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Exclusive: Australian animation studio Cosmic Dino, which is providing end-to-end CG services for the upcoming Bluey movie, has signed with UTA & Fourth Wall for international representation.

The Brisbane-based company has also unveiled details of its new 1,500 square meter facility, which features a 40-seater 4K+ Hdr cinema for reviews, creatively inspired edit suites, cutting-edge pipeline, and an expansive open-plan office aimed at fostering collaboration between directors, artists and producers.

Co-owners Ricard Cussó and Ryan Greaves say both developments mark a natural progression for the studio, which offers full-service CG animation, adaptable to a wide range of budgets and storytelling ambitions.

Announced last December, the Bluey movie is a feature-length adaptation of the global hit animated series, written and directed by creator Joe Brumm, and lead-produced by Brisbane-based Ludo Studio in collaboration with BBC Studios and The Walt Disney Company. It is slated for theatrical release in 2027.

Cosmic Dino is...

A Sloth Story sprinkles sazón picante on the lovable critters in a teachable narrative about a Latino family sticking together when the going gets tough. These anthropomorphic CGI sloths are far from sluggish tree-dwellers. They dance salsa and merengue while cooking up delectable goodness for gorditas-loving gringos. The surprisingly deep plot tackles serious themes with frank honesty, but does tread melodramatic in a labored second act. The pacing thankfully recovers for a kooky and colorful finale that's sure to lift the spirits of all ages.

Laura (Teo Vergara) waits tables at her family's Tropicasa restaurant. She spins wild yarns of her parents' adventures in a humorous nod to Indiana Jones. Some customers are enthralled, but others are tired of waiting for their food. Her mother, Gabriella (Olivia Vásquez), preaches patience in cooking. She works diligently from a treasured recipe book. These yummy flavors are meant to be savored. Luis (Benjamin Gorroño), Laura's father,...

If you’re not rushing out to catch Oscar nominees before Sunday’s ceremony there are more new films in theaters now than there have been in weeks. Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Wicked and more are still out there but screens have opened for a crop of moderate releases.

Grindstone and Roadside Attractions open dysfunctional family crime comedy Riff Raff on just over 1,000 screens. The film by Dito Monteil, which was warmly received at its TIFF 2024 premiere (see Deadline review), was adapted by John Pollono from a stage script from a 1995 production of the same name written by actor Laurence Fishburne.

The ensemble cast features Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson, Bill Murray, Miles J. Harvey and Emanuela Postacchini.

The story follows Vincent, an ex-criminal seeking a normal life and a nice weekend at a winter cabin with his wife Sandy and their son...

Sloths are having their moment right now. After “Zootopia” offered us one of the funniest moments to feature sloths on celluloid – a moment that propelled them into pop-culture-meme-land – the tired, boring, and super-slow creatures have found their representation in colorful tales ever since. Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó’s “A Sloth Story” which gleefully and secretly also works as a tale of Latinx representation, features the loveable animals as the lead in a zany, albeit conventional take on bridging the gaps between the traditional and the modern.

The Pov here is a family of four – Papa Luis (Benjamin Gorrono), Mumma Gabriella (Olivia Vasquez), older brother Mani (Facundo Hache Herrera), and Laura (Teo Vergara) – who becomes our leeway into the story. The family lives blissfully in a small village where they run a restaurant and revel in the slow life. The family recipe book is a beloved gem that Gabriella owns...

US outfit Blue Fox Entertainment has pounced on animated feature A Sloth Story, which premiered at the Annecy Festival in June and is being sold at AFM by Sola Media.

Blue Fox is planning a theatrical release in the US and Canada early next year. Produced by Aussie production outfit Like A Photon Creative and directed by Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó, the film has also sold to Latin America (Plus Films).

The film was previously bought in several other territories including the UK (Vertigo), Bulgaria (Pro Films), Portugal (Nos), Hungary and Romania (Ads), Israel (Filmhouse), Taiwan (AvJet), Greece (Tanweer...

Exclusive: Emmy winner Nick Offerman (The Last Of Us), Emmy nominee Amy Sedaris (BoJack Horseman), Aacta winner Nina Oyama (Utopia), Grammy nominee and American Idle winner Jordin Sparks (Sparkle), SAG winner Miranda Otto (The Lord Of The Rings), and Aacta nominee Remy Hii (Spider-Man: Far from Home) have been set to voice animated film The Pout-Pout Fish.

The film adaptation of Deborah Diesen’s popular preschool book franchise has been boarded for sales by German outfit Sola Media, which will be looking to reel in buyers at the upcoming American Film Market in Las Vegas.

The Pout-Pout Fish is the story of an unlikely duo: Mr. Fish (Offerman), a pouty recluse, and Pip (Oyama), a high-energy sea dragon. When catastrophe strikes, they must embark on a daunting, undersea quest in search of a fabled mythical fish to grant their wish to save their homes. Below is artwork from the movie.

