Leopold I returns as a cartoon

26/09/2017

A cartoon on the origins of Belgium, an independent country since 1830, will be released in winter 2018 by "Mad Cat Studio", a new Belgian animation studio which employs artists from Namur and Liège. "Leopold, King of the Belgians" takes a humorous look at the story of our first king, a melancholic, idealist, upstanding and endearing character.

The cartoon was inspired by 19th century paintings. It is humorous but true to history, which is how the Namur artistic director Matthieu Collard wanted it. "The studio members love history in general, and the character of Leopold worked well because he is not really that well known." He noted that most people did not find Leopold I particularly inspiring.

The reign of the first king of the Belgians was marked by Dutch attempts to recapture Belgium, followed by domestic political tensions between Liberals and Catholics. Leopold was considered a liberal and encouraged the modernisation of the economy, playing an important role in encouraging the creation of the first Belgian railway line and the resulting industrialisation. He extended the monarchy's powers to their maximum. He died in 1865 and was succeeded by his son, Leopold II.

Animated film in Belgium has clearly been on a roll over the last few years, judging by the success of The Jungle Book and The Son of Bigfoot.