Award-winning virtual reality studio and content distributor Wevr has joined forces with Tippett Studio to create the first ever stop-motion animation VR experience, Mad God, released today for Wevr Transport on Samsung Gear VR. The project premiered at the Kaleidoscope World Tour earlier this year.
Mad God immerses its hapless viewers in a fully realized dystopia — a subterranean netherworld populated by grotesque creatures, conjured by Academy Award winning VFX legend Phil Tippett (creator of the holochess scene in Star Wars: A New Hope and the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, among other standout film moments).
The VR experience is born out of Tippett’s original stop-motion animated short of the same name. Mike Breymann of Kaleidoscope VR first approached Tippett about adapting Mad God, receiving an enthusiastic response.
“What really excited me about the whole VR experience was how different it is than cinema,” Tippett says on the Wevr production blog. “I see VR as something completely different in the way that literature and cinema have, over the years, really honed narrative storytelling to an art specific to the form. And the minute you alter the format and approach, it changes everything.”
To shoot the story, Tippett and his team repurposed the sets and miniatures from the film shoot and constructed a 360-degree set. “We replaced the sky and the ground digitally,” Tippett explains. “And then we had 20-something of these characters we call ‘the shit men.’ They’re small six-inch stop-motion characters that are made out of foam rubber with articulated skeletons and they are covered — I took cat hair from my vacuum cleaner at home and put that on their surface so every time an animator touched them it would disturb the cat hair. So the contour of the characters crawling all the time creates the kind of otherworldly distance.”
Combining this very gritty, hands-on animation aesthetic with specialized binaural audio that draws viewers around the Mad God world with sound has created a surreal and unique VR experience. Phil Tippett is, as ever, on the cutting edge of what can be achieved with elbow grease and artistic vision when it meets the technological frontier.
“I have a bunch of ideas I would like to try out,” Tippett adds. “To me it’s really exciting in the context of the whole VR medium being like the wild West, and this is the most exciting time when nobody knows jack-shit about anything.”
Aardman Details ‘Shaun the Sheep Movie 2’
The UK stop-motion house and production partner Studiocanal start work on another epic adventure for Shaun and the Flock in January.
Halloween ComicFest 2016 This Saturday!
Find your local participating comic-book shop to take part in the festive special events and free comic giveaways on Saturday, October 29.
Albino Fawn’s ‘Apocalypsis’ at the Wexner Center for the Arts
Experimental filmmakers Eric Leiser and Jeffrey Leiser (Glitch in the Grid) bring their latest piece to the Columbus, OH art center Nov. 1. (Albino Fawn Prod.’s Anthropic Principle is also included in the Whitney Museum’s “Dreamlands” exhibition, opening Friday.)
The lead voice cast of Illumination Entertainment’s Sing are really getting into character in these fun new photos featuring the human stars and their animated alter egos. Sing, from the studio behind Despicable Me, Minions and Secret Life of Pets, takes a bow in theaters on December 21 through Universal Pictures.
The pics feature voice/toon duos Matthew McConaughey and Buster Moon (the dapper koala who hopes to put his once-grand theater back on its feat with a mega singing competition); Reese Witherspoon and Rosita (an overtaxed mother pig run ragged by her litter of 25 piglets); Scarlett Johansson and Ash (a punk-rock porcupine who longs to ditch her arrogant beau); Seth MacFarlane and Mike (a smooth-crooning mouse con artist); Tori Kelly and Meena (an elephant with massive stage fright); Taron Egerton and Johnny (a young gorilla trying to escape his family’s criminal lifestyle); Nick Kroll and Gunter (a pig whose talent and fashion sense are … indescribable).
The Sing voice cast also features John C. Reilly, Beck Bennett, Nick Offerman, Jennifer Saunders, Garth Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Leslie Jones and Jay Pharoah. Written and directed by Garth Jennings, the film features more than 65 hit songs. Produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy.
Actor Burt Ward, widely considered the onscreen Boy Wonder, first appeared in the role of Robin in the 1960s Batman TV series, teaming up with Adam West’s Batman to foil the craziest capers the cunning crooks of Gotham could throw at them. Now, Ward and West have returned to their iconic roles for the new Warner Bros. Animation movie Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (along with Julie Newmar as Catwoman).
Now that the new adventure has bowed on Digital HD and had a fabulous Fathom Events screening, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released four fascinating interviews with Ward ahead of the Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD release next Tuesday, November 1.
