After relying heavily on CG backgrounds for his hit adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel 300, director Jack Snyder is set to helm his first completely animated feature, accroding to Daily Variety. Currently putting the finishing touches on his adaptation of Alan Moore’s DC Comics graphic novel Watchmen, the hot helmer has signed on to adapt Kathryn Lasky’s young adult book series Guardians of Ga’Hoole for Village Roadshow. Warner Bros. will release the film in theaters as early as 2009 or 2010.
Guardians of Ga’Hoole revolves around barn owls who live in peace until their forest kingdom is threatened by an evil force. The story has been adapted for the screen by John Orloff (A Mighty Heart) and John Collee (Master and Commander). Zareh Nalbandian is producing, and Donald DeLine, Deborah Snyder and Lionel Wigram are exec producing.
Animation will be handeld by Animal Logic in Sydney, Australia, which made its mark in animated features with director George Miller’s Oscar-winning Happy Feet. That film was also produced by Village Roadshow and distrbuted by Warner Bros.
With music videos for Michael Jackson and Morressey under his belt, Snyder made his feature directorial debut by boldly tackling a remake of the George A. Romero zombie classic Dawn of the Dead in 2004. The gamble paid off at the box office, but it was $456 million worldwide for 300 that really wrote his ticked. Also on the director’s plate is The Last Photograph, a drama about two men and the photograph that inspires them to travel to war-torn Afghanistan. The pic is slated to come out sometime in 2010.
