Stars: Joshua Brennan, Charlotte Best, Ric Herbert, Coco Jack Gillies, Jess Bush, Barry Quin, Adam Saunders | Written and Directed by Nik Kacevski
Just as Skinford: Death Sentence was shot simply as Skinford in 2017, Skinford 2: The Curse began life in Australia under the less sensational title Skinford: Chapter Two in 2018. Enter Black Mandala, who picked them up, dusted them off and gave them a new title for release outside their home country.
For those who haven’t seen the first film, Skinford 2: The Curse opens with a recap via footage from it, as well as various newspaper clippings under the credits. That gives way to Jimmy “Skinny” Skinford trying to get a place where he and Zophia can lie low after the events of the first film.
That’s because not only is his father Guy still alive and desperate to steal Zophia’s immortality, so is Kovac who...
Just as Skinford: Death Sentence was shot simply as Skinford in 2017, Skinford 2: The Curse began life in Australia under the less sensational title Skinford: Chapter Two in 2018. Enter Black Mandala, who picked them up, dusted them off and gave them a new title for release outside their home country.
For those who haven’t seen the first film, Skinford 2: The Curse opens with a recap via footage from it, as well as various newspaper clippings under the credits. That gives way to Jimmy “Skinny” Skinford trying to get a place where he and Zophia can lie low after the events of the first film.
That’s because not only is his father Guy still alive and desperate to steal Zophia’s immortality, so is Kovac who...
- 11/24/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
The third instalment in the animated insect franchise for kids is a buzz-free disappointment
As cinemas reopen in England, normal service resumes in the world of little kids’ films. First up for the under-fives is Maya the Bee 3, the latest instalment of the sappy, sentimental franchise from Australia.
In the new movie plucky little bee Maya (voiced by Coco Jack Gillies) and her best friend Willi (Benson Jack Anthony) get lumbered with transporting a golden egg to the ant colony at Bonsai Peak. Of course, the egg cracks en route, leaving the pair holding the ant baby – an adorable squidge they nickname Schmoosh. Cue some ant nappy-changing and lessons about responsibility. Weirdly, there is next to nothing specific about bees; with a little tweak here and there in the script, you could substitute bees for chipmunks or dinosaurs.
As cinemas reopen in England, normal service resumes in the world of little kids’ films. First up for the under-fives is Maya the Bee 3, the latest instalment of the sappy, sentimental franchise from Australia.
In the new movie plucky little bee Maya (voiced by Coco Jack Gillies) and her best friend Willi (Benson Jack Anthony) get lumbered with transporting a golden egg to the ant colony at Bonsai Peak. Of course, the egg cracks en route, leaving the pair holding the ant baby – an adorable squidge they nickname Schmoosh. Cue some ant nappy-changing and lessons about responsibility. Weirdly, there is next to nothing specific about bees; with a little tweak here and there in the script, you could substitute bees for chipmunks or dinosaurs.
- 5/11/2021
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
It's that time of year. Spring is in the air, flowers are beginning to bloom and sleepy little bees are beginning to wake up. Maya the Bee may have made her first appearance in 1924 but thanks to the magic of fiction she's still only seven, with a seven-year-old's enthusiasm for making ever day a fresh adventure. This enthusiasm is not shared by everybody else in the hive, however, and when she creates havoc in the process of trying to wake them up and kick off the nectar-gathering season, the Queen decides she's had enough. If Maya can't change, she and her best friend, Willy, will be separated.
What's the answer to this? "No more adventures," pleads Willy (voiced by Benson Jack Anthony), but Maya (Coco Jack Gillies) just can't resist. When she hears an ant in trouble out in the meadow, she rushes to his aid. He's carrying an important.
What's the answer to this? "No more adventures," pleads Willy (voiced by Benson Jack Anthony), but Maya (Coco Jack Gillies) just can't resist. When she hears an ant in trouble out in the meadow, she rushes to his aid. He's carrying an important.
- 5/5/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Paul Mahoney.
Screenwriter Paul Mahoney was sorely disappointed when pre-production on his first movie Ruby’s Choice was halted two weeks before shooting was due to start – but he is getting plenty of traction on three other features.
Los Angeles-based producer Rosemary Marks (Thirteen) is teaming up with Australian John Tsambazis on Do It Scared, Mahoney’s screenplay based on the true story of Maltese-born Rob Galea’s roller-coaster journey from rebellious, drug-dealing gang member to a teenager with a hit single, priest and X-Factor semi-finalist.
