Golden Globe winners Chris Colfer (“Glee”) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy) will lend their voices to Marza Animation Planet Inc.’s first original 3D CG animated film, RoboDog, to be directed by the Oscar-nominated Henry F. Anderson III (Gnomeo & Juliet), it was announced today by Marza’s CEO, Masanao Maeda. Also revealed was a first look at the film’s animated canine heroes, which you can check out at the bottom of this page.
Written by Robert Reece (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning) and William Schneider, RoboDog is produced by Paul Wang (Astro Boy) and will be edited by studio veteran Tom Finan (Mr. Peabody & Sherman).
RoboDog is said to be a classic, heart-warming adventure story about an unlikely duo who couldn’t be more different. KC (Kinetic Canine) (Colfer) is a bright, energetic but overzealous robotic dog, while Marshall (Perlman) is an old, curmudgeonly “real” dog, set in his ways and has little patience for anything new. This canine odd couple embarks on the adventure of a lifetime where each will learn the true nature of friendship, and not to judge a book by its cover.
“We are absolutely ecstatic that Chris has chosen ‘RoboDog’ as his first foray into animation. Coupled with Ron’s extraordinary voiceover work, the duo’s talent will make for great chemistry onscreen. Timeless Films is by far the perfect fit for the project due to their expertise in both producing and selling animated films overseas,” said Maeda.
“We are thrilled to be working with Marza and the production team on this wonderfully original film and look forward to presenting it to all of our international distribution partners in Berlin,” said Ralph Kamp, Chairman and CEO of Timeless Films.
“Chris and Ron are the perfect actors to play KC and Marshall as their voices exemplify the qualities of each character. Chris has an appealing, youthful voice which fits right in with our lead character, KC, who is above all a charismatic entertainer. Ron’s voice demands