Watch: Gorillaz’s ‘The Mountain, The Moon Cave, The Sad God’ Short

by Alex Billington
February 27, 2026
Source: YouTube

The band Gorillaz have debuted a brand new animated short which is part music video, part animated tale. The 8-minute animated film is titled The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God and it’s out to watch online. Starring the band: 2-D, Russel, Noodle, and Murdoc. Directed by Jamie Hewlett, Max Taylor and Tim McCourt at The Line studio in London. An homage to the golden era of 2D animation, produced with a hybrid analogue-digital workflow. “We had the honour to work with Gorillaz for the 3rd time for this short! A love letter to the golden era of 2D animation…” The short takes them on a mystical adventure into India, clearly inspired by the classic animated Disney The Jungle Book movie (from 1967) with all the same animals. “We processed our digital pencil work to mimic photocopy degradation. We scanned real paintings at high resolution and finished the details digitally. It was about capturing the tactile quality that only real materials give you,” director Max Taylor explains. Adding: “In a time of AI overload, this is our love letter to craftsmanship. We’re chasing the feel of pencil on paper. Paint on board. And all the imperfections that come with it.” For sure. I’m so glad someone out there is still creating hand-made animation like this. Enjoy.

Intro from YouTube: “The film is a hand-crafted homage to the golden era of 2D animation, reimagining of the world of Gorillaz through a classic cinematic lens. Hewlett collaborated with THE LINE on a vision to reinterpret the iconic Gorillaz world through the visual language and timeless aesthetic of 1960s animated features. THE LINE adopted a hybrid analogue-digital workflow favouring real materials, practical effects and period-accurate limitations over contemporary shortcuts.” The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God is created by Gorillaz and The Line. Produced by Eva Dahlqvist. Sequence Direction by Jonathan Djob Nkondo. Storyboards by Jamie Hewlett & Johnatan Djob Nkondo. “Backgrounds became a particular point of pride. Led by Art Director Eido Hayashi, the studio painted base environments on real paper, later integrating them digitally while preserving their texture. Shots were composed in the style of classic animated films, often cutting into master paintings to create impressionistic close-ups reminiscent of DoF.” Visit the official site for The Line. For full credits, visit YouTube. For more short films, click here. Any good?

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