Freshwater Pictures’ Trish Lake has boarded Elvis Town, the saga of a reporter with an Elvis Presley phobia who is reunited with his estranged mother, co-written by Mahoney and Stephen Lance, with Mairi Cameron and Lance set to co-direct.
Alan Arumugam of Ysa Screen Media and Kanesh Mohana Sundaram of Gvkm Elephant Pictures are in late development on action-thriller Ark-13, co-written by Mukund Ramanan and Mahoney,...
Screenwriter Paul Mahoney was sorely disappointed when pre-production on his first movie Ruby’s Choice was halted two weeks before shooting was due to start – but he is getting plenty of traction on three other features.
Los Angeles-based producer Rosemary Marks (Thirteen) is teaming up with Australian John Tsambazis on Do It Scared, Mahoney’s screenplay based on the true story of Maltese-born Rob Galea’s roller-coaster journey from rebellious, drug-dealing gang member to a teenager with a hit single, priest and X-Factor semi-finalist.
Freshwater Pictures’ Trish Lake has boarded Elvis Town, the saga of a reporter with an Elvis Presley phobia who is reunited with his estranged mother, co-written by Mahoney and Stephen Lance, with Mairi Cameron and Lance set to co-direct.
Alan Arumugam of Ysa Screen Media and Kanesh Mohana Sundaram of Gvkm Elephant Pictures are in late development on action-thriller Ark-13, co-written by Mukund Ramanan and Mahoney,...
- 4/20/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Jane Seymour.
Jane Seymour’s abiding interest in dementia led to her landing the lead role in Ruby’s Choice, producer/director Michael Budd’s drama with comic overtones, which starts shooting in Brisbane later this month.
The British American actress who made her name in the 1970s as Bond girl Solitaire in Live and Let Die and in TV’s The Onedin Line, Our Mutual Friend and Battlestar Galactica, will play the title role, a loving grandmother who has dementia.
Coco Jack Gillies will portray her 16-year-old granddaughter Tash.
Jacqueline McKenzie is Ruby’s daughter Sharon with Stephen Hunter as her husband Doug.
Emerging Brisbane writer Paul Mahoney wrote the screenplay, pitched it to Budd and it immediately struck a chord as the filmmaker lost his grandmother to dementia.
Budd approached Seymour’s agent knowing it was a subject close to her heart: Seymour served as executive producer on Glen Campbell...
Jane Seymour’s abiding interest in dementia led to her landing the lead role in Ruby’s Choice, producer/director Michael Budd’s drama with comic overtones, which starts shooting in Brisbane later this month.
The British American actress who made her name in the 1970s as Bond girl Solitaire in Live and Let Die and in TV’s The Onedin Line, Our Mutual Friend and Battlestar Galactica, will play the title role, a loving grandmother who has dementia.
Coco Jack Gillies will portray her 16-year-old granddaughter Tash.
Jacqueline McKenzie is Ruby’s daughter Sharon with Stephen Hunter as her husband Doug.
Emerging Brisbane writer Paul Mahoney wrote the screenplay, pitched it to Budd and it immediately struck a chord as the filmmaker lost his grandmother to dementia.
Budd approached Seymour’s agent knowing it was a subject close to her heart: Seymour served as executive producer on Glen Campbell...
- 3/10/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
wide
Love, Simon [my review]
Elizabeth Berger cowrites this dramedy about a gay (male) teenager coming to terms with his sexuality. (male director)
A Quiet Place [my review]
Emily Blunt and Millicent Simmonds costar as the mother and daughter of a small family trying to survive a monster apocalypse. (male writers and director)
limited
I Kill Giants [my review]
Madison Wolfe stars as a girl who escapes into a rich fantasy life of magic and monsters. (male writer and director)
Maya the Bee: The Honey Games [IMDb]
Animated children’s film about a honey bee (voiced by Coco Jack Gillies) who must save her hive. (male writers and directors)
Thoroughbreds [IMDb]
Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this thriller about two teenaged girls who strike up a dangerous friendship. (male writer-director)
The Hurricane Heist [my review]
Maggie Grace costars as a federal agent who must stop a robbery at a Us Treasury facility. (male writers and director)
Wonderstruck...
