Family entertainment firm CHF Media Group Ltd. announces that Simon Hall has stepped down as Managing Director, having held the post since the Group’s formation in 2011. While he will maintain an interest in the Group while pursuing new opportunities, Hall will no longer be involved in its day-to-day management.
“CHF understands Simon’s need to expand his creative entrepreneurship and we have benefitted from his involvement during our formative years,” said John Levitt, Chairman of CHF Media Group. “We wish him well in his new endeavours and thank him for his dedication and hard work.”
As previously announced, the Group’s production arm CHF Entertainment (Pip Ahoy!, Magic Marlon) has formed an executive management committee to coordinate the Creative, Commercial and Production divisions. The committee is comprised of longtime CHF team members Chris Fenna (recently promoted to Creative Director), Helen Brown (now Director of Production), and Jenny Johnstone (Commercial Director).
“It’s an exciting time for CHF. We’ve built an incredibly strong production team on whom we place enormous value. They are key to our success and we’re looking forward to working with them to produce content of the highest standard, continuing to build a strong studio identity within the industry,” said Brown.
Group CEO Adrian Wilkins added: “It has been a privilege to work with Simon and I trust his new ventures will be just as successful. I am very excited to be overseeing the new team at CHF Entertainment and helping them with the development of the next generation of shows in the CHF Media Fund.”
Animated family adventure Animal Crackers is making its Cannes market debut through worldwide sales manager Arclight Films. The CG flick features an all-star voice cast including Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Danny DeVito, Ian McKellen, Sylvester Stallone, Raven-Symoné, Patrick Warburton, Wallace Shawn, Gilbert Gottfried and Harvey Fierstein. Tony Bancroft (Mulan) and Scott Christian Sava directed.
Animal Crackers puts the idiom “you are what you eat” in an extreme light as it tells the story of a family trying to save their run-down circus from a takeover by their evil uncle, Horatio P. Huntington. On their side is a magical box of Animal Crackers with very special properties: anyone who eats a cracker from the box turns into the animal it’s shaped like.
“We’re excited to be working with Scott and the incredibly talented Animal Crackers team,” said Gary Hamilton, Managing Director of Arclight Films. “The expertise of the cast and crew is unrivaled and the end result is a top-notch, superbly animated feature film that audiences worldwide will enjoy immensely.”
Already sold in key territories, the film is written, directed and produced by Scott Christian Sava and produced through his Blue Dream Studios and its sister company Blue Dream Studios Spain, headed by Jaime Meastro and Nathalie Martinez, with funding from South Korea, China and North America.
“This film has been a labor of love,” said Sava. “We have put together this amazing story and we are so excited that Arclight Films is going to help us share it with the world.”
Animal Crackers is also playing in competition at Annecy next month.
Munich-based Studio 100 Film will present a new, comedic take on horror movie classics at this year’s Marché du Film in Cannes with 100% Wolf — a CG family feature based on the popular Australian children’s book by Jayne Lyons. The project is being produced by Aussie studio Flying Bark Productions, with Studio 100 Film as worldwide sales agent.
The story of 100% Wolf centers on Freddy Lupin, the heir to a proud family line of werewolves. Desperate to become a werewolf himself, Freddy is in for a shock when on his 13th birthday his first “transwolfation” goes awry, turning him into a ferocious… poodle. Just when Freddy thinks life can’t get any worse, he’s groomed against his will, chased into the streets and thrown into dog prison. Can Freddy and his new streetwise friend, Batty, escape? Who is the sinister man following his every move? Despite his pink and fluffy exterior, can Freddy prove he’s still 100% wolf?
The movie is being directed by Alexs Stadermann, with a script by Fin Edquist — both of whom worked on Studio 100’s Maya the Bee Movie and Blinky Bill the Movie. Barbara Stephen and Alexia Gates-Foale are producing.