Welcome to the surreal world of Scarygirl, an imaginative animated adventure brought to life by Australian creative talents. Produced in 2022, the film tells the story of Arkie, a part-octopus girl who sets off on a quest to rescue her father from the diabolical Doctor Maybee. Along the way, viewers are treated to a vibrant visual spectacular that draws influence from comics, video games, and contemporary animators.

Arkie calls a beautiful seaside peninsula home. She lives there with her father Blister, a gentle giant of an octopus with a special gift for regeneration. Arkie too possesses unique abilities and a curious mind that lead her on adventures. But when Blister is captured, Arkie must venture into the intriguing yet intimidating City of Light to save him. There, under the governance of the sinister Doctor Maybee, dark secrets and danger lurk around every corner.

Through Arkie’s journey, Scarygirl weaves themes of bravery,...

A popular anime empire and a beloved manga both hit screens in North America this weekend, with The Outrun starring Saoirse Ronan, five actors playing surrealist artist Salvador Dali, and a trio of thought provoking docs new on the specialty circuit this weekend.

Also noting Columbia Pictures’ Saturday Night from Jason Reitman, which rocked its opening last week, expands in NY and LA and adds ten new markets for 21 locations total before going wide Oct. 11. The film, based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975, debuted to $270k at five theaters in NY/LA for a terrific $54k per theater average.

Moderate releases: Sony Pictures Classics’ Saoirse Ronan-starring and Nora Fingscheidt-directed drama The Outrun hits 508 screens. After a decade away in London, 29-year-old Rona (Ronan) returns home to the Orkney Islands. Sober but lonely,...

Sola Media has closed sales for multiple territories for “The Sloth Lane,” which will world premiere at the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival. Sola will be presenting a first look at the trailer at the Cannes Market.

The story, which centers on an adorable family of sloths and their journey to the fast-paced world of Sanctuary City with their slow food truck, has sold to more than 40 territories including Portugal (Nos), Hungary and Romania (Ads), Israel (Filmhouse), Taiwan (AvJet), Greece (Tanweer), Turkey (Tme) and Middle East (Krisco).

“The Sloth Lane,” which will be part of Annecy’s Official Selection 2024 – Annecy Presents, is produced by the Australian production house Like A Photon Creative, and is part of the Sanctuary City franchise.

Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola Media, said: “We immediately fell in love with the adorable family of sloths and are excited by the project’s development and to show...

Heartfelt adventure film about a young girl overcoming her fears has half-baked environmental messages and mistakes colour for creativity

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Scarygirl is one of those animated productions so loaded with colour and bling, so lit up like a pinball machine, that merely absorbing it makes you feel old. While watching I couldn’t help but wonder if today’s youth consume too many flashing lights and loud noises – and, by the way, keep it down, some of us have to work in the morning.

Once accustomed to the film’s retina-straining shininess, it became increasingly clear the creative elements conjured by the directors Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent are relegated almost entirely to the surface, because under the hood it’s very familiar indeed. An archetypal hero’s journey in which a youngster heeds the call of adventure, steps out of their comfort zone...

Sales agency Sola Media is set to present its new project “The Sloth Lane” to buyers at the American Film Market. The animated film, an addition to the “Tales From Sanctuary City” franchise, is described as “a story of self discovery, family and friendship.”

Australia’s Like a Photon Creative is producing the film and Sola Media is handling world sales, after recently acquiring international distribution rights for the next three animated feature films in the Sanctuary City franchise.

Dotti Pace, a smart, ambitious cheetah, is voiced by the stand up comedian Leslie Jones, Laura, an excitable and energetic sloth, will be voiced by Teo Vergara (“Turn Up the Volume” and “Crazy Fun Park”), Laura’s mother will be voiced by Olivia Vásquez (“Thor: Love and Thunder”), Luis, a big lovable sloth who gives the best hugs, will be voiced by Ben Gorroño, Mani, the “most sloth” of the family,...

Adapted from an adventurous platform game, the story of Scarygirl has been recently made into an animated fantasy film. The original graphic novel was woven by Nathan Jurevicius, an Australian artist. The directors Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent introduce us to yet another sci-fi film delving into the matter of a futuristic theme with an evil scientist trying to destroy the world. Some other adventure animations that share a similar essence with that of this film include Wall-e, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Happy Feet, and others. The plot revolves around the quest of a little girl to save her father and the world from the clutches of an evil scientist. Will Arkie be able to save her father and the world? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

What Were Dr. Maybee’s Intentions?

The bounty hunters of the evil Dr. Maybee is out on the search for a giant octopus.

Takehito Inoue's The First Slam Dunk and Makoto Shinkai's Suzume were both nominated for the best animated film category for the 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards this week.

According to the Apsa's website, the two films will be competing in a crowded field that also features Tian Xiaopeng's Deep Sea, Sepideh Farsi's The Siren and Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent's Scarygirl. This is the fifth nomination in the best animated film category for Suzume director Makoto Shinkai, who has won the award twice in the past for Weathering With You in 2019 and 5 Centimeters Per Second in 2007. It's the first nomination for Slam Dunk author Takehiko Inoue, who makes his directorial debut with The First Slam Dunk.

