Following up on their Oscar-nominated and European Film Award-winning van Gogh project Loving Vincent (2017) and Władysław Reymont adaptation The Peasants (2023), filmmakers Hugh Welchman and Dorota Kobiela will take inspiration from another famous artist for their next painstakingly hand-painted animated feature project, Cave of Dreams. Welchman revealed at a co-production session at Iberseries (Madrid) that the project will be a horror story inspired by the works of Francisco de Goya, produced at their Poland-based studio Breakthru Films.
Welchman shared that the story will be based “mainly on [Goya’s] dark paintings and his later work,” which include the famous “Black Paintings” created toward the end of his life. “It’s going to be such a big project that we are probably going to have at least four co-producers in Spain, and probably will have four others outside,” he told attendees.
The director, who won an Oscar (with Suzie Templeton) for his 2006 animated short Peter and the Wolf, revealed that Cave of Dreams has secured backing from the Polish Film Institute, and that Breakthru is already working with Spanish filmmaker Alba Sotorra and with David Baute’s Tinglado Films in the Canary Islands. Welchman told Deadline outside the panel that he is working to assemble a team of Spanish artists to create the painting/frames for the film; Loving Vincent employed 120 oil painters.
Considered one of Spain’s most important and influential artists, Goya was a painter and printmaker born in the Aragon region in 1746. His life, work and studies took him to Italy, to Madrid and the royal court of Spain, and to France. His notable works include the painting The Nude Maja and portrait of the family of King Charles IV, as well as his social commentary etchings the Caprichos. After an unknown illness left him deaf at age 46, Goya’s works took a darker turn as he dwelt on infirmity and death — exemplified by the 14 “Black Paintings,” which include perhaps his most famous piece, Saturn Devouring His Son. Goya died in 1828 in Bordeaux.
[Source: Deadline]
