Netflix has picked up exclusive rights to Xilam Animation’s new CG-animated comedy Trico, which will debut in early 2022.

Hugo Gittard (Zig & Sharko, Magoo) created the non-verbal series about a retired globetrotting sheep who disrupts a peaceful mountain pasture and has to work with a friend to defend the other sheep from a sneaky wolf.

Xilam was motivated to make the 78 x seven-minute series after the success of Oggy and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko, says CEO Marc du Pontavice. The non-verbal comedy nature of both shows gives them longer international legs, and the ability to reach a much wider audience. Seeing the success of Xilam’s other shows in this vein, Netflix approached the studio to create a slapstick series, he adds.

“With Hugo Gittard—one of the leading talents in [non-verbal slapstick]—available, it felt like perfect timing to develop his own [series] with us,” says du Pontavice.

Aimed at kids ages six to nine, Trico marks the Xilam’s first slapstick series to be fully produced in 3D. In January, the prodco acquired a 50.1% majority stake in Cube Creative, which specializes in 3D animation that makes it possible to speed up content delivery and push into new animation styles.

Xilam holds second-window global linear TV distribution and merchandising rights for the series, and is looking to lock in broadcasters and toy partners.

The French studio is also producing preschool series Oggy Oggy (156 x seven minutes) for Netflix. It’s the streamer’s first animated original series from France. Based on Xilam’s Oggy and the Cockroaches brand, the spinoff is set for a 2021 delivery.