Weinstein Co. to play 'Piccolo' toon
The Weinstein Co. has acquired all North American rights to the CG-animated French feature Piccolo, Saxo and Company, a musical children's story.
Marco Villamizar's tale follows Piccolo, Saxo and other brass and string instruments that band together to form a grand symphonic orchestra. The group goes on a quest to find musical notes and other instruments stolen by an evil doctor who dreams of building the perfect instrument.
The feature was inspired by "space-age pop" musician Andre Popp's mid-'50s album Les Aventures de Piccolo Saxo. Carole Scotta from Haut & Court and Roch Lener from Millimages produced the film. The screenplay was written by Isabelle De Catalogne and Juliette Sales.
The film will be released next month in France, with new actors expected to dub an English-language version for the Weinstein Co. It has not yet been determined if the studio will debut it theatrically or on DVD.
Nicholas Brigaud Robert negotiated the deal on behalf of the project's international sales agent Films Distribution with the Weinstein Co.
Marco Villamizar's tale follows Piccolo, Saxo and other brass and string instruments that band together to form a grand symphonic orchestra. The group goes on a quest to find musical notes and other instruments stolen by an evil doctor who dreams of building the perfect instrument.
The feature was inspired by "space-age pop" musician Andre Popp's mid-'50s album Les Aventures de Piccolo Saxo. Carole Scotta from Haut & Court and Roch Lener from Millimages produced the film. The screenplay was written by Isabelle De Catalogne and Juliette Sales.
The film will be released next month in France, with new actors expected to dub an English-language version for the Weinstein Co. It has not yet been determined if the studio will debut it theatrically or on DVD.
Nicholas Brigaud Robert negotiated the deal on behalf of the project's international sales agent Films Distribution with the Weinstein Co.
- 11/9/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
French animation sees big picture
ANNECY, France -- The winning feature film at this year's Annecy International Animation Festival was director Christian Volckman's striking black-and-white futuristic thriller Renaissance. The film's title is an apt reflection of what is going on in the Gallic cartoon business, which is undergoing an unprecedented boom. A report released last week by the Center National de la Cinematographie showed eight French animated films were completed in 2005, double the number in any of the previous four years. The lineup at Annecy, which wrapped Saturday, bears testimony to the bursting health of the French toon industry. Two of the five features in competition were French-made, while the fest opened with another local picture, "U," the tale of a princess rescued from misery by a unicorn, directed by Gregoire Solotareff and Serge Elissalde. Michel Ocelot's dazzling Arabian adventure Azur and Asmar also unspooled after its premiere at Cannes in Directors' Fortnight, and Piccolo, Saxo and Company, based on the best-selling musical children's story, also had its premiere in the Alpine lakeside town. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, as French producers known for traditional live-action movies are increasingly becoming involved in animated projects.
- 6/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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