“We are delighted to present 100% Wolf this year in Cannes! From the first moment we heard the story and saw the first sketches we were convinced of its originality. The protagonist Freddy still has to find his place in the world and searching for it he meets so many unique, entertaining and charming characters that people will love all around the world,” says Thorsten Wegener, Director Business Operations of Studio 100 Film.
Lyons’ 100% Wolf was first published in 2008, and went on to be named Bank Street Best Book of the Year and receie a Parents’ Choice Recommendation in 2009.
The irrepressible creative force commonly known as Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of Broadway’s Hamilton, composer of Disney’s Moana) has joined the voice cast of the new DuckTales TV series coming to Disney XD this summer.
Miranda will be playing fan-favorite character Gizmoduck — Duckberg’s resident cyborg hero whose true identity is Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera, a brilliant young intern working for Scrooge McDuck’s personal mad scientist, Gyro Gearloose.
The updated Disney Television Animation production has already been picked up for a second season ahead of its premiere.
Co-producer and story editor Francisco Angones said, “Growing up as a Cuban-American comics enthusiast, I was always hungry for a Latino hero to call my own. In developing the new series, Matt [executive producer Matt Youngberg] and I leapt at the opportunity to adapt DuckTales marquee hero into a young scientist character with Latin-inspired roots.”
“Lin came to mind instantly for the role of Gizmoduck,” added Youngberg. “His rapid-fire earnestness paired with his wide-eyed yet determined optimism made him the perfect person to yell ‘BLATHERING BLATHERSKITE!’”
Miranda joins a pedigreed comedy cast which includes David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck; Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Bobby Moynihan as the voices of Huey, Dewey and Louie, respectively; Kate Micucci as Webby Vanderquack; Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack and Toks Olagundoye as Mrs. Beakley.
Turner’s TBS is continuing its push to cultivate an original animation slate with the announcement that a new series from Regular Show creator J.G. Quintel, titled Close Enough, has received the go-ahead. TBS has ordered 13 episodes, to be produced in a first collaboration between Cartoon Network Studios and Studio T (both Turner divisions).
Aimed at older audiences than Quintel’s previous Emmy-winning cartoon, Close Enough is a surreal comedy exploring the transition from 20-something to 30-something. The action revolves around a married couple as they attempt to juggle the everyday challenges of parenthood, friendships, ham theft, stripper clowns, and choosing the right daycare.
“We couldn’t be more excited to add one of animation’s most impressive and popular voices, J.G. Quintel, to our growing slate of animated series,” said Brett Weitz, EVP of Original programming for TBS. “J.G. hit the center of the demo target with Regular Show, and we’re counting on him to bring this younger and more engaged audience to our network.”
Close Enough follows on the heels of previously announced TBS animation projects The Cops, created by Louis C.K. and Albert Brooks; Olan Rogers’ Final Space; and Tarantula from Silicon Valley scribe Carson Mell. TBS is also the home of Seth MacFarlane’s long-running hit American Dad!, picked up through a 15th season.
VIDEO: ‘The Mummy’ Official Trailer No. 3
Tom Cruise is cursed to live in a world of Japanese horror-movie inspired dark gods and suspiciously cut abs (fess up, VFX houses: which of you did those?) in the latest spot of this June 9 actioner.
VIDEO: ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ – International Trailer
In another completely bonkers trailer, The Last Knight “shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero.” Also, there’s an alien robot dinosaur and a gritty reimagining of C-3PO await you in theaters June 21.
Makuta VFX ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ Breakdown
As the princial VFX house, the Hyderabad studio transformed 100 minutes of raw footage with spellbinding sequences in just 18 months for the box-office hit — from LiDAR scanning and asset construction to key action sequences and CG flyovers of multiple kingdoms.
VIDEO: ‘Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow’ Teaser Trailer
Jam City (via its TinyCo Games), FoxNext Games and series creator Matt Groening teased the futuristic mobile mayhem awaiting Android and iOS users. “I’m proud to say that Futurama lives! In mobile-video-game teaser trailer form, anyway,” said Groening. “If you squint, it’s kind of like a little episode!”You can pre-register at www.youwillplayfuturama.com.
