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Will Laika score big with "Kubo and the Two Strings"?

The post New ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Trailer Dazzles Again appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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A new trailer is out for Laika's next film.

The post New ‘Kubo and The Two Strings’ Trailer appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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Laika's fourth film, "Kubo and the Two Strings," is an honest-to-goodness action-adventure film set in a mythic Japan.

The post Teaser: Laika’s ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Is A Stop Motion Action-Adventure Film appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

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The Playstation franchise is coming to the bigscreen.

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The video game stars are finally getting their long-awaited big screen outing.

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Laika's next film, "Kubo and the Two Strings," will mark the directorial debut of animator Travis Knight.

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What's the coolest thing about having your animation studio run by one of the world's richest men? You get to make as many animated movies as you damn please.

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Laika's third feature film, "The Boxtrolls," distributed by Focus Features, opened in third place in the United States with an estimated $17.3 million.

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Laika, the Portland studio that made Coraline and ParaNorman, announced this morning that its third feature will be Boxtrolls. The film, a 3D stop-motion/CGI hybrid, is based on Alan Snow’s fantasy-adventure novel Here Be Monsters. Anthony Stacchi (co-director, Open Season) and Graham Annable (story artist on Coraline and ParaNorman) are directing. Focus Features will release Boxtrolls on October 17th, 2014.

Full details in the release:

PORTLAND, February 7th, 2013 – Marking their third project together, LAIKA and Focus Features, the two companies behind the current Academy Award-nominated animated feature ParaNorman, announced today that LAIKA has begun production on The Boxtrolls. The new movie will be released nationwide by Focus on October 17th, 2014. Focus CEO James Schamus and LAIKA President & CEO Travis Knight made the announcement today.

As on the previous animation collaborations ParaNorman and Coraline, Focus will hold worldwide distribution rights to The Boxtrolls, and Universal Pictures International will release the movie overseas (with eOne Distribution handling Canada). Coraline (2009) earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film; and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). In addition to its Academy Award nomination, ParaNorman (2012) is in the running for the BAFTA Awards’ animated feature prize. ParaNorman has won two Annie Awards (the animation community’s Oscars equivalent) and been cited as best animated feature film by 14 critics’ groups, more than any other 2012 animated feature.

The Boxtrolls is a 3D stop-motion and CG hybrid animated feature based on Alan Snow’s bestselling fantasy adventure novel Here Be Monsters. The Boxtrolls is being directed by Anthony Stacchi (co-director of the hit animated feature Open Season) and Graham Annable (story artist on Coraline and ParaNorman), and produced by David Ichioka and Mr. Knight. The voice cast includes Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Academy Award nominee Toni Collette, Elle Fanning (marking her fourth movie with Focus), Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Game of Thrones), Emmy Award nominee Jared Harris (Mad Men), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), Nick Frost (of Focus’ upcoming The World’s End), Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd), and Tracy Morgan (30 Rock).

The Boxtrolls is a comedic fable that unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend residents have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are an underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells. The Boxtrolls have raised an orphaned human boy, Eggs (voiced by Mr. Hempstead-Wright), since infancy as one of their dumpster-diving and mechanical junk-collecting own. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by villainous pest exterminator Archibald Snatcher (Mr. Kingsley), who is bent on eradicating them as his ticket to Cheesebridge society, the kindhearted band of tinkerers must turn to their adopted charge and adventurous rich girl Winnie (Ms. Fanning) to bridge two worlds amidst the winds of change – and cheese.

Mr. Knight said, “The Boxtrolls is a visually dazzling mash-up of gripping detective story, absurdist comedy, and steampunk adventure with a surprisingly wholesome heart. It’s Dickens by way of Monty Python. Tony and Graham have crafted a strange and beautiful world replete with fantastical creatures, good-for-nothing reprobates, madcap antics, and rip-roaring feats of derring-do. But at its core, like all LAIKA films, The Boxtrolls is a moving and human story with timelessness and powerful emotional resonance. We’re thrilled to partner with Focus Features and Universal to bring this remarkable story to family audiences around the world.”

