Sony making plans for toon clans
NICOLE LaPORTE, 10.01.04, 12:35 PM ET
"Lion King" director Roger Allers has joined the directing team of Sony Pictures Animation's upcoming animated feature "Open Season," and Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman have come on board as writers.
In addition, scribes Lisa Addario and Joey Syracuse have been hired to write "Surf's Up," the studio's second animated feature about surfing penguins.
"Open Season," which features the voices of Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher, is a buddy comedy about a happily domesticated 900-pound grizzly bear named Boog (Lawrence), who has his comfortable world turned upside down when he meets a fast-talking wild mule deer named Elliot (Kutcher).
The pic is based on the humor of cartoonist Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers") and is directed by Jull Culton and Allers, and co-directed by Anthony Stacchi.
Allers made his directing debut with Disney's acclaimed feature "The Lion King." He also wrote the book for the Broadway musical version of the film, with writing partner Irene Mecchi.
Allers was instrumental in shaping the story on many Disney hits including "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "The Little Mermaid." He is also supervising development on "Billy the Liar" for Sony Pictures Animation, which Richard Hatem is writing.
Friedman and Bencich also came to Sony from Disney, where they recently completed work on animated pic "Chicken Little."
In addition, they rewrote Universal's "Curious George," and are currently working with Warner Bros. on the hybrid animation/live-action project "Game Over."
The doc-style feature "Surf's Up" is based on the theory that surfing was invented by penguins. The central character, Cody, is a small Rockhopper penguin who dreams of finding fame and fortune on the Penguin World Surfing Championship. Ash Brannon and Chris Buck are directing. Chris Jenkins is producing.
Adario and Syracuse recently completed "Killer Rates" for Jersey Films and Universal. They also wrote "Mai the Psychic Girl" and "The Ready Set" for Col, and "The It Girl" for Paramount.
SPA is headed by exec veeps Penney Finkelman and Sandra Rabins, who launched the division in 2002. It's overseen by Sony vice-chair Yair Landau.
NICOLE LaPORTE, 10.01.04, 12:35 PM ET
"Lion King" director Roger Allers has joined the directing team of Sony Pictures Animation's upcoming animated feature "Open Season," and Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman have come on board as writers.
In addition, scribes Lisa Addario and Joey Syracuse have been hired to write "Surf's Up," the studio's second animated feature about surfing penguins.
"Open Season," which features the voices of Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher, is a buddy comedy about a happily domesticated 900-pound grizzly bear named Boog (Lawrence), who has his comfortable world turned upside down when he meets a fast-talking wild mule deer named Elliot (Kutcher).
The pic is based on the humor of cartoonist Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers") and is directed by Jull Culton and Allers, and co-directed by Anthony Stacchi.
Allers made his directing debut with Disney's acclaimed feature "The Lion King." He also wrote the book for the Broadway musical version of the film, with writing partner Irene Mecchi.
Allers was instrumental in shaping the story on many Disney hits including "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "The Little Mermaid." He is also supervising development on "Billy the Liar" for Sony Pictures Animation, which Richard Hatem is writing.
Friedman and Bencich also came to Sony from Disney, where they recently completed work on animated pic "Chicken Little."
In addition, they rewrote Universal's "Curious George," and are currently working with Warner Bros. on the hybrid animation/live-action project "Game Over."
The doc-style feature "Surf's Up" is based on the theory that surfing was invented by penguins. The central character, Cody, is a small Rockhopper penguin who dreams of finding fame and fortune on the Penguin World Surfing Championship. Ash Brannon and Chris Buck are directing. Chris Jenkins is producing.
Adario and Syracuse recently completed "Killer Rates" for Jersey Films and Universal. They also wrote "Mai the Psychic Girl" and "The Ready Set" for Col, and "The It Girl" for Paramount.
SPA is headed by exec veeps Penney Finkelman and Sandra Rabins, who launched the division in 2002. It's overseen by Sony vice-chair Yair Landau.