Pokemon Appoints New Master Toy
Wicked Cool Toys has signed on to fulfill all of your pocket monster needs, whether you’re in the mood for a grass type or a legendary experience.
Per the UK Screen Alliance, employers in the nation’s visual effects industry have voiced opposition to the proposal in the Conservative Party’s manifesto to double the Immigration Skills Charge in the next parliament — an increase that would set the Skills Charge for a five-year visa for non-EU workers at £10,000 (nearly $13K USD), an expense usually borne by the sponsoring employer. This would bring the full cost of an individual Tier 2 visa application to more than £18,000 ($23.3K).
“It is difficult to reconcile this proposal with the statement that the Prime Minister gave at Lancaster House on 17th January 2017 when she set out Britain’s priorities for the Brexit negotiations,” said Neil Hatton, CEO of the UK Screen Alliance — which represents VFX, animation and post-production studios in the country. “Then, she said Britain should be ‘a magnet for international talent’ which attracts ‘the brightest and the best’. It is hard to see how this proposal aligns with that sentiment.”
Research conducted by the UK Screen Alliance revealed that while 57% of the roughly 6,000 employees filling creative and operational roles in the local VFX sector are from the UK, a sizeable 31% are from the EU and EEA (excluding UK and Ireland) and 12% are from the rest of the world, and therefor potentially subject to the Immigration Skills Charge. The trade org’s data further shows that UK and overseas workers make identical median salaries.
Danny Duke, MD of Bournemouth-based boutique studio Outpost VFX, commented, “I can’t afford to prioritise UK or EU workers if they’re not the most talented person to fill a vacancy. If I do, then I am not able to offer world class visual effects artists in order to compete on a global stage, and when that happens, Outpost’s growth stalls.”
The Alliance also points out that the manifesto is missing important details in regard to proposed visa costs or quotas for EU workers, their minimum salary thresholds, nor specific mention of the Creative Sector. The organization will work to contribute to the consultation process with the Migration Advisory Committee to ensure that the local industry retains the access to global talent necessary to stay competitive with other international VFX and animation hubs, such as Vancouver, Montreal, New York and Los Angeles.
“VFX in addition to the technology and wider Creative Industries, are an export growth sector. As an industry, we are committed to skills development and have a proven track record in doing this, (eg through initiatives like the NextGen Skills Academy). Foreign talent has a critical role to play in skills development, as on the job training is invaluable in developing talent within our business,” said Double Negative MD and UK Screen Alliance board member Alex Hope. “Here at Double Negative our British VFX artists learn, and develop their skills, from the brightest and best in the world. We are concerned that proposed changes to Tier 2 visa costs will impact this.”
Fellow board member and Milk VFX CEO Will Cohen, added: “Any visa regime introduced must be affordable for employers in order not to squeeze the growth of the UK VFX industry. Making it more difficult to hire specialist non-EU employees when there is a domestic skillset shortage creates a short-term dichotomy.”
Statistics from the British Film Institute show that from April 2016 to March 2017, total spending on Film and High-End Television production in the UK was £2.738 billion, the highest since records began (Film £1.908 billion; HETV £830 million). Inward investment accounted for 86% of film production and 62% of HETV production and was also a record levels. It is estimated by the UK Screen Alliance that the VFX portion of this spend was in excess of £500 million. Central London is home to 5 of the largest award-winning VFX companies in the world, which between them have received the VFX Oscar no less than 7 times in the last 10 years.
Studio 100 Film has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming theatrical feature Maya the Bee – The Honey Games in the nick of time for the Cannes film market. The Munich-based company is handling international sales for the sequel, which is due for delivery by December 2017. Scroll down to see the new spot.
