Rob Minkoff, co-director of Disney's The Lion King, is developing and executive producing Storm Dogs, a family adventure film from UK production company Particle 6. This partnership is significant as Minkoff brings his renowned expertise in creating compelling animal characters to a project that pioneers the combination of live-action with AI-powered photorealistic animated characters.

The film follows a two-year-old girl named Poppy who becomes separated from her caregiver during a devastating English village storm, with five dogs racing to bring her home across flooded terrain over 24 hours. The production blends conventional human performances with animated dogs and the child character, created using AI tools alongside traditional filmmaking techniques, with production scheduled for 2027. Particle 6 CEO Eline van der Velden emphasised that AI is being used to expand creative possibilities whilst maintaining human creative control, building on the company's earlier success with AI actor Tilly Norwood at the Zurich Film Festival.