Mini-major Hollywood studio Lionsgate has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to the upcoming CG-animated fairly tale spoof Happily N’ever After. The film will be released theatrically as Lionsgate sets out to create some competition for The Weinstein Co., which has been aggressively acquiring toon features since releasing Hoodwinked, the most successful independently produced, computer-animated pic to date.
Like Hoodwinked, Happily N’ever After takes a satirical look at a classic tale, this time poking fun at Cinderella. The film is set in Fairy Tale Land, where the age-old balance between good and evil has been thrown out of whack. When Cinderella’s power-mad stepmother rallies an unholy alliance of bad guys, it’s up to our blonde heroine to shed her damsel-in-distress trappings to lead the resistance. The voice cast is led by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sigourney Weaver, Freddie Prinze Jr., George Carlin, Wallace Shawn and Andy Dick.
Happily N’ever After is directed by Paul J. Bolger and written by Robert Moreland. Vanguard Films’ oscar-winning Shrek, Valiant producer John H. Williams produced the film with BAF Berlin Animation Film and BFC Berliner Film Companie. Co-exec producers are Ralph Kamp and Louise Goodsill of Odyssey Ent., and Rainer Soehnlein, CEO of BFC Berliner Film Companie.
With last year’s launch of its Family Entertainment Enterprises, Lionsgate has been building a slate of animated features that includes Threshold Animation Studio’s Foodfight and Sylvester, based on the popular children’s book Sylvester and the Magic Pebblefrom late Shrek author William Steig. Sylvester is being produced by RichCrest Animation, which has a three-picture deal in place with Lionsgate.
Lionsgate is also developing two animated series for different TV networks. Animated home video releases coming from the company include Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus 3-D, Care Bears Big Wish Movie,Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, Inspector Gadget’s Biggest Caper Ever and Pinocchio 3000.
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