New sales agreements for the film have also been cemented. Filmax has acquired theatrical, TV and home entertainment rights for The Honey Games in CIS territories, while Garsų pasaulio įrašai has likewise acquired the film for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The second Maya movie has so far sold to 110 countries.
“We are delighted to win Filmax and Garsu Pasaulio Irasai, two highly valued partners, for the new theatrical feature of our popular little bee. Maya’s second adventure will be presented to audiences in Russia and the CIS territories as well as in the Baltics – we are convinced that Maya’s new movie will entertain children and families there,” comments Thorsten Wegener, Director Business Operations of Studio 100 Film.
Maya the Bee 2 – The Honey Games kicks off when an overenthusiastic Maya accidentally embarrasses the Empress of Buzztropolis, and must make it u by joining a team of misfit bugs competing in the Honey Games. To save her hive, Maya must venture into the wide world and meet new friends and challenging opponents, with her trusty pals Willy, clumsy ants Arnie & Barney, and trusty advisor Flip the grasshopper by her side.
The film is produced by Studio 100 Media, in co-production with Studio B Animation (Australia) and in association with Flying Bark Productions.
Lionsgate is bringing A Stork’s Journey home on June 1 as the CG-animated family comedy bows on Google Play in the US and Canada — available for free until June 28. The digital debut comes ahead of the film’s theatrical release on June 30, which will be followed by further home video roll-out on DVD, Digital HD and On Demand on July 4.
Featuring the voice talents of Drake Bell (Superhero Movie, Drake and Josh), YouTube star Justine “iJustine” Ezarik, and Jane Lynch (Glee, Wreck-It Ralph), A Stork’s Journey follows Richard, an orphaned sparrow who believes he’s a stork, just like his adoptive family! But when winter comes and the flock prepares to migrate to Africa, his stork family must reveal his true identity and leave him behind in the forest with the other sparrows unable to survive the long journey. Determined to prove he is a stork after all, Richard ventures south on an epic adventure, accompanied by friends big and small, to unleash his true potential and be reunited with his family.
Also known as Richard the Stork, the European co-production screened at the Berlinale this year and has receive a top “5 Doves” rating from The Dove Foundation.
A Stork’s JourneyA Stork’s JourneyA Stork’s Journey
American production and film sales shop FilmNation will make its first foray into feature animation with a science-fiction tale inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s silent classic, The Kid (1921). The untitled project, announced in Variety, is being produced by animation studio Superprod (France), Bidibul (Luxembourg) and Big Beach (US).
The film is being directed by Christian Volckman — who helmed the Annecy award-winning, high-tech noir Renaissance — and Ruper Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes). The helmers are writing the script with best-selling author and journalist Boris Starling (Messiah).
The original story will be an exploration of “technology and humanity, all told from the point of view of a boy and his robot,” according to Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf, producers for Big Beach. Superprod’s Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner (Song of the Sea), and Bidibul’s Lilian Eche and Christel Henon are also producing. Chaplin’s family, rights holders to The Kid, are supporting the project’s development.
Superprod, Bidibul and Big Beach are also currently partnered in production on an animated adaptation of Jack London’s White Fang.
Morgann Favennec, a 20-year veteran of the global audiovisual market, has been tapped by Xilam Animation as its new Executive Vice President of Development and Global Sales, effective July 3. Favennec joins the company at a time of rapid expansion from Superights, where she was Deputy Managing Director – International Sales & Acquisitions.
Working under Founder & President Marc du Pontavice, Favennec will be responsible for developing Xilam’s commercial activities — from exploiting new markets to position the group for new opportunities — as well as seeking out potential acquisitions and co-productions, both domestically and abroad. She will also have an active role in the development of new IPs within the company. Favennec will lead a 14-person team spanning marketing, sales, digital and licensing activities.
“Morgann has an impressive track record and incredible expertise in programming for the youth market sector. She masters and understands all key areas of activity, from the creative process to distribution, from acquisition to negotiation,” said du Pontavice. “She has proven credibility in all of the international markets, and we are extremely happy that she has agreed to put her know-how at the service of helping Xilam and all of its brands as the company continues to grow.”
