Aardman Animations, fresh from breaking their ties with DreamWorks and tying their colours to Sony’s mast, have now announced their upcoming slate, which includes both CGI and – hurrah! – stop-motion films.

And they certainly have a variety of new projects in the works. Their development halls are echoing to the sound of the claymation tale The Cat Burglars, featuring the writing talents of Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh, two of the team behind Hustle and Life On Mars. The story finds a gang of milk-stealing stray cats planning their biggest heist.

Also bubbling away is Operation Rudolph, from Borat co-scribe Peter Baynham, which will chronicle the military planning required by Santa’s Elves to maker Christmas work smoothly.

Nick Park is planning a fresh, non-Wallace film and not to be left out of the fun, Aardman’s co-honcho Peter Lord is returning to the director’s chair for Pirates, a comedy adventure set on the high seas and based on two books penned by Gideon Defoe.