Gorillaz are set to make a new animated film, according to band leader Damon Albarn.

The “kind of abstract” movie is already in progress, and will be completed while the band make the next edition of their ‘Song Machine’ series.

• READ MORE: Gorillaz – ‘Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez’ review: bingeable brilliance from the pop oddballs

“We are supposed to be making a film while we’re doing season two [of ‘Song Machine’],” Albarn told Radio.com’s New Arrivals show.

“We signed contracts, we’ve begun scripts and stuff. Making an animated film that’s kind of abstract is quite a big risk for a movie studio because they’re very expensive,” he added.

“If you’re telling a slightly obtuse, weird story that only sometimes makes any sense, it’s quite difficult. That’s what we’ve discovered. But we will do it, we are doing it.

“I see a lot of people doing animated videos these days but I don’t think they really touch the quality of ours. We’re more in the world of Studio Ghibli.”

Reviewing Gorillaz’ collaborative new album ‘Strange Timez’, which features link-ups with the likes of slowthai, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Beck, NME wrote: “‘Strange Timez’ is a varied affair that pulls from Albarn and the band’s perchance for exploration: punk rock sits effortlessly next to glitzy piano ballads, while playful hip-hop and melancholic post-rave ambience soothe our pounding heads.

“It’s a further reminder that while the post-genre mindset is now crucial to mainstream success, Gorillaz have always been ken to encourage emerging artists to embrace their diverse inspirations.”

The band are set to celebrate the release of their new album with a special livestreamed show in December, before heading out on a summer 2021 European tour including a huge London gig.

Late last year, Gorillaz released Reject False Icons, a documentary that offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the recording of the band’s last two albums, 2017’s ‘Humanz’ and the following year’s ‘The Now Now’.