Father Geek here with the ever lovely Sharon, and the news that yet another Comicbook property has been inked to become a feature film...
I thought that you, and your AICN readers, would find this COMIC BOOKS TO ANIMATED FEATURE FILM news interesting. I'm sure you're very familiar with Cross Generation Comics and with Michael Uslan, the executive producer of all of the BATMAN feature films and animated series. MERIDIAN is CrossGen's top seller in the book market.
As part of its studio expansion strategy, animation production company Cornerstone Animation Inc. has acquired the rights to "Meridian", Cross Generation Comics' immensely popular comic book series, and has immediately begun developing the animated feature film. Jason VanBorssum, Cornerstone Animation's president and CEO, announces that the agreement includes motion picture, television and ancillary rights to this coming-of-age adventure tale from CrossGen Comics, North America's 4th largest comic book publisher and the fastest growing comics company in the world, and is expected to lead the film into production next year.
Cornerstone Chief Creative Officer and co-founder Larry Whitaker, whose feature film works include "Return to Never Land", "The Iron Giant", "The Tigger Movie" and "Mighty Joe Young", will co-write the script and plans to direct the animated feature film. Branded Entertainment's Michael Uslan, executive producer of the "Batman" feature film and television franchise and Emmy Award winner for the "Carmen Sandiego" animated series, is attached as executive producer on the feature film and all "Meridian" franchise productions.
The "Meridian" deal marks Cornerstone Animation's first venture into feature film rights acquisition and ownership, as the company is best known for its animation direction on Disney's "Return to Never Land", and for its production of Big Idea Production's animated video series "Larryboy" and on numerous other series and films for The Walt Disney Company, Mattel, Fox Television and Focus On The Family. Cornerstone Animation is also garnering much interest from potential partners for a proprietary animated feature film property, which Michael Uslan and Howard Kazanjian (producer of "Return of the Jedi" and executive producer of "Raiders of the Lost Ark") will produce.
Cornerstone's Larry Whitaker says, "Cornerstone is in the business of marrying animation, the only original American art form, with the most compelling storytelling. "Meridian", as with all of CrossGen's properties, is captivatingly fresh, rich and moving. "Meridian" is a story that cries out to be brought to life with the magic of feature animation."
Says Branded Entertainment's Michael Uslan, "'Meridian' is the perfect CrossGen property to be transformed into an animated feature. It's a contemporary mythology that evokes "Peter Pan," "Pinocchio," and even "Return of the Jedi." Great characters, great stories and great art make for a compelling film for the broadest family audiences worldwide."
"The most difficult thing to do in translating graphic novel stories to film and television is to find the right creators who can capture the essence and soul of those stories," said Tony Panaccio, vice president of product development for CrossGen Comics. "Jason, Larry and their Cornerstone team understood the story from the start. "Meridian" could not be in better hands."
The comic book hit "Meridian", now in its second printing as the # 1 CrossGen seller in the consumer book trade, is the story of Sephie, the 16-year-old minister of the floating city of Meridian. Sephie struggles against her uncle Ilahn, the evil minister of Cacador, who tries to use her powers towards his own nefarious ends. In addition to the monthly CrossGen comic book series, "Meridian" has also been published in three trade paperback volumes and appears in the monthly compendium book "Forge".
Cornerstone's "Meridian" option deal was initially revealed during a CrossGen panel discussion at Comic-Con, where Larry Whitaker was joined on the panel by other CrossGen production partners, including Chuck Russell (director, "The Scorpion King"), Bennett Schneir (VP at Bob Zemeckis' ImageMovers), Larry Kasanoff (president, Threshold Entertainment, "Mortal Kombat") and led by Branded Entertainment's Michael Uslan (Batman franchise, Carmen Sandiego).
Based in Glendale, Calif., Cornerstone Animation Inc. is a full-service animation company providing CG, traditional, and Flash animation for film, TV, interactive games and the Web. Named "One of the Top Ten Companies to Watch in 2002" by Animation Magazine, Cornerstone's clients include The Walt Disney Company, Focus on the Family, Mattel, Fox Television and Big Idea Productions.
CrossGeneration Comics is based just outside of Tampa, Florida. Since its initial launch on May 24, 2000, CrossGen has grown into the comic industry's fourth largest publisher, with its entire line of stories represented in 34 countries and 12 languages. The company has a long-term development deal with Branded Entertainment, a film and television production company helmed by long-time Batman film and animated feature executive producer Michael Uslan. The CrossGen Comics, "The First", "Mystic", "Sigil", "Scion", "Meridian", "Crux", "Sojourn", "Ruse", "Negation", "The Path", "Way of the Rat" and "Route 666" are available now in comic book specialty stores everywhere, with a different one on sale each Wednesday. Most recently, CrossGen launched its landmark Internet offering, www.comicsontheweb.com, with partners including Lycos, iFilm, Clear Channel Radio Interactive, YOUtopia.com, ucomics.com and many others.
Branded Entertainment was formed in 2000 for the sole purpose of building feature film, television and animation franchises. Its principal is Michael Uslan, Executive Producer of the "Batman" franchise of feature films, live-action and animated series, as well as the Emmy Award-winning "Carmen Sandiego."
That's it for now...
Sharon
