Tuesday, August 2, 2011

ALL STAR VOICE CAST LINES UP FOR ANIMATED FAMILY FEATURE ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH



Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson Provide The Character Voices In This Fun-Filled Alien Break-Out Tale
 

 
NEW YORK, NY August 2, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) and Rainmaker Entertainment announced today the all-star voice cast for ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH which includes Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson.  The 3D animated family comedy is currently in full production.
 
The announcement was made today by Donna Gigliotti, TWC’s President of Production, and Catherine Winder, President and Executive Producer, Rainmaker Entertainment.  Both Gigliotti and Winder serve as producers on the animated feature film.
 
ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH is directed by Cal Brunker, best known for his work on the animated feature films DESPICABLE ME, 9 and HORTON HEARS A WHO!  Producers Gigliotti and Winder are joined by Rainmaker’s Luke Carroll as a producer on the film.  TWC Co-Chairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein are executive producers.  The film was written by Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen based on an original screenplay by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards.
 
“ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH has got it all... explosions, romance and a cast of hilarious aliens....what more could you ask for?” said Brunker. “We are having a great time making it which is coming across on the screen. It will ultimately provide a ton of fun for both kids and their parents.”
 
“We’re excited to have such a talented group of actors bringing this action-packed comedic tale to life,” said Gigliotti.  “I’m also very pleased to be working with Catherine and the Rainmaker team. Their outstanding artistry, storytelling and techniques in CGI animation add a new dimension to this film and ensure a fun movie going experience for the entire family.”
 
Winder added, “A successful animated movie starts with an imaginative story and appealing characters. The addition of such high caliber voice talent is a crucial layer to the mix.  With the amazing array of talented artists and creatives from both The Weinstein Company and Rainmaker collaborating on this production, we have all the right ingredients to make ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH a highly entertaining and successful film.”
 
The 3D animated family comedy ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH catapults movie goers to planet Baab where admired astronaut Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser) is a national hero to the blue alien population. A master of daring rescues, Scorch pulls off astonishing feats with the quiet aid of his nerdy, by-the-rules brother, Gary (Rob Corddry), head of mission control at BASA. When BASA’s no-nonsense chief Lena (Jessica Alba) informs the brothers of an SOS from a notoriously dangerous planet, Scorch rejects Gary’s warnings and bounds off for yet another exciting mission. But when Scorch finds himself caught in a fiendish trap set by the evil Shanker (James Gandolfini), it’s up to scrawny, risk-adverse Gary to do the real rescuing. As the interplanetary stakes rise to new heights, Gary is left to save his brother, his planet, his beloved wife Kira (Sarah Jessica Parker) and their adventure hungry son Kip!

A film from The Weinstein Company, ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH is produced in association with Rainmaker Entertainment and will be released in the U.S. in 2012.
 
ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979.  TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE.  Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes, including Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH, winner of four 2011 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture.  Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD;  HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE, THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; and SCRE4M.  Upcoming releases include SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D, APOLLO 18, OUR IDIOT BROTHER, I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT, THE DETAILS and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.   Recently wrapping is COGAN’S TRADE.
TWC is also active in television production, with credits including the Emmy® Award-winning hit reality series “Project Runway,” the new VH1 reality series “Mob Wives,” and the critically acclaimed HBO comedy/crime series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.”  The company is producing two “Project Runway” spinoffs, “Project Runway: All Stars” and “Project Runway: Accessories,” which are expected to debut in 2011.  The company currently has 17 series in different stages of development, including: “Marco Polo,” a scripted historical series about the great explorer; “The Nanny Diaries,” based on the hit book; and “The Mad Ones,” adapted from the Mafia novel of the same name.  
www.weinsteinco.com
 
ABOUT RAINMAKER ENTERTAINMENT
Rainmaker Entertainment Inc., a multifaceted animation studio, is one of Canada’s largest producers of CG animation.  With an innovative history that spans over 15 years, Rainmaker today continues to tell engaging stories and create compelling characters for all media. The studio’s 300+ creatively-inspired artists and storytellers are currently producing the feature film Escape from Planet Earth for The Weinstein Company and have completed production on the short film LUNA as well as developing the company’s slate of proprietary films.  Originally established as Mainframe Entertainment, the company broke ground by producing the first ever CGI animation series ReBoot.  In addition to developing its own properties, Rainmaker also produces feature length DVD’s for many top international brands including Barbie, Max Steel and Tony Hawk, and more.  Rainmaker’s clients include Mattel, The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate, Sony, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts and MTV.   The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol RNK.  For more information, go to www.rainmaker.com

Monday, May 30, 2011

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

three frames

Here is a great blog that's consistently updated. I've been enjoying this one for a while, hope you like it. Check it out.



three frames



Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Monday, October 18, 2010

I love physics!

Here's an interesting little film about physics. When it comes to film making, especially animation, a solid grasp of at least the basics of physical movement is a must. I hope you enjoy this film and maybe learn a little something too.

Frames of Reference (1960)


Thursday, October 7, 2010

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

When is an ad more then just an ad?

Notice the power of silence. A character doesn't have to speak to display power and grace.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Fantastic Resource

I found this book, Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist By James Gurney, through Mark Kennedy's blog Temple of the Seven Golden Camels.

It looks like a wonderful resource for anybody in the arts. I'd recommend it especially for those of you who are interested in visual development, matte painting, and/or story-boarding.

And, if you're not yet reading Temple of the Seven Golden Camels, then it's definitely time you start!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Dot - The worlds smallest stop-motion character

The guys at Aardman made this little film to help promote the new Nokia N8. Pretty great stuff but I bet somebody can go smaller.



Watch the making of here:

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Fantastic Review of Wall*E


I know this is years late but I still wanted to share this great review of Wall*E by Dave Hamstra.

"Do thinking machines enhance our humanity or rob us of it? While those of us who benefit from our computerized society may choose to ignore this existential question, the very existence of Pixar, the animation studio whose movies contain nothing but images wrought with thinking machines, depends on the answer. And in their latest animated feature, WALL-E, Pixar has confronted this question and answered it with an unambiguous, 'Yes.'?"

Click Here for the full article.

(For the sake of full disclosure I have to say that Dave is my brother-in-law. But that doesn't mean I was forced to post his review. It truly is a fascinating read.)

Stan VanDerBeek's - Breathdeath 1963

Stan VanDerBeek's 1963 film Breathdeath has been cited by Terry Gilliam as the film that inspired his approach to animation.

(via Cartoon Brew)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Axe Cop!

In a world like this sometimes we just need a good "Axe Cop"! This comic was written by a 5 year old boy and illustrated by his 29 year old brother. It's definitely worth a read!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Ting & Juma in "Stumped"

Rainmaker has gotten a bit of publicity over their new short, "Stumped". It was made specifically for the Olympics and is playing around town at different Olympic venues. You can check it out here. There was a nice article about it in today's Vancouver Sun.