Love, Simon [my review]
Elizabeth Berger cowrites this dramedy about a gay (male) teenager coming to terms with his sexuality. (male director)
A Quiet Place [my review]
Emily Blunt and Millicent Simmonds costar as the mother and daughter of a small family trying to survive a monster apocalypse. (male writers and director)
limited
I Kill Giants [my review]
Madison Wolfe stars as a girl who escapes into a rich fantasy life of magic and monsters. (male writer and director)
Maya the Bee: The Honey Games [IMDb]
Animated children’s film about a honey bee (voiced by Coco Jack Gillies) who must save her hive. (male writers and directors)
Thoroughbreds [IMDb]
Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this thriller about two teenaged girls who strike up a dangerous friendship. (male writer-director)
The Hurricane Heist [my review]
Maggie Grace costars as a federal agent who must stop a robbery at a Us Treasury facility. (male writers and director)
Wonderstruck...
- 4/6/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Australian films looks like maintaining their impressive momentum at cinemas after the premieres last weekend of Oddball and Blinky Bill: The Movie.
Stuart McDonald.s comedy inspired by the true story of chicken farmer Swampy Marsh, who deploys his sheepdog.to protect an endangered Fairy Penguin population, starring Shane Jacobson, Sarah Snook, Coco Gillies.and Alan Tudyk,.rang up $1.07 million in its first four days on 289 screens, including limited previews. . Deane Taylor.s animated movie which features the voices of.Ryan Kwanten, Toni Collette, Robin McLeavy, David Wenham, Rufus Sewell, Richard Roxburgh, Deborah Mailman, Barry Otto and Barry Humphries, took $335,000 on 266 screens, with previews. . Both are positioned to cash in on the two weeks school vacation with.Oddball appealing to families and Blinky Bill drawing young folk and their parents or carers, so their figures should lift during the week. . Steve Kearney, who produced Oddball with Richard Keddie and Sheila Hanahan Taylor,...
Stuart McDonald.s comedy inspired by the true story of chicken farmer Swampy Marsh, who deploys his sheepdog.to protect an endangered Fairy Penguin population, starring Shane Jacobson, Sarah Snook, Coco Gillies.and Alan Tudyk,.rang up $1.07 million in its first four days on 289 screens, including limited previews. . Deane Taylor.s animated movie which features the voices of.Ryan Kwanten, Toni Collette, Robin McLeavy, David Wenham, Rufus Sewell, Richard Roxburgh, Deborah Mailman, Barry Otto and Barry Humphries, took $335,000 on 266 screens, with previews. . Both are positioned to cash in on the two weeks school vacation with.Oddball appealing to families and Blinky Bill drawing young folk and their parents or carers, so their figures should lift during the week. . Steve Kearney, who produced Oddball with Richard Keddie and Sheila Hanahan Taylor,...
- 9/21/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Animation already sold to more than 170 territories.
Munich-based sales company Studio 100 Film has closed a deal for the UK and Scandinavia to the German/Australian 3D animation Maya The Bee with London-based Primal Screen.
The deal includes all rights for the UK, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
Studio 100 Film has sold the adventure feature in more than 170 territories so far, including North America.
The film is drected by Alexs Stadermann and produced by Studio 100 Media (Germany) and Buzz Studios (Australia) in association with Flying Bark Productions.
Voice talent includes Coco Jack Gillies (Mad Max: Fury Road), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom), Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter), Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge!), Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones), Kodi Smit-McPhee (ParaNorman) and Justine Clarke.
Maya The Bee is based on a German children’s novel by Waldemar Bonsels first published in 1912. The character has also appeared in comic book series and several animated series for television.
Munich-based sales company Studio 100 Film has closed a deal for the UK and Scandinavia to the German/Australian 3D animation Maya The Bee with London-based Primal Screen.
The deal includes all rights for the UK, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
Studio 100 Film has sold the adventure feature in more than 170 territories so far, including North America.
The film is drected by Alexs Stadermann and produced by Studio 100 Media (Germany) and Buzz Studios (Australia) in association with Flying Bark Productions.
Voice talent includes Coco Jack Gillies (Mad Max: Fury Road), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom), Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter), Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge!), Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones), Kodi Smit-McPhee (ParaNorman) and Justine Clarke.
Maya The Bee is based on a German children’s novel by Waldemar Bonsels first published in 1912. The character has also appeared in comic book series and several animated series for television.
- 6/1/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Alexs Stadermann's animated Maya the Bee Movie — the awkward title of which seems one definite article short — is a thoroughly modern adaptation of a character first introduced in German children's literature in the 1910s. Maya (Coco Jack Gillies) is a young bee who feels stifled by hive society, a xenophobic life so oppressive that she causes a ruckus when she insists on being called Maya and not her original designation, "369." Leaving the hive on her own, but eventually joined by her timid friend Willy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and a hornet named Sting (Joel Franco), she learns that everything she was told about the rest of the meadow was wrong, especially with regard to the vilified hornets. Maya the Bee Movie does what it does very well, ...
