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Still from the original series of Thunderbirds - Source: ITV -
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New Zealand special effects expertise will fuel the relaunch of the classic children's TV show, Thunderbirds.
ITV Studios has commissioned a new series of the much-loved puppet action show, with the special effects team behind The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings on board.
New Zealand based Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop will re-invent the show while promising to pay tribute to the models and locations of the original series.
"This re-invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's iconic series will be produced using a unique mix of CGI animation and live-action model sets," Pukeko Pictures said in a statement.
Its CEO Andrew Smith added the company is "thrilled to be associated with such an iconic brand, one that brilliantly encompasses family values, heroism and generosity".
The original Thunderbirds was created in 1965 and starred marionette puppets. It focussed on a secret organisation that performed rescue missions using high-tech tools and vehicles, with characters such as ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy and agent Lady Penelope.
The new show has the working title Thunderbirds Are Go! and is set to hit television screens in 2015.
The head of Weta Workshop and co-owner of Pukeko Pictures, Sir Richard Taylor, said Thunderbirds was a hugely influential programme in his childhood.
"Having watched it originally in black and white, it was only years later that I discovered the full and rich world that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Derek Meddings, Mike Trimm and their team created," he said.
"I personally, together with the teams here at Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop, look forward to designing and creating an inspirational world that will engage the imagination of a whole new generation as it did for us nearly half a century ago."
Denise O Donoghue, managing director ITV Studios UK, said: "Thunderbirds is a highly respected brand that continues to hold recognition around the world.
"This cult series is often credited as changing the history of animation and action-adventure, and we look forward to taking the show to another level while retaining the much-loved heritage that has endured over the past fifty years."
The original show's creator, Gerry Anderson, died in December after a long battle with dementia.
The puppeteer started his television career in the 1950s, creating a string of popular British shows including 1964's Stingray and 1967's Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.
Thunderbirds only aired for two seasons on British television, it became a cult favourite and was adapted for the big screen, most recently in 2004 film Thunderbirds, with the voices of Ben Kingsley and Bill Paxton.