Favennec obtained a Masters in International Sales Negotiation from the Sorbonne, beginning her career with Europe Images (now LE Rights). She joined Latin American market specialist Salsa Distribution in 1997. When the company was acquired by TV-Loonland, Favennec took the opportunity to focus on Europe, handling sales of series including Clifford the Big Red Dog and Little Ghosts.
As an independent consultant, she also brought Tractor Tom and hit preschool animation Peppa Pig to France, before signing on as Acquisitions Manager at Disney Televisions and Jetix. Favennec joined M6 Group (part of Bertelsmann) in 2006 as Head of Children’s Programs, which post she held until returning to the distribution sphere with Superights in 2013.
“In just 20 years, Marc and his talented teams have been able to create and solidify brand names that have become references for millions of children and families in France and around the world. Today, I am happy and extremely proud to be joining this amazing company and I will be investing all of my energy and competence towards working for Xilam’s continuing success and expansion,” Favennec commented in the announcement.
Multiplatform media company Shout! Factory has tapped Funimation Films as its theatrical partner for a joint launch of acclaimed Japanese animated feature In This Corner of the World in cinemas across the US, set for Friday, August 11. Written and directed by Sunao Katabuchi (Mai Mai Miracle, Princess Arete), this touching wartime story is adapted from the award-winning manga by Fumiyo Kouno, and produced by GENCO and animation studio MAPPA.
“In This Corner of the World is an incredibly exquisite, artful and socially relevant film that will impact everyone who sees it. We’re really proud in presenting this remarkable, hand-drawn animated film to North American movie audience,” said Melissa Boag, Shout’s SVP of Kids & Family Entertainment. “Funimation Films has a great track record in launching prominent international animated movies across cinemas in North America. We couldn’t find a more committed and perfect company to join us on the theatrical launch of In This Corner of the World.”
The film’s story follows a young woman named Suzu Urano, who in who in 1944 moves to the small town of Kure in Hiroshima to live with her husband’s family. Suzu’s life is thrown into chaos when her town is bombed during World War II. Her perseverance and courage underpin this heart-warming and inspirational tale of the everyday challenges faced by the Japanese in the midst of a violent, war-torn country.
In This Corner of the World received the Animation of the Year Award at this year’s 40th Japan Academy Prize, and has been selected to make its US premiere in competition at the LA Film Festival in June. This attention-grabbing film will also be screening at the prestigious Annecy animation festival and Animafest Zagreb in the coming months.
“We’re thrilled to be joining together with Shout! Factory for the North American release of the award-winning animated film In This Corner of the World,” said Mike DuBoise, EVP and COO of Funimation. “It is a stunning work of traditional (hand drawn) animation which has helped shine a bright light of Japanese animation in 2017 – transcending the genre and creating a whole new audience for anime unlike ever before. We look forward to bringing In This Corner of the World to theaters very soon.”
In This Corner of the WorldIn This Corner of the World
The Vancouver Film School — celebrating its 30th anniversary this year — has partnered with cutting-edge company Mimic Performance Capture to build the largest commercial performance-capture studio in Canada, situated in the school’s renowned Film Production campus.
The facility is designed to be a world leader, with the capacity for advanced stunt work, voice work, camera systems, methodology and applied research. VFS and Mimic will be able to collaboratively develop specialized curricula and training workshops for school programs, staff and students.
“At Vancouver Film School, our aim is to deeply integrate our programs with leading entertainment media/production companies, providing industry and educational insight for our students. This applied approach to learning will have far reaching benefits for our students as it makes their first day at VFS their first day on the job,” said Ted Gervan, VP of Education at VFS.