Don’t miss our story on Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders in the December issue of Animation Magazine (#265), and check out the interview videos below.
Virtual reality creative community organization Kaleidoscope has joined forces with tech company Oculus to launch DevLab, a new initiative to support independent VR creators and explore the boundaries of the medium as an art form. The program’s goals are to incubate new work, help artists seek funding and, of course, create exciting new VR experiences.
DevLab organizers have selected 28 leading artists from around the world for the inaugural edition. The month-long program kicks off with a two-day gathering in Los Angeles, with hands-on workshops, live performances and mentorships encouraging project development throughout. At the close of the month, creators will present their projects to potential investors at a showcase event at Oculus parent company Facebook’s headquarters.
Oculus and Kaleidoscope are planning open submissions for future editions of DevLab, beginning next year. This year’s participating artists are: Aaron Bradbury, Arnaud Colinart, Balthazar Auxietre, Ben Vance, Daniël Ernst, Eliza Mcnitt, Elliot Cole, Gabriela Arp, George Michael Brower, Harm Van De Ven, Hayoun Kwon, Isaac Cohen, Josephine Decker, Julio Medem, Kate Parsons, Lily Baldwin, Martin Allais, Mike Brett, Milica Zec, Michael Catalano, Nick Pittom, Nico Casavecchia, Patrick Juarez, Sara Kolster, Sara Vogl, Tyler Hurd, Winslow Porter, Zohar Kfir.
DevLab was founded by Yelena Rachitsky and Christina Tanouye (Oculus); and Jill Klekas, Selena Pinnell and René Pinnell (Kaleidoscope).
Hoho Rights, the commercial arm of kids’ prodco Hoho Entertainment, announces new deals for preschool series Cloudbabies (52 x 10) and Abadas (52 x 11) with children’s SVOD platforms Hopster and Playkids. The shows will be available in multiple territories, including the US and UK.
Hoho has also partnered with X-Media Digital — Russia’s No. 1 YouTube partner — to launch a Russian language version of Cloudbabies.
“We have to embrace the ever changing landscape of children’s content distribution and working with companies such as Hopster, Playkids and X-Media, who are experts in the digital world, is a great way to introduce our shows to new audiences,” said Helen Howells, joint Managing Director for Hoho Rights.
Created by award-winning art director Bridget Appleby, Cloudbabies premiered in 2012 on CBeebies in the UK. Aimed at preschoolers, the enchanting series features the adventures of four toddlers whose job it is to look after the sky and their Sky Friends. Abadas, and Irish-Welsh co-production of Kavaleer and Dinamo, is a mixed media animation and live-action series that helps kids learn new words along with Ella the fox, Harry the hippo, and Seren the bat on their magical adventures.
These latest deals follow the recent news that Hoho had secured multiple international broadcast partners for its anarchic animated comedy Everybody Loves a Moose.
Moonbot Studios, a home-grown award-winning multiplatform animation and publishing house based in Shreveport, Louisiana, has restirred rumors of a relocation and/or sale of the company with the elimination of a number of jobs. The studio has 50 employees according to its website.
A story issued Monday by The Shreveport Times states positions in the animation and marketing departments have been eliminated, citing social media posts from several former employees. Studio leadership and employees alike have been silent on the reasons for the job cuts, due to nondisclosure agreements.
Following the report in the Times, an unnamed source did reach out to Cartoon Brew, telling the site that Moonbot is being bought by Florida virtual & augmented reality startup Magic Leap, and that the Shreveport studio is being dissolved.
Moonbot Studios was founding in 2009 by CEO Lampton Enochs, author-illustrator and animation industry regular William Joyce (Epic, Meet the Robinsons, Robots), and artist and filmmaker Brandon Oldenburg. In 2012, Moonbot earned the Best Short Animated Film Oscar (among other accolades) for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which was written by Joyce and directed by Joyce and Oldenburg.
Fred Seibert’s New York-based Frederator Network has been acquired by Canadian animation studio Rainmaker Entertainment (Escape from Planet Earth) in a share purchase deal, forming WOW! Unlimited Media. Further, Rainmaker is buying kids’ content producer Ezrin Hirsh Entertainment, founded by veteran animation executive Michael Hirsh and music producer Bob Ezrin.