- 4/29/2015
- Village Voice
Kids and parents across North America will soon be enamored by the world famous little bee named Maya and her insect friends when the international smash hit Maya The Bee Movie makes its buzz-worthy debut on DVD and on two-disc Blu-Ray 3D Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D and 2D, DVD and digital) from Shout! Factory Kids on May 19, 2015.
The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack allows viewers to enjoy Maya The Bee Movie on the platform of their choice and includes movie presentation on Blu-ray 3D and 2D, DVD and a digital copy of the movie.
Already a great box office success in much of the world, Maya The Bee Movie, based on the well-known children’s novel and popular animated series in Europe, Australia and Asia, offers an immersive cinematic adventure into a spectacular macroscopic world. This highly anticipated animated feature brings to life an enchanting story of...
The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack allows viewers to enjoy Maya The Bee Movie on the platform of their choice and includes movie presentation on Blu-ray 3D and 2D, DVD and a digital copy of the movie.
Already a great box office success in much of the world, Maya The Bee Movie, based on the well-known children’s novel and popular animated series in Europe, Australia and Asia, offers an immersive cinematic adventure into a spectacular macroscopic world. This highly anticipated animated feature brings to life an enchanting story of...
- 3/30/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Two very different Australian films, Maya the Bee Movie and William Kelly.s War, had unconventional launches in cinemas last weekend.
Studiocanal opened Maya, the 3D animated feature adapted from the ABC TV series, on 154 screens.
The Australian-German co-production produced by Barbara Stephen, written by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann, grossed $79,000 on Saturday and Sunday.
.Given the limited sessions (1-2 per day) we're pleased with the result,. Studiocanal CEO Robert Slaviero tells If. .The Sunday number was better than Saturday which is a good sign. Hopefully it holds up next weekend..
The theatrical release of the family film voiced by Coco Jack Gillies as Maya with Jacki Weaver, Richard Roxburgh, Noah Taylor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Justine Clarke and Miriam Margolyes, is a prelude to the December 1 DVD/VoD launch via Beyond Entertainment. As an alternate content title the traditional 120-day holdback does not apply.
Studio 100 Media has...
Studiocanal opened Maya, the 3D animated feature adapted from the ABC TV series, on 154 screens.
The Australian-German co-production produced by Barbara Stephen, written by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann, grossed $79,000 on Saturday and Sunday.
.Given the limited sessions (1-2 per day) we're pleased with the result,. Studiocanal CEO Robert Slaviero tells If. .The Sunday number was better than Saturday which is a good sign. Hopefully it holds up next weekend..
The theatrical release of the family film voiced by Coco Jack Gillies as Maya with Jacki Weaver, Richard Roxburgh, Noah Taylor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Justine Clarke and Miriam Margolyes, is a prelude to the December 1 DVD/VoD launch via Beyond Entertainment. As an alternate content title the traditional 120-day holdback does not apply.
Studio 100 Media has...
- 11/3/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Studiocanal has agreed to distribute Maya the Bee Movie, the 3D animated feature adapted from the ABC TV series, in Australian and New Zealand cinemas. The Australian-German co-production from Buzz Studios will open on Saturday November 1 on more than 100 screens in Oz and on 25 prints in New Zealand, playing two sessions a day for two weekends.
Studiocanal CEO Robert Slaviero tells If the cinema season could be extended depending on ticket sales. The original plan was for Buzz Studios-affiliated Flying Bark Productions to handle theatrical distribution but Studiocanal.s involvement ensures a much wider release.
As an alternate content title the traditional 120-day holdback does not apply so it will be released on DVD and VOD before the end of the year by Beyond Entertainment. Produced by Barbara Stephen, written by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann, Maya the Bee Movie introduces Coco Jack Gillies as Maya and features...
Studiocanal CEO Robert Slaviero tells If the cinema season could be extended depending on ticket sales. The original plan was for Buzz Studios-affiliated Flying Bark Productions to handle theatrical distribution but Studiocanal.s involvement ensures a much wider release.
As an alternate content title the traditional 120-day holdback does not apply so it will be released on DVD and VOD before the end of the year by Beyond Entertainment. Produced by Barbara Stephen, written by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann, Maya the Bee Movie introduces Coco Jack Gillies as Maya and features...
- 9/25/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Maya the Bee Movie, the 3D animated feature adapted from the ABC TV series, will get a wide cinema release in Australia.
Buzz Studios is launching the film on November 1 at Hoyts cinemas and other screens to be confirmed.
