A live-action film based on the cult British kids’ cartoon Mr Benn is to go into production with I Swear director Kirk Jones at the helm.

Mr Benn first appeared on TV on the BBC in 1971, in a series created by David McKee, who died in 2022. The series followed the adventures of “a very ordinary man who could do extraordinary things” when he visited a magical fancy dress shop, which acted as a portal to different worlds. Only 13 episodes were made before the series ended in March 1972, though a one-off episode was broadcast in 2005 on the kids’ channel Nick Jr.

Jones, who previously directed Nanny McPhee and Waking Ned, said: “I adored Mr Benn as a child and immediately saw the importance of introducing him to a new generation … Mr Benn finds a unique way to travel through time and space, visiting historical and futuristic worlds to solve apparently monumental problems, with kindness, compassion and common sense … If all goes to plan, Mr Benn might even save the world.”

In 2017 McKee told the Guardian: “I wanted to write a story about Mr Everybody. Everyone is trapped in a situation … we all have that routine and the adventures were an escape from routine.” Several attempts to make a film have been mounted over the years, including one with John Hannah as Mr Benn and Ben Kingsley as the shopkeeper, but none got off the ground.

Casting for the film is expected to get under way later this year, with shooting to begin in 2027.