Apple has posted the trailer for the new VeggieTales movie, The Pirates that Don’t Do Anything. Produced by Big Idea, the film centers on side characters introduced in the moderately successful 2002 CG-animated theatrical release Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. Universal Pictures picked up the sequel and plans to release it in theaters January 11, 2008.
The trailer for the new movie is clearly capitalizing on the pirate craze sparked by Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, while downplaying the faith-based aspect of the VeggieTales franchise. Jonah and the various home video releases that preceded it all employ vegetable characters to relate biblical stories and lessons to children in an entertaining, non-preachy way.
Big Idea’s VeggieTales began life in 1994 as a popular home video series of animated biblical tales featuring talking and singing vegetables. Since then, aound 30 titles have been released at retail, selling nearly 50 million units. With a built-in audience in place, Artisan’s FHE Pictures decided to release the first movie in more than 1,000 theaters in the U.S., where it grossed north of $25 million with the grassroots support of church groups and became the first successful independent CG feature.
The VeggieTales property, which has spawned a line of books and PC video games, became part of the Classic Media library when the family entertainment company acquired Chicago-based Big Idea in September of 2003. Artisan then announced plans to release a second feature, titled The Bob and Larry Movie, in 2005. Instead, writer Phil Vischer, director Mike Nawrocki and producer David Pitts of Big Idea have apparently been busy at work on their pirate adventure, which will follow the zany adventures of a trio of lethargic swashbucklers. Check out the trailer at www.apple.com/trailers/universal/veggietalesthepirateswhodontdoanything.
