‘Warrior Cats’ Animated Series Debuts First Footage, Character Model at Tencent Video Event

Tencent Video pulled back the curtain on its “Warrior Cats” animated series, showing fans early animation and character artwork for the first time at a fan meeting held in Shenzhen. Series director Rodrigo Blaas appeared alongside Zhou Wang, head of Randong Studio Group and vice president of content production at Tencent Video, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at how the adaptation has come together creatively. That source material, books written under the pen name Erin Hunter, follows four Clans of wild cats bound by a code handed down from their warrior ancestors, as one Clan comes under threat from a rival and its warriors begin dying under suspicious circumstances. At the center of the story is Rusty, an ordinary housecat who joins the Clan and eventually rises to lead it. Popular on Variety A centerpiece of the event was a 3D character model of Rusty, personally built by Blaas and unveiled to the crowd for the first time. It gave attendees a hands-on sense of how the cats from the book series are being reimagined for the screen. Tencent Video also debuted an exclusive work-in-progress screening at the event, giving fans their first public glimpse of the animated characters and environments and an early sense of the show’s visual direction. For Blaas, the physical model offered a way to work through the characters outside the screen as the animation develops. At the same event, Blaas walked fans through his approach to adapting the “Warrior Cats” universe into animated form and discussed how the series has taken shape creatively. Original Force is animating the series on behalf of Tencent Video. A.C. Bradley is showrunner, with Blaas directing. The creative team is drawing directly on the books’ characters and plotlines, using the first book arc, “Warrior Cats: The Prophecies Begin,” as its foundation. The series is set to launch in 2028 across Tencent Video’s platforms in China and Southeast Asia. Tencent Video counts itself among China’s leading streaming platforms, carrying a broad slate of content that spans drama series, animation, film, variety programming, sports and documentaries, alongside an expanding international footprint. The company has leaned into original productions in recent years, distributing its shows across multiple devices domestically while pushing Asian content out to audiences abroad through its overseas streaming arm.