Melanie Zanetti spoke to RadioTimes.com as The Sign finally arrives.
Bluey star Melanie Zanetti has addressed the growing calls for a film adaptation, as an extended length episode debuts this weekend and ushers in some big changes for the Heeler family.
The Australian animated series has taken the world by storm in recent years, winning fans of all ages with its wholesome storylines about a Blue Heeler pup and her loved ones.
While other popular children’s television shows have recently made the leap to the big screen – including Shaun the Sheep, Paw Patrol and Teen Titans Go! – fans are still waiting to hear whether Bluey could tread the same path.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Zanetti (who plays Bluey’s mother, Chilli) said: “I haven’t heard anything, but I will do my best to bully Joe [Brumm, creator] into making one, because I think it would be really well received.
“Look, I’m just happy to do anything in the Bluey Heeler world. It’s a joy to make.”
This weekend’s brand new chapter, The Sign, is a major departure from the typical Bluey format, quadrupling the runtime of a normal episode from seven to 28 minutes.
Zanetti teased that the latest instalment will resonate with parents as well as their kids, and expressed interest in further experimentation with the show’s duration.
“I make none of these decisions. I just read what they give me. But I’d love to see things being explored in a longer form,” she said.
“[The Sign] was really fun to do, and it’s amazing seeing all the anticipation and theories that are around about it, when little slivers have come out.”
Whatever happens, the actor made clear she has no intention of leaving the Bluey family and feels “pride in putting something out into the world that feels like it’s actually doing some good”.
Zanetti recalled recent encounters with parents, teachers and young people, all of whom have credited Bluey with helping themselves or their children to overcome issues in life.
She recalled: “I did a Comic-Con for the first time, and I expected the children and parents who loved it. But the people in their 20s, who would say things like, ‘I had a really difficult childhood and this show is re-parenting me.’
“[There were] a lot of Gen Z people saying, ‘This is my comfort show and helps with my anxiety.’ I had a woman say she works in foster care and for most of these children, this is the only example they have of a functioning family.”
Zanetti added: “So the fact that it is putting out such joy, but also potentially helping to build a generation of parents and children in a beautiful direction, is just astounding to me.”
The Sign premieres globally on Sunday 14th April, the first episode of Bluey that will premiere around the world at the same time on ABC in Australia and Disney Plus.
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