VFS alumni will have first crack at commercial performance-capture employment opportunities at the studio, as well as enhanced training and eduction in the latest motion-capture skills and techniques. Mimic has also committed to mentoring students on projects involving performance capture, and will work with VFS’s animation, game, film and acting programs to make the most of the opportunities presented by the new facility.
This education and industry partnership marks an important step in developing an elite performance capture community within Vancouver’s thriving entertainment industry. “We’re excited to be collaborating with VFS, the school produces the highest caliber of graduates and we’re looking forward to helping shape these future industry leaders,” said Graham Qually, President of Mimic Performance Capture.
Ahead of its completion date of May 18, VFS and Mimic received plenty of interest, with an influx of booking requests arriving from game, film and TV producers. A launch ceremony for the Performance Capture Studio on Thursday will feature VFS instructors and alumni, as well as prospective clients from local film, TV, video game and animation studios.
Photos courtesy of Vancouver Film SchoolPhotos courtesy of Vancouver Film SchoolPhotos courtesy of Vancouver Film SchoolPhotos courtesy of Vancouver Film SchoolPhotos courtesy of Vancouver Film School
Following last month’s announcement, a track list for Steven Universe Soundtrack: Volume 1 has been revealed. Among the highlights are all the tunes from the season 3 musical episode “Mr. Greg.” But with so many great show moments being recalled to mind as you listen through, truly every song is a gem.
Steven Universe Soundtrack: Volume 1 will be available to purchase on June 2 in digital music stores, and on all major streaming platforms. A full track will be revealed in the coming weeks, so keep tabs on Cartoon Network’s social feeds for updates. (Twitter @CartoonNetwork, Facebook /CartoonNetwork, Instagram @CartoonNetworkOfficial.)
Vivid Increments: The Making of Stop Motion Animation at Tracy, CA’s Grand Theater
The art center will close its 10th season with a fascinating exhibit (June 10-July 22) and special events celebrating the stop-mo magic of King Kong, Gumby, Mars Attacks, James and the Giant Peach, Kubo and the Two Strings and more — co-curated by Dennis Lancaster and William Wilson.
CALL FOR ENTRIES: Manchester Animation Festival
The UK’s biggest dedicated toon fest will return to HOME for the just-announced 2017 dates (Nov. 14-16). Last year’s MAF comprised 58 events attracting over 5,500 admission and 500+ delegates. Submissions are now open fof the short film competiation and Industry Excellence Awards.
The 19th Annual Ford Freedom Award ceremony will put the spotlight on veteran Disney animator Floyd Norman next Monday, May 22. Norman, a Ford Freedom Scholar, will be in attendance at the invitation-only event at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan.
The award reception will include a nameplate installation honoring Norman and his fellow honoree, the late Pulitzer-prize winning Fences playwright August Wilson. There will also be a special screening of the 2016 documentary Floyd Norman: An Animated Life.
The Freedom Award is presented by Ford Motor Company, in collaboration with Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Detroit Newspapers in Education, to celebrate the positive contributions of African American men through a statewide essay contest that will award up to $10,000 in student scholarships. More than 1,700 Michigan middle school students will attend the Ford Freedom Award Scholar’s Experience, where the winners will receive their scholarship awards on May 23.
Read more about Floyd Norman’s remarkable life and the documentary thereof in Tom McLean’s Animation Magazine article here.
This year’s Cannes film confab will put the spotlight on the opportunities in one of the world’s largest markets on May 19. As part of the China Co-Production Day, the CNC, Marché du Film and Bridging the Dragon will present a panel focused on the growth of arthouse cinema in the nation and its impact on Europe — with animation taking a key part in the discussion.
