Preschoolers and parents hooked on heartwarming animated series “Bluey” might want to take a “tactical wee” to avoid any excited accidents: there’s going to be a film. A feature-length version of the adventures of sisters Bluey and Bingo, and their parents Chilli and Bandit, is set to hit cinemas in 2027, The Walt Disney Company said Tuesday. “Bluey has become a global phenomenon, uniting families everywhere with its heartfelt stories of play, imagination and connection,” Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment, said in a statement.

“We are so proud to... bring the magic of Bluey to the big screen -- for real life!” The Australian series, which began in 2018, features an anthropomorphic family of Blue Heelers -- a type of Australian cattle dog -- as they navigate childhood and parenting in a Queensland suburb. Episodes offer gently instructive life lessons for youngsters on how to share or how to cope with not getting your own way.

But they are also popular with parents for their sympathetic portrayal of the real-life ups and downs of looking after little ones. The show’s witty dialogue is shot through with wry observations that anyone who has ever hosted a children’s party -- or just tried to get their offspring dressed and into the car -- will instantly recognize. “The door. It is right here. All we need to do is walk out of it,” laments the mother in one episode. The Emmy- and BAFTA-winning “Bluey” is available in more than 140 countries, and is the most-watched series globally on Disney+, as well as the most-watched streaming show in the United States, Disney said.—AFP