Related: The First Slam Dunk Is One Of The Best Sports Movies of All Time

Suzume released nationwide in Japan on Nov. 11, 2022, to great critical acclaim and box office success.

Japan heads the nominations, followed by China.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist heads the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with nods in four categories including best film, best director, best screenplay and best cinematography.

The Japanese feature premiered at Venice where it picked up both the jury and Fipresci prize, and centres on a father and daughter in a rural village, whose peaceful lives are disrupted by proposals to build a camping site in their area.

Hamaguchi’s latest film, following Oscar-winner Drive My Car, was just ahead of China’s Snow Leopard by the late Tibetan director Pema Tseden,...

Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, Evil Does Not Exist, leads this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) with four nods, including the gong for Best Film.

Hamaguchi’s nominations haul includes Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography for Yoshio Kitagawa. The film is Hamaguchi’s first film since his Oscar-winning Drive My Car and debuted at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The pic follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. A plan to construct a glamping site near Takumi’s house, offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to nature, threatens to endanger the ecological balance of the area and the local people’s way of life.

Also nominated in the Best Film category are Wim Wenders’s Perfect Days, Snow Leopard by Pema Tseden,...

Sola Media has acquired international distribution rights for the next three animated features in the “Sanctuary City” franchise, produced by Australian production house Like a Photon Creative.

First up will be “Combat Wombat – Back 2 Back,” which will be released theatrically by Universal Pictures in Australia in spring 2024. Sola Media will be selling worldwide rights, excluding Australia/New Zealand and Latin America. First footage will be shown at next week’s European Film Market in Berlin.

“Combat Wombat – Back 2 Back” follows caped crusader Maggie Diggins (Deborah Mailman) and trusty side-kick Sweetie (Ed Oxenbould), who face dastardly tech genius Lenny Glick, played by David Wenham.

Lead animator, Rebecca O’Brien, previously worked on Disney’s “Monsters at Work,” “Elena of Avalor” and “Alice’s Wonderland Bakery.” The film will be directed by Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent, and is produced by Ryan Greaves, Kristen Souvlis and Nadine Bates. The film will be ready for...

Both projects in production.

Canada and Madrid-based international sales agent Pink Parrot Media (Ppm) has been in talks with AFM buyers on new animation titles Scarygirl and 4 Days Before Christmas featuring voice casts with Sam Neil and Colm Feore.

Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) leads the voice cast on the CG-animated Scarygirl about a young girl with a tentacle-like arm who sets off to rescue her giant octopus father after he is kidnapped.

Arriving at the City of Light controlled by the mysterious Dr. Maybee, she discovers that all is not what it seems and this incredible new world is full...

Other new releases included ‘Freaky’ and ‘Daisy Quokka’.

Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (July 2-4) Total gross to date Week 1 Fast And Furious 9 (Universal) £2.6m £10.8m 2 2 Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Sony) £830,560 £17.4m 7 3 In The Heights (Warner Bros) £466,156 £3.3m 3 4 A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) £425,798 £10.3m 5 5 Cruella (Disney) £410,789 £8.4m 6

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.39

Fast And Furious 9 comfortably held its lead at the UK and Ireland box office over the weekend (July 2-4) and will top £11m in the territory this week.

The latest instalment in Universal’s action series added £2.68m on its second weekend, down 45% on its opening,...

‘Freaky’, ‘French Exit’ also in cinemas.

Studiocanal’s Another Round will finally make its UK-Ireland bow this weekend, as the box office looks to continue its strong performance since cinemas reopened in the territory.

Thomas Vinterberg’s drinking comedy-drama will play in 131 locations from today (July 2). It was originally scheduled for release on November 27, before being put on hold due to the second lockdown. Its date was set for June 25 in March, before being moved back a week to its final spot.

Another Round was selected for the Cannes 2020 label of titles that would have played at last year’s...

‘Combat Wombat’.

Like a Photon Creative’s animated family franchise The Tales From Sanctuary City continues to rack up overseas sales, ranking as one of Australia’s most successful exports.

The second film in the trilogy, Combat Wombat, which opened in Australian cinemas last weekend as an alternate content release, has been pre-sold to more than 100 countries by Odin’s Eye Entertainment, with more deals in negotiation.

Directed by Ricard Cussó and produced by Like a Photon’s Nadine Bates and Kristen Souvlis, the Screen Queensland-supported franchise kicked off with The Wishmas Tree. The third title, Daisy Quokka: World’s Scariest Animal, is in post.

“The Tales From Sanctuary City franchise has been amongst our top selling titles over the past 18 months,” Odin’s Eye’s Michael Favelle tells If.

“The confidence that our distribution partners have shown has been phenomenal with several distributors snapping up the complete franchise as...