The panelists include Wei Lu, producer of box office record-setter Monkey King: Hero Is Back and inventor of a new funding model; Cheng Yang, producer of Have a Nice Day (which screened in competition at the Berlinale and heads to Annecy next month); Yu-Fai Suen, managing director of Pinewood Pictures, advising various regional funds and managing co-production opportunities in the Chinese market; Ming Xiang, deputy director general of the market leader ticketing platform Weying Technology and founding member of Alliance of Arthouse Cinema; Wen Song, founder of FIRST, the Chinese film festival focusing on new talents; Gary Mak, director of arthouse cinema chain Broadway Cinematheque; Claude Eric-Poiroux, general director of Europa Cinemas; and Li Ruijun, director of the drama Walking Past the Future, selected in this year’s Un Certain Regard.
The panel will open with speeches by Christophe Tardieu of the CNC; Shen Zhongwen from Festival du cinema chinois en France; Lucia Recalde, unit head of Creative Europe MEDIA; and Bridging the Dragon’s chairman, Leontine Petit. Patrick Frater from Variety will moderate.
Following the discussion, two new Chinese co-productions will be presented: the aesthetic exploration The Colours of China (Germany/New Zealand) and the recently announced animated feature Dragonkeeper — a fantasy epic adaptation of Carole Wilkinson’s book series being co-produced with Spanish studios. The event will also reveal the program for Bridging the Dragon’s upcoming Sino-European Project Lab in Nanjing (in collaboration with ARRI).
The day will continue through the afternoon with company meetings organized by Bridging the Dragon, matching 40 international companies with Chinese counterparts. The Chinese side includes Jackie Chan’s Sparkle Roll Media, Wanda Pictures, Weying Technology, Dadi Century, Spire Media, Road Pictures and WD Pictures. International participants include SF Studios (Denmark), Les Films du Lendemain (France), K5 Media Group (Germany), Brio Films (France), Ideale Audience (France), Road Side Attractions (USA), N279 Entertainment (Netherlands) and Vaca Films (Spain).
Open Road Films has acquired all US rights to animated family comedy Duck Duck Goose, produced and financed by Original Force Ltd. The deal, announced by Open Road’s CEO Tom Ortenberg and Original Force President & CEO Harley Zhao, will bring the flick to theaters on April 20, 2018.
The feature will be shopped at Cannes by GFM Films and GFM Animation, which are handling international sales.
Directed by Christopher Jenkins — who also penned the script with Rob Muir — Duck Duck Goose stars Jim Gaffigan as the voice of Peng, a high-flying bachelor goose who is injured in flight and finds himself saddled with two adorably hilarious, demanding ducklings (Zendaya and Lance Lim) on a long journey south that will turn the scrappy threesome into a family.
The voice cast also features Greg Proops, Natasha Leggero, Reggie Watts, Diedrich Bader, Jennifer Grey, Rick Overton, Craig Ferguson, Stephen Fry, and the legendary Carl Reiner. Penney Finkelman Cox and Sandra Rabins produced the film.
“We are thrilled to be in business with Harley Zhao and the team at Original Force,” said Ortenberg. “Sandy and Penney are legends in animation having launched Sony Pictures Animation and DreamWorks Animation, and their impressive track record developing and producing commercial and critical hits in this space speaks for itself. In addition to being a wholly original story filled with lovably funny and relatable characters that the entire family will enjoy, the animation in Duck Duck Goose is truly superb and the project is a welcome addition to our 2018 slate.”
Finkelman Cox and Rabins added: “Duck Duck Goose has been an amazing international collaboration from start to finish and we could not be more proud of the artistry, storytelling and the dazzling animation accomplished by the team at Original Force Animation. Everyone from China to Culver City is delivering a visually stunning and enchanting film that all audiences will fall in love with all over the world.”
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Open Road Films by Tom Ortenberg, CEO; General Counsel, Marni Richman; and SVP of Acquisitions and Production, Lejo Pet. Scott Edel from Loeb & Loeb negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.
The ultimate House of Mouse fan event, D23 Expo will be taking over the Anaheim Convention Center in southern California from July 14 to 16. As part of the jam-packed programming, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior will be presenting unique experiences for kids and families in celebration of some of their most buzzed-about new and upcoming series.