Mr. Schamus commented, “Following our successful collaborations on ParaNorman and Coraline, we are delighted to be embarking on a third wondrous adventure with the LAIKA artisans who transform everyday materials into living creatures infused with dimension, humor, and soul. With a wonderfully appealing menagerie of fun characters, and a generous, open heart at its center, The Boxtrolls will be a must-see for family audiences.”

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Hi. How did you find writing from a woman's perspective?

David Nicholls: Well, my first book was written from a male perspective in a first person voice, and that I found very easy. It was kind of like improvising. And the second book I wrote was in the third person voice, but it was very much from the male point of view, from the central character's point of view.

And in One Day I wanted to write in the third person but to sort of jump between these different points of view. And I think my approach to that was not to worry about it too much. As I've said, I feel much closer to Emma than I do to Dexter. I think there's sort of a lot more of my personality in Emma than there is in Dexter. And I tried not to think of it as sort of taking and putting on a voice or a guise or giving a performance.

I really think, in most aspects of Emma's life, in her feelings about relationships or politics or work or family, her feelings are pretty close to my own. And I think the worst thing you can do is kind of do an impersonation of what you imagine to be a kind of female psyche, because I think you end up exaggerating differences and stereotyping.

So, I genuinely didn't think about it too much. I think there were certain experiences I would have felt more self-conscious. I'd still be very wary of writing in a first person female voice, perhaps, or writing about sex or about childbirth in the first person female voice. Then I'd start to think, "God, you know, this is tough."

But, a woman working in a restaurant who wants to be doing something else and is worried about the future, I would think my experience with that would be universal. What I don't like, particularly in books about relationships, is a kind of exaggerated difference, the kind of that he said/she said thing, because the attitudes and the experiences of my female friends are much closer to my own than one might imagine from that kind of heightened poverty and sexual awe.

I don't recognize it in my relationships with my female friends or in real life relationships between men and women. I just don't buy that men just want to drink beer and watch football and women just want to buy shoes. I just don't think that that's the case. And so, I didn't worry about it too much.

What was your favorite scene in One Day to write originally?

David Nicholls: Well, I loved writing the long, protracted Emma/Dexter battles. I love that back and forth, that kind of banter, that sort of Beatrice/Benedick, Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant repartee. So, I loved writing them kind of arguing on the beach on holiday. I loved writing their meeting in Paris. I loved writing the scene in the maze where they're reunited after a long time apart.

I like writing those two-handers. I find the process of writing a little bit like improvisation. It's kind of improvising with yourself. And I'm very happy writing like that. I could keep going forever like that.

The most striking chapter for me in terms of the experience of writing it was with the scene where Dexter takes a lot of drugs and goes on an all night bender and then goes and sees his mother, who is termi

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At First Book, we spend our work hours getting new books to kids in need, and we spend our free time reading (naturally). But, on rare occasions, we do go out to the movies. And our favorite movies? Ones made from classic books, of course. (We are also fans of heart-warming sports movies, but that’s neither here nor there).

So we’re pretty excited to see the new Jane Eyre film this weekend. Romance! Tragedy! Dark manor houses upon the brooding moors! Dame Judi Dench? What’s not to love?

We’re especially excited to see the furniture and costumes in the movie. Partly because well-made period films from major movie houses always have great sets, but also because all of these amazing props and dresses will be on sale, March 15-19, at One Kings Lane. And, thanks to the generosity of our friends at One Kings Lane and Focus Features, all proceeds from those sales are going directly to First Book.

So check out the sale on One Kings Lane, where you can also register to win some amazing things – like a private screening of the movie for yourself and your friends. And you can consider picking up one of those rare items, knowing that every penny from that sale will go to get more brand-new books into the hands of kids that need them.

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