The Australian-German co-production comes from Buzz Studios. related company Flying Bark Productions and the latter.s German parent Studio 100 Media. It's Buzz Studios' first theatrical release.
Written by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann, Maya The Bee Movie introduces Coco Jack Gillies as Maya and features the vocal talents of Jacki Weaver, Richard Roxburgh, Noah Taylor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Justine Clarke, Miriam Margolyes and the Umbilical Brothers Shane Dundas and David Collins.
The plot follows Maya.s desire to escape her heavily regimented existence and experience the freedom to explore outside the rules of her hive. Her attempts to fit in and .be a bee. bring her into conflict with...
Buzz Studios is launching the film on November 1 at Hoyts cinemas and other screens to be confirmed.
The Australian-German co-production comes from Buzz Studios. related company Flying Bark Productions and the latter.s German parent Studio 100 Media. It's Buzz Studios' first theatrical release.
Written by Fin Edquist and directed by Alexs Stadermann, Maya The Bee Movie introduces Coco Jack Gillies as Maya and features the vocal talents of Jacki Weaver, Richard Roxburgh, Noah Taylor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Justine Clarke, Miriam Margolyes and the Umbilical Brothers Shane Dundas and David Collins.
The plot follows Maya.s desire to escape her heavily regimented existence and experience the freedom to explore outside the rules of her hive. Her attempts to fit in and .be a bee. bring her into conflict with...
- 8/20/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Now shooting in Melbourne and country Victoria, the comedy Oddball is breaking all the rules which say you should never work with children, animals, birds and on or near water.
.You name the risk, we.re taking it,. Wtfn.s Richard Keddie, who is producing with Steve Kearney and Sheila Hanahan Taylor, tells If.
Based on a true story, the film stars Shane Jacobson as Swampy Marsh, an eccentric chicken farmer who, helped by his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks.
Saran Snook plays Swampy.s daughter Emily, a single mother, with Coco Gillies as her daughter and Alan Tudyk as an American tourism consultant who is hired to help the town get back on its feet.
Richard Davies is a local conservationist, Deborah Mailman is the mayor, Frank Woodley is a dogcatcher and Meeko, a maremma, is Oddball.
Animal trainer...
.You name the risk, we.re taking it,. Wtfn.s Richard Keddie, who is producing with Steve Kearney and Sheila Hanahan Taylor, tells If.
Based on a true story, the film stars Shane Jacobson as Swampy Marsh, an eccentric chicken farmer who, helped by his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks.
Saran Snook plays Swampy.s daughter Emily, a single mother, with Coco Gillies as her daughter and Alan Tudyk as an American tourism consultant who is hired to help the town get back on its feet.
Richard Davies is a local conservationist, Deborah Mailman is the mayor, Frank Woodley is a dogcatcher and Meeko, a maremma, is Oddball.
Animal trainer...
- 5/12/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Shane Jacobson, Saran Snook, Alan Tudyk, Deborah Mailman and a dog named Meeko head the cast of Oddball, a comedy which starts shooting in Melbourne and country Victoria on Monday.
Based on a true story, the film features Jacobson as Swampy Marsh, an eccentric chicken farmer who, helped by his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks.
In the process he reunites his family and saves their seaside town.
The director is Stuart McDonald (Summer Heights High, Super Fun Night), replacing the originally announced Clayton Jacobson who left the project a couple of week ago.
The cast includes Sarah Snook (These Final Hours, Not Suitable For Children), Alan Tudyk (I, Robot, Serenity, Frozen, Knocked Up), Coco Gillies (Maya the Bee Movie), Richard Davies (Offspring, Howzat! Kerry Packer.s War), Deborah Mailman (The Sapphires, Bran Nue Dae, Offspring), Frank Woodley (Kath & Kimderella, The...
Based on a true story, the film features Jacobson as Swampy Marsh, an eccentric chicken farmer who, helped by his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks.
In the process he reunites his family and saves their seaside town.
The director is Stuart McDonald (Summer Heights High, Super Fun Night), replacing the originally announced Clayton Jacobson who left the project a couple of week ago.
The cast includes Sarah Snook (These Final Hours, Not Suitable For Children), Alan Tudyk (I, Robot, Serenity, Frozen, Knocked Up), Coco Gillies (Maya the Bee Movie), Richard Davies (Offspring, Howzat! Kerry Packer.s War), Deborah Mailman (The Sapphires, Bran Nue Dae, Offspring), Frank Woodley (Kath & Kimderella, The...
- 5/2/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
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