The Tweenies' next big adventure could be in the cinema after Bella, Milo, Jake and Fizz were bought for £3.1m by the owner of Postman Pat and Basil Brush.

Entertainment Rights yesterday said it was in talks with a film studio about turning the children's programme into a movie after acquiring its creators, Tell-Tale Productions. The series, a favourite for pre-school children, recently broke into the American market after it was signed by the Nickelodeon and Noggin networks.

Mike Heap, the chief executive of Entertainment Rights, said his experience as an executive at Warner Bros would help the Tweenies' move to the big screen. "The discussions are with a major studio. I have worked for Warner Bros for many years so I have a strong understanding of the studios and their mentality," he said.

If the talks are successful, the Tweenies movie is expected to appear in 2006. It will be shot as a live-action feature, with some animation included, to prepare the ground for a possible cartoon spin-off of the characters. The Tweenies' most important customer remains the BBC, which finances the show, with Tell-Tale receiving a production fee and royalties. Mr Heap said he will hold talks with the corporation but he does not expect it to drop a show that is broadcast in more than 60 countries and has sold 3m videos in Britain.

"When you consider that last week 2 million people watched the Tweenies in the UK and when you consider it has launched in America, it seems unlikely the BBC will not continue being committed to it."

Tell-Tale's founders, Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan, will head Entertainment Rights' creative division following the acquisition.

Entertainment Rights disclosed the deal alongside first-half results that showed a 20% fall in turnover to £9.1m, following the expiry of a contract to sell Barbie products. The firm posted a pre-tax loss for the six months to June 30 of £178,000, compared with a deficit of £1.5m for the same period last year.