Remember that news I had about Katsuhiro Otomo directing the fourth Dreamworks traditional animation film? Well I think this is the project. For those who don't remember Katsuhiro was the co-director of AKIRA, your mouth watering yet? This comes from the MALNOURISHED SQUINTING INK & PAINTER!!!
Hey Harry, I'm a lowly underappreciated ink & paint type at a certain studio owned by three people on that Power List you were on, and I decided to do my part to up your ante a bit. Now I haven't read any of this on your site yet, but then they keep me working chained to this table painting night and day. However, through the hole in the wall I can listen in on the speaker phone antics of a certain Contact person here at SKG. Last year SKG bought the license to make the creator owned comic ASH, Published by EVENT COMICS, into a major animated motion picture. About a month ago I overheard a call from an angelic voice who has been Joe Quesada's contact up here along with a certain hockey mask type, she had asked how Joe and his co-creative partner Jimmy Palmiotti liked Japanese anime, and it sounded like Joe told her that he and Palmiotti believed that that was exactly how they hoped the Ash movie would be handled. She thought that was cool since they were going to be speaking to a Japanese director about handling the project. I'm not sure who that could be, but I think it's that fella ya mentioned a while back! I don't know if this news is of any interest to you. According to SKG Ash is schedule as thei fourth traditional cell movie, behind PRINCE OF EGYPT, ELDORADO, and something undeveloped about horses. Most recent Ash treatments have given the story a sci-fi feel not originally in the comic. But I have to say it's looking cool!!!
This fella is named Trumpfy, but I wouldn't dream of telling you who that is, you all are familiar with it, so why state the obvious. (ok ok, he's a pod people) Be warned, Trumpfy may be working on one or more of the following projects and could possibly be biased. I'm not sure yet. We'll have to see how Trumpfy's news comes out!!!
I've been sitting on this info for quite a while. Since recently you've been in an animation stupor, well I feel obligated to share with others. You can call me Trumpfy. ( if you know what it's from your a pagan god!) Let me say that all of this stuff was witnessed with my own eyes on the inner walls of each studio.
Well, on to the news. First off from Dreamworks comes Prince of Egypt. Your right, this is goona rock! The story follows two brothers, Moses and (I think) Ramses. Each brother is given a quest. Ramses is sent on a warrior's journey buy his father and upon his return is given the title of prince. While Moses, the "strange" brother is given a spiritual quest from God. I forget who the voices are but I know Sandra Bullock is in it. God's voice is gonna kick ass! Every actor who has a speaking part recorded the lines, then a Boys and girls choir sung the lines. It's all put together digitally to make one booming voice! I've also seen a storyboard for the "parting" of the Red Sea. It's nothing like Heston's way. Imagine a crowd of people, horses, and wagons surrounded by 100 ft walls of water, walking on coral, fish, plants, you name it. They only have a 50 foot radius to walk in. Halfway through the people want to turn back. And get this, people and animals die! Death in an animated movie! Word is that Dreamworks is looking for a worldwide release, the first ever. I've seen some pencil tests and it looks better than anthing I've seen.
Dreamworks second project is El Dorado: City of Gold. It stars Keneth Brahnah and Rosie Perez. IT about two theives who hitch a ride on one of Columbus' ship to flee being hung in Spain. Well, they are on the ship that doesn't make it and the two are washed ashore with a horse. They stumble upon a native society (Incas??) and are worshiped as gods after being seen riding the horse.(the tribe thinks they are horse-men.) I'm not sure about what happens after that. Dreamworks said they needed a lighthearted, Disneyish film to follow the epic Prince of Egypt.
You already know about Ants but they have another CG film called Shrek. It's a fairy tale about an Ogre who falls in love with the ugliest girl in the kindom. The voice of shrek is Bobcat Golthwait. This project has had major production problems and may not see the light of day.
WarnerBros has my favorite projects to date. First is Quest for Camelot. It is about a Celtic girl who wants to become a Knight of the Round Table, but no female has ever been a knight. Some how she discovers a plot by an evil wizard to sieze Excalber and overthrow Arthur. Well, the girl sets out for Camelot to warn Arthur and Merlin. The wizard magically alters some soldiers into the best designed warriors I've ever seen. One has two morning stars for arms! While in peril, the girl is rescued and befriended by a blind warrior who aides in her " Quest for Camelot". The film climaxes with an amazing dragon battle. I saw a trailer that was 25% in color and the music was very Braveheart-like.
Warners' next project is my favorite. Iron Giant. (it's not Iron man like some have heeard it's definately iron giant.) The giant will be all CG and everything else will be 2D. It takes place in the 60's and has a Cold War scare theme to it. I think you know the story but the production art had such a pop-art feel to it that will denfinately stand out form the million other animated clones we're about to see. The giant itself looks like Gigantor. He has laser eyes and ends up saving the planet from alien invasion. Aliens, Robots, pood;e skirts, the 1960's, This is the coolest project I've ever seen.
The other Warner projects were barely in pre production. The Zoo is a jail break movie were an urangatang make what Warners said would be the most amazing escape in movie history. They said this will be a darker film that had everything form the prison bully to the dirty guard to the corupt warden to the guy who can get "it" for you. They said it Escape from Alcatraz meets Shawshank meets The Great Escape meets The Birdman meets any other prison movie. Sounds way keen.
Other projects (just saw character sheets) include The New Gods and Aquaman. They also had a Cavman porject called Gronk(??).
Finally I made it to Disney. They will lose!! First up is Legend of Mulan which is one of the only two projects that can compete. It's about a young Joan of Arc type who poses as a boy to fight in battle. Backrounds look beatiful.
After that comes Tarzan. This project sucks. Disney already did this movie. I'ts Jungle Book meets Hercules. Angela Lansbury plays the Mother Ape. This pisses me off that it's all cute and fluffy. Imagine Tarzan singing! This is giong to suck. It's the worst project being developed.
Next is Empire of the Sun. This is Disney trying to overshadow Dreamworks' El Dorado. Expect a Deep Impact - Armeggedon type rivalry with these two. Disney's is about the Aztecs.
Only saw pre production art on this one. Last but not least is a project to rival Iron Giant. Atlantis looks awesome. preproduction art was done by Mike Mignolia(Hellboy) and Ricardo Delgado (Age of Reptiles). If Disney doesn't Disnify it it will be the best project to grace the screen.
A quick look at other animated films. Fox Animation is working on
Planet Ice.
The 1st Science Fiction american animated feature. Thumbs down on originality though. The story follows a farm-boy who's father dissapered on his last military mission. The Earth is blown up (don't know how) and the boy, being the only survivor, set off into space looking for life or other earth civilizations. A mysterious evil dictator is thrown in somewhere, an the boy saves the universe. It was hinted that the he finds his father but not in a loving way. Sound familiar. People at Fox said it was a cross between Star Wars and Indiana Jones which means they are making an animated Star Wars so they don't have to take a risk. It will be the 1st major animated film without singing in it.
From Aardman Animation comes a Claymated story about two chickens who fall in love while inprisoned in a chicken coop. the setting is a WWII senario with an escape for a climax. For those of you who don't know Aardman's work, go out and buy the Wallace and Grommet trilogy now! Thank me after.
Well, that should cover the next 3 years.This is Trumfy signing off.