Highlights include Q&A panels featuring the voice casts of the rebooted DuckTales (Disney XD) and Tangled: The Series (Disney Channel), as well as star appearances from many of the channels’ live-action projects, such as the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants 2.
Disney XD’s DuckTales panel is set for Saturday, July 15 from 4:15-5:15 p.m. (Stage 28), with Ben Schwartz (voice of Dewey), Kate Micucci (Webby Vanderquack), Beck Bennett (Launchpad McQuack), Toks Olagundoye (Mrs. Beakley), executive producer Matt Youngberg and co-producer/story editor Francisco Angones.
Disney Channel’s Tangled: The Series panel will take place Sunday, July 16 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (Stage 28), with Mandy Moore (voice of Rapunzel) and Zachary Levi (Eugene, a.k.a. Flynn Rider) — who return to voice their popular feature film characters for the new series — joined by executive producer Chris Sonnenburg, co-executive producer Ben Balistreri, and Broadway stars turned Tanglers Eden Espinosa (Cassandra) and Jeremy Jordan (Varian).
One can’t-miss experience: Scrooge McDuck’s Money Bin is coming to the convention hall floor, giving fans the priceless opportunity to dive into a sea of more than 30,000 (plastic) gold goins and swim away with a professional, 180-degree video capture to share with friends. The new DuckTales premieres this summer, in line with the Emmy-winning original cartoon’s 30th anniversary.
Young fans will want to pay a visit to Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital Nursery, which will be on the floor for all three days. Tots can give the toy babies a checkup, and be among the first to check out the new Doc McStuffins Baby app, which launches this summer. The Hospital Nursery is part of Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit traveling museum event.
More information and tickets for D23 Expo 2017 available at D23Expo.com.
Just months after his resignation in February, the family of former Paramount Pictures chairman Brad Grey has shared that the Hollywood luminary died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, from cancer. Grey headed the studio for over a dozen years, and was instrumental in the creation of iconic TV series such as The Sopranos. He was 59 years old.
Born in New York’s Bronx in 1957, Grey grew up in a blue-collar family and stepped into showbusiness while studying communications at the State University of New York at Buffalo, when he got a job as the assistant to Harvey and Bob Weinstein — at the time, concert promoters. He signed his first management client, comedian Bob Saget, during his senior year in 1979. He later signed on Garry Shandling.
Under the wing of industry magnate Bernie Brillstein (who died in 2008), Grey grew into an entertainment management maverick in the 1980s. The Brillstein-Grey agency spearheaded the paradigm of creating projects to suit the client, rather than waiting for studio offers. This lead to groundbreaking series like The Larry Sandlers Show, starring Shandling (who died last year), and later The Sopranos, created by David Chase. Grey was an excutive producer on the Mafia show, and later produced Martin Scorsese’s quadruple-Oscar-winning Boston mob flick The Departed.
Grey’s career was peppered with its share of controversies. A suit and counter-suit with Shandling in 1998 grew until it made the national news before being settled out of court. When Paramount acquired DreamWorks Studios, Grey notably butted heads with its founders including Steven Spielberg and David Geffen — the companies split in 2008. Grey was also caught up in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping scandal in 2006, receiving a prison sentence for multiple charges in 2008.
In 2005, Grey sold off Brillstein-Grey after building it for some 20 years, and joined Paramount as chief executive. At the studio, he embraced franchising features with an eye to banking major ticket sells on an international scale. Paramount was the top Hollywood studio by market share in 2011 thanks to sequels like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. The studio also branched into more challenging titles like Fences, An Inconvenient Truth and Arrival. Despite these gains, Paramount has slipped in recent years, leading to parent company Viacom’s major sweeps of leadership which ousted Grey.
Grey is survived by his wife, Casandra Huysentruyt Grey, and their young son; his three grown children by former wife Jill Gutterson Grey; his mother, Barbara Schumsky; and older siblings Michael and Robin Grey.
