Culver City, CA, March 11, 2014 – Sony Pictures Animation today gave an update on their lineup of
upcoming projects—which includes the animated motion picture debut of a classic
comic strip figure, an original tale from one of the form’s most multi-faceted
filmmakers, as well as the continued expansion of two of the studio’s most
popular worlds.
Bob Osher,
President of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, states, “I am really excited by
the variety of our upcoming projects as well as the amazing talent working on
them.”
·
Sony Pictures Animation has hired animation industry veteran Kelly
Asbury (Shrek 2, Gnomeo
& Juliet) to direct an all new, fully computer-animated
film featuring the world’s most popular blue creatures. The family
adventure, currently going by the working title The Untitled Smurfs
Movie, is anticipated in theaters August 2015. Jordan Kerner (The
Smurfs) is producing, with Mary Ellen Bauder (Hotel Transylvania)
co-producing. The original two live action/CG hybrid Smurfs movies from
Sony Pictures Animation grossed a combined $910 million worldwide.
·
Genndy Tartakovsky will return to the director’s chair for Hotel
Transylvania 2, ,
scheduled for September 2015, which will bring back Adam Sandler’s
Dracula. Sandler and Robert Smigel are
taking on writing duties for the comedy.
·
The über prolific Genndy Tartakovsky is also busy working an all-new CG
take on the comic strip hero, Popeye, all the while
developing an original idea for Sony Pictures Animation titled Genndy
Tartakovsky’s Can
You Imagine?, described as a fantastic journey through one boy’s
imagination. Producer Michelle Murdocca will once again work closely with
Tartakovsky.
Kelly Asbury, who was nominated for the Cannes Film
Festival’s Palme d’Or for Shrek 2, offers, “I'm really excited
about taking the Smurfs in a completely new fresh direction. We're not making a
Smurfs 3 film. Our character designs and environments will be stylistically
closer to the original artwork created by Peyo. Our story will explore the
beginnings of the beloved little blue creatures in a fun full CG
animated comedy-adventure for every generation to enjoy.”
13-time Emmy Award
nominee Tartakovsky himself says, “It’s good to be back at the Hotel Transylvania, and I’m very excited
to work on Popeye, a character that
I’ve loved since I was a kid. I'm also looking forward to developing an
entirely new and original animated feature here at Sony Pictures Animation.
This is an exciting time for me and for the studio.”
Michelle Raimo Kouyate,
the President of Production for Sony Pictures Animation, is working closely
with filmmakers on those projects while overseeing an extensive development
slate for the animation studio. Imagery
and animation on all Sony Pictures Animation films will be provided by Sony
Pictures Imageworks.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES
ANIMATION
Sony Pictures Animation (SPA) produces a variety
of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. Last year’s hybrid live action/animated
family blockbuster The Smurfs 2
and mouth-watering adventure Cloudy with
a Chance of Meatballs 2—the follow-ups to its two global comedy
hits—together grossed more than $600 million worldwide; both titles are now
available on Blu-ray/DVD. In 2013, Sony Pictures Animation also released a
brand new mini-movie on DVD and television, The
Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow. The studio’s 2012 monster release, Hotel Transylvania,
went on to earn more than $350 million in box office worldwide.
The division, whose first feature film Open Season led to a very
successful movie franchise, received an Academy Award® nomination for Best
Animated Feature Film for its 2007 release, Surf's Up. SPA, in conjunction with Aardman Animations,
has produced two critically acclaimed feature films: the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas; and the Academy Award®
nominated stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of
Misfits. Sony Pictures Animation is
an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital.