The transactions will see the elimination of all of Rainmaker’s convertible debentures, with $11.6 million of it converted into equity for the new venture.
These deals will see animation producer Seibert (Adventure Time, The Fairly OddParents) instated as Chief Creative Officer and the largest shareholder of WOW!, with Hirsh (founder of Nelvana and Cookie Jar) serving as CEO and Chairman of the Board. Ezrin, who has produced for Lou Reed, Pink Floyd and Alice Cooper, will be Vice Chairman.
The WOW! leadership is rounded out by President and COO Neil Chakravarti, CFO Bryant Pike, and Michael Hefferon, who will become Executive Vice President at WOW! while continuing in his role as President of Rainmaker Studio.
The acquisition of Frederator by Rainmaker unites the world’s top digital animation network — which includes the Channel Frederator family — with a fully integrated animation studio, allowing the new business to leverage Frederator’s established audience and creator base as well as Rainmaker’s production capabilities. WOW! will develop, create and distribute animation and children’s content across multiple platforms including VOD, mobile and linear channels.
Muppet Babies will fulfill its old theme song promise and make your dreams come true in 2018, when Disney Junior premieres a brand-new, reimagined series chronicling the playroom antics of Kermit the Frog, Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal and Miss Nanny. Production has just kicked off on the CG-animated series, a co-production of Disney Junior, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media’s Content & Media Group, and The Muppets Studio.
“We are proud, and a little bit giddy, to begin production on our new version of the much-loved Muppet Babies,” said Nancy Kanter, EVP of Original Programming and General Manager for Disney Junior Worldwide. “Parents will delight in seeing their favorite Muppets in the mixed animation style they remember from the original series, and kids will be introduced to this warm and zany world made just right for the Disney Junior audience.”
Aimed at kids 4-7, each episode will feature two 11-minute romps designed to impart creative and critical thinking skills by harnessing the power of imaginative play, as the Muppet Babies let their imaginations take them to the farthest corners of the universe. Tom Warburton (The 7D) will executive produce, with Emmy-winner Eric Shaw (SpongeBob SquarePants) on board as story editor.
The return of Muppet Babies was in part sparked by The Muppets Studio’s recognition of nostalgia and fan demand for the Jim Henson cartoon (which ran from 1984-1991) evidenced on digital and social media channels run by DCPI’s Content & Media group.
“Bringing Muppet Babies to Disney Junior is a wonderful opportunity to reach a new generation of viewers and to creatively build on the innovative original series,” said Debbie McClellan, VP of The Muppets Studio. “We hope to engage and delight the nostalgic fans while also entertaining new kids, parents and diverse audiences through heart and humor as only the Muppets can deliver.”
Fox Animation has acquired rights to Kelly Barnhill’s widely acclaimed children’s fantasy novel The Girl Who Drank the Moon, and has tapped Kubo and the Two Strings co-writer Marc Haimes for the script adaptation, Deadline reports.
Carlos Saldanha, director of Fox/Blue Sky’s Rio, will produce with Maresa Pullman through their company, BottleCap Productions. Fox Animation VP of Production Darlene Caamano Loquet and President Vanessa Morrison are overseeing the project, which is speculated to be a live-action/animation hybrid.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is the fourth book by Barnhill (The Witch’s Boy), and was published in August by Algonquin Young Readers and named Amazon’s Best Book of the Month.
The epic coming-of-age tale begins with a place called the Protectorate, where each year the citizens leave a baby as a placative offering to the witch who lives in the forest. But this fearsome creature is actually a kindly witch named Xan, who delivers the children to welcoming families on the other side of the forest. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, granting the girl extraordinary magic. Xan raises the child, but as Luna approaches her 13th birthday, the magic within her begins to surface — with dangerous consequences.
Haimes has also been tapped to pen Neil Marshall’s remake of the breakout Norwegian hit Troll Hunter and Fox Animation’s adaptation of Noelle Stevenson’s best-selling graphic novel Nimona, which is being directed by Patrick Osborne (Feast).
A third season of hit animated comedy We Bare Bears has been greenlit by Cartoon Network. Created by Annie Award-winner Daniel Chong, the show follows awkward adventures of bear sibling Grizzly (voiced by Eric Edelstein), Panda (Bobby Moynihan) and Ice Bear (Demetri Martin) as they attempt to assimilate into human society.
