Darren “There are not many stories that can do all this, set against the backdrop of a post-industrial climate disaster and still be funny as hell.”

Mighty Nice is a Nexus Studios Company. Nexus is an independent production and animation studio based in London and Los Angeles. Their internationally awarded work spans the worlds of entertainment, branded content and technology. Both studios celebrate both the value of traditional filmmaking craft and cutting-edge innovation. Recent Nexus long form projects include The House (Netflix) and Billie Eillish’s Happier Than Ever (Disney+) and She Creates Change (Discovery Asia).

Mighty Nice has received two rounds of development funding from Screen Tasmania for this project and The Grot has just been selected for MIFA PItches as part of the Annecy Animation Festival next week. At MIFA, Mighty Nice will be meeting with international partners who are keen to strap on their goggles and dive into The Grot.