From a Little Prince to An American Hero
Fun Academy Motion Pictures is proud to formally announce our partnership with award-winning animation house Mikros Image, a Technicolor company, on the production of Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (read original press release).
THE ARTISTS
Mikros Image is an award-winning, highly regarded French production and post-production services company with a long track record of success in animation, feature films, visual effects, TV, and international advertising campaigns. Headquartered in Paris with studios in Montréal, London, Brussels, and Liège, Mikros Image’s team of artists is renowned as a global creative force servicing the international entertainment industry on over 400 projects a year.
Their animation portfolio includes feature films Astérix: The Mansion of the Gods and Mune: Guardian of the Moon, as well as production work on Paramount’s upcoming Sherlock Gnomes and Dreamworks Animation’s Captain Underpants. Their first short film, Logorama (2010), received both the Academy Award® and César Award for Best Animated Short Film.
In 2015, Mikros was acquired by Technicolor, a worldwide technology leader in the media and entertainment sector.
That same year, Mikros Animation and Paramount Pictures released The Little Prince, the first feature adaptation of the beloved children’s novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The film won the César Award for Best Animated Feature and has earned nearly $100 million internationally – the highest grossing animated film in the history of French cinema – before being acquired in the U.S. by Netflix.
“Fun Academy and Mikros Animation are cut from the same cloth,” says Julien Meesters, Chief Creative Officer of Mikros. “We both believe in story-driven films and innovative production methods. The Sgt. Stubby project is a great creative endeavor with a genuine international appeal. Many thanks to Nicolas Trout – Mikros Animation’s executive producer – who identified the project and brought Fun Academy and Mikros together in an ideal creative collaborative setting.”
THE STUDIO
Fun Academy Motion Pictures, a Georgia-based film production and distribution studio, is thrilled to have Mikros on board for their first project, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. “The story of Sgt. Stubby is a universal human tale of an underdog who rises to extraordinary heights as a hero and friend,” explains Richard Lanni, executive producer and writer of the film. “This unwanted stray finds his best friend and together they survive one of the greatest conflicts in a young nation’s history. It’s a fantastic story for the whole family to experience together.”
Sgt. Stubby is currently in production at Mikros Animation’s Paris and Montreal studios. The film will feature a score by composer Patrick Doyle (Brave, Cinderella) and the voices of Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech, Harry Potter) and Gérard Depardieu (The Life of Pi). Heading the story team is Bibo Bergeron (Shark Tale, A Monster in Paris, The Road to El Dorado).
THE FILM
Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is the incredible true story of a stray bull terrier mutt and the lasting bond he forged with the doughboys of the 26th “Yankee” Division at the onset of America’s entry into World War I. For his valorous actions, Stubby was the first dog promoted to the rank of Sergeant in U.S. Army history. The film has been selected as an official project of the United States World War I Centennial Commission and is the first animated feature for Fun Academy™ Motion Pictures and Labyrinth Media & Publishing, producers of motion pictures that entertain, innovate, and inspire audiences of all ages.
Starring Gérard Depardieu and Helena Bonham Carter
Music by Patrick Doyle
Animation by Mikros Image
The film is slated to theatrically debut in April 2018. For exclusive production updates, follow Stubby’s big screen adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest!