Season three will see the bear bros. continue their explorations of the Bay Area (and beyond). Set to premiere early next year, the new season will include episodes featuring the adorable baby bears, holiday specials and the return of friends and frenemies like Nom Nom (Patton Oswalt), Chloe (Charlyne Yi), Charlie (Jason Lee), Lucy (Ellie Kemper) and Ranger Tabes (Cameron Esposito). New guest stars will include comedian Ron Funches and voice actor John DiMaggio (Adventure Time, Futurama).
Episodes from season two began running earlier this year, and We Bare Bears is averaging a global reach of 29.5 million kids in 2016 to date, reaching 8.4 million kids in the US alone.
We Bare Bears airs weekdays at 6 p.m. on Cartoon Network. One of the network’s top global franchises, the series is produced by Cartoon Network Studios.
UYoung and Little Airplane Productions’ new preschool comedy P. King Duckling (52 x 11; kids 2-7) makes its world premiere on Disney Junior in the US on Monday, November 7 at 5 p.m. ET/PT, with a same-day launch of episodes on the Disney Junior App.
“We are delighted that P. King Duckling is to become the first Chinese production to air on Disney Junior US and then across multiple territories around the world,” says Lisa Zhong, President of UYoung. “We are hopeful that children across the globe will fall in love with P. King Duckling and enjoy his hilarious international adventures.”
P. King Duckling follows the intrepid, but slightly hapless, young duck and his best friends, Chumpkins and Wombat, as they set out from their wonky rural community of Hilly Hole to ruffle feathers around the globe — whether by redecorating the Eiffel Tower in Paris or turning the Great Wall of China into a Great Waterslide.
The series is created and executive produced by Emmy-winning preschool TV producer Josh Selig (Little Airplane Prod.) in collaboration with James Chen Gu (General Manager, UYoung Animation); directed by Eddy Bo Fan (Creative Director, UYoung). UYoung holds global TV and licensing rights to P. King Duckling.
Illuminated Film Company is this week wishing a happy 10th birthday to Little Princess, which first introduced the darling character and her family to TV audiences in October 2006 on Channel 5’s Milkshake. Three seasons, 100 episodes and two specials later, the brand still has the royal touch.
Just ahead of the big anniversary, Little Princess seasons one and two have sold to Amazon Video in a package deal with Zodiak Kids. It was also recently announced that Kaleidoscope Film Distribution will handle international sales and UK distribution for new feature film Little Princess and the Legend of Blue Foot.
To date, the series has sold to over 150 territories worldwide, with all three seasons notably picked up by Italy’s Rai (three times), Ciwen in China and ABC in Australia. Little Princess has daily primetime slots on ZDF in Germany and Channel 5 in the UK, where it is part of the Milkshake block’s core programming lineup. Channel 5 is commissioning a fourth season, set to launch in Fall 2018.
Outside linear TV, Little Princess was sold to Netflix worldwide prior to moving to Amazon Video — she also has her own YouTube channel and fan channels with over 20,000 subscribers and 40 million views. She has come a long way from her storybook origins, where she was first brought to life by Tony Ross, but has stayed true to her regal character.
“It is exciting times for Little Princess and her brand,” says Illuminated Film’s Iain Harvey. “Looking ahead, we have a lot of plans for her and hope these new ventures will lead to another ten successful years of Little Princess for another generation of children to enjoy.”
Bit Films, an award-winning independent animation studio based in Northampton, Massachusetts, has released an online teaser for its new episodic action-adventure series The New Pioneers.
Set on a future Earth where the natural world has retaliated against humanity, the action follows teenage orphan Mynn as she is thrust unwillingly into adventure when her twin brother sneaks out of the electric dome that shelters their small band of surviving humans. The show is aimed at children aged 9+ and families.
The series creative team is lead by writer-director Chris Perry, a 20-year animation veteran who has worked at Pixar and Rhythm & Hues in addition to creating dramatic short films The Incident at Tower 37 (2009, writer-director) and Caldera (2012, producer).
“With The New Pioneers, we set out to defy the hyperreal trend so common in CG by using super-flexible rigs, an animation style rooted in drawn animation, a cel-inspired approach to lighting, and painted environments,” says Perry. “But going against the grain isn’t easy. Along with Anzovin Studio, we had to create new IP and a custom pipeline to give us the visual control we needed. We’re thrilled with how it came out, and love the show’s signature look.”
Anzovin Studio founder Raf Anzovin — whose resume includes work for Blue Sky, ReelFX, EA, LEGO, and the development of The Setup Machine auto-rig tool — served as animation director on the teaser. “CG animators generally have to deal with a mire of unnecessary detail and complex toolsets that mask the fundamentals of art and character performance–the very fundamentals that make animation an engaging and powerful artform. The process we’ve developed for New Pioneers sets us free from those constraints, allowing us to animate much more quickly without sacrificing our artistic goals.”
Accomplished VFX supervisor John Heller has joined the staff of FuseFX at its Los Angeles studio. His credits include feature films Big Miracle, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief and The Bourne Legacy, and TV series CSI: Cyber, The Outsiders and Rush Hour.
Heller says he was drawn to FuseFX by its reputation and solid business model, as well as its pro-artist way of running projects.
“This company has a lot of faith in its people. They allow supervisors a great deal of autonomy — within their production model — to run their shows and make creative decisions. It’s a supportive environment where they provide you with good people and trust you to do your job.” Heller’s new role includes supervising VFX production on-set and in the studio. “I love collaborating with people in creating imagery and storytelling, whether that happens on a set with a director or in a studio with a team of CG artists.”
Heller began his career as a photographer and digital artist in the mid-’90s, and was lead by his interest in film to visual effects studio VIFX where one of his first credits was as an Inferno artist on James Cameron’s Titanic. He joined Rhythm & Hues in 1999 and spent 13 years at the company, rising to VFX Supervisor. Over his career, Heller has worked on more than 50 feature films.
Tencent Looks for Partners on Animation and Comics
A new department under the company’s Interactive Entertainment group is seeking overseas and domestic partners for co-production and distribution of animation and comics to diversify its offerings.
Chinese animation production press briefing at 2016 Mifa.
Animation Magazine has announced its list of 2016 Animation Hall of Fame inductees, who will be celebrated with an Awards Gala held Tuesday, November 1 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the beachside Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, California as part of the World Animation & VFX Summit.
This year’s Hall of Fame awardees are: Betty Cohen, Butch Hartman, Michael Hirsh, Travis Knight, Ellen Poon, and Pierre Sissmann.
Betty Cohen: Renowned TV network and digital media executive, and founding President of Cartoon Network/Adult Swim/Boomerang.
Butch Hartman: Multiple Emmy- and Annie-nominated and BATFA-winning creator of the long-running Nickelodeon series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.
Michael Hirsh: Highly accomplished entrepreneur and executive and founder of Nelvana and TeleTOON Canada.
Travis Knight: President & CEO of renowned animation studio LAIKA and the director/producer of Kubo and the Two Strings, producer and lead animator on The Boxtrolls and ParaNorman; and lead animator Coraline.
Ellen Poon: Acclaimed VFX supervisor and producer whose many credits include Disney’ Frozen, Zootopia, and this year’s much-anticipated feature Moana.
Pierre Sissmann: Chairman, CEO and Founder of leading French animation company, Cyber Group Studios.
The 5th Annual World Animation & VFX Summit takes place on Monday, October 31, and Tuesday, November 1, at the California Yacht Club, in Marina del Rey, CA. This high-profile event will feature panels, discussion and networking with a global array of high-level animation and visual effects professionals, who are changing the animation, VFX, distribution and financing landscape all over the world.
“It’s been a watershed year for animation and visual effects, and we are delighted to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our World Animation and VFX Summit with such a supremely talented group of visionaries and artists,” says Jean Thoren, Animation Magazine‘s publisher and founder of the event. “Our six distinguished Hall of Fame Honorees this year — Betty Cohen, Butch Hartman, Michael Hirsh, Travis Knight, Ellen Poon and Pierre Sissmann — have brought so much artistry and creative vision to our world. These superb six have worked hard and led teams of gifted artists in their quest to share unique and inspiring stories. We are thrilled to acknowledge their achievements at the Summit this year and thank them for all the joy they have given us with their movies and TV projects.”
This year’s distinguished keynote speakers, presenters and panelists include:
George Antzoulides, Lead Supervisor, Proof, Inc.
Raquel Benitez, CEO, Comet Entertainment
Camille Cellucci, VFX Producer Titanic, Elysium
Vanessa Chapman, Head, VJC Media
Joyce Cox, VFX Producer, The Jungle Book, Avatar
Larry Cutler, CTO, Baobab Studios
Valeria Dobrolyubov, Head of Sales, Mirsand, Ltd.
Malik Ducard, Global Head of Kids and Learning, YouTube
Holly Edwards, Producer, Trolls
Michael Eisner, Founder, The Tornante Co.; former Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
Josh Fisher, VP of Creative Affairs, DHX Studio
Sean Gorman, President, American Greetings Entertainment
The 21st International Family Film Festival wrapped up in Hollywood over the weekend, culminating in an awards ceremony guided by multiple award-winning voice actor Bill Farmer, who plays “Goofy” and “Pluto” for Disney and last year took home an Annie Award for his work on Mickey Mouse. Actor-producer Diane Baker was also on hand to present the jury awards during the event, which featured live entertainment by EJ and The Katz.
Of special note was was the 2016 Friz Award for Animation, which was bestowed on voice and casting director Andrea Romano in recognition of her 30 years of dedication to the world of animation. The award was presented by colleagues Kevin Conroy, who voices Batman in most animated projects, and Rob Paulsen, voice of Pinky from Animaniacs.
This year’s animated winners were:
Best Foreign Animated Feature: El Americano: The Movie directed by Ricardo Arnaiz (Mexico)
Best Short Animation: Erin, Owen and the Loch Ness Monster directed & animated by Nicholas Julius (Longway Home Productions)
Best Short Animation – Foreign: Agrinoul directed/animated/written/produced by Alexis Chaviaras (Chaviaras Prod., Cyprus)
Best Short – Mixed Media: Muggs and Toast directed/produced/animated by Ron Schnildknecht (Germantown Films)
Best Student Animation: Adija directed/animated by Apollonia Thomaier (Digipen Inst. of Technology)
Best Feature-Length Screenplay – Animation: The Mythfitz – Quest for the Golden Horn by Nicholas Julius
Best Short Screenplay – Animation: Fly by Dave Chan
The IFFF this year presented an international selection of over 100 family-friendly films and screenplays, which this year shared a theme of celebrating women and their stories — as did Q&A sessions and panel discussions. More information on the festival can be found at http://iffilmfest.org.
Andrea Romano with Rob Paulsen, Kevin Conroy – photo by Renard Garr
Entertainment One has secured a broadcast deal for its BAFTA award-winning half-hour film Lost and Found on Sprout in the US. The critically acclaimed animated special will premiere on the NBCUniversal-owned preschool network on December 2 at 3 p.m. ET and air throughout the month, joining Sprout’s lineup of heartwarming holiday programming.
Based on the international best-selling children’s book by author Oliver Jeffers, Lost and Found was produced by award-winning production company STUDIO AKA. Developed in close collaboration with Jeffers, the CG animated film is narrated by Jim Broadbent and features a score by composer Max Richter.
Lost and Found tells the unforgettable story of a little boy who finds a penguin on his doorstep. Although at first he is unsure what to do, the Boy becomes determined to help the Penguin find his way back home… even if that means rowing all the way to the South Pole!
In addition to its BAFTA Children’s award, the film has earned 61 international film awards, including accolades from the New York and Chicago Children’s Film Festival, Ottawa Int’l Animation Festival, Melbourne Int’l Animation Festival, China’s Gold Panda for Best Short Film, Sapporo Short Film Festival, British Animation Awards and the Annecy Crystal for Best TV Special.
Global Screen — the international sales division of Bavaria Film and Telepool — has released the first teaser for colorful family comedy Richard the Stork ahead of its debut at the American Film Market through next week. The English-language trailer introduces a range of avian characters and promises a lot of action and physical comedy.
The CG animated feature tells the story of a little sparrow named Richard, who grows up as the adopted son of a stork family and believes he is one of the big white birds, too. When the storks leave on their winter migration to Africa, Richard is left behind. Determined to catch up, he takes to hitching rides across Europe by bus, train and boat, taming up with an eccentric owl and a narcissistic parakeet.
Richard the Stork is directed by Toby Genkel and Reza Memari and produced by Kristine Knudsen and Emely Christians — the team behind Ooops! Noah Is Gone…, which Global Screen sold-out worldwide and grossed 25 million euro at the international box office. It is coproduced by Eric Goossens and Anton Robben as well as Stephen Roelants.
