As announced a year or so ago, the pint-sized Senegalese hero Kirikou is returning for yet another animated adventure titled Kirikou et les hommes et les femmes (Kirikou And The Men And Women) – this, however, will be the first film in the franchise to be produced in stereoscopic 3D, a format French director Michel Ocelot used for the first time on Tales of the Night (2011).

This is the third installment of a trilogy which began with the universally-acclaimed Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998), and continued with Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005).

Kirikou et les hommes et les femmes is scheduled to reach France screens on February 13, 2013, and based on the brand new trailer below, should be yet another sumptuous piece of animation (in 3d this time) starring our brave little hero, using his wits and speed to thwart evil sorcery and save his village from supernatural and environmental perils… although the women are still rendered topless.

Co-written by the director with Bénédicte Galup, Susie Morgenstern and Cendrine Maubourguet, Kirikou et les hommes et les femmes …:

… brings together five interconnected stories, all linked to the new adventures of Kirikou, the smallest and worthiest hero. Told by his noble grandfather, these stories will present Kirikou as someone who is a builder, a unifier of people, a storyteller, musician, and who will strive without failure, with cunning, bravery, generosity and success…

No word on whether and when the film will travel, and screen in countries other than France, but we'll keep you informed.

Oddly enough, the film's soundtrack was released on October 1, and not just in France. You can buy the entire album on iTunes right now.

The whimsical 12-track album includes a mix of music from French, Malian and Togolese artists like Thibault Agyeman, Janis Delétang, Kandia Kora, Jara Ezo, Mah Sissoko and Fanny Lavandier.

If interested, click HERE, which will open iTunes and take you right to the album's purchase page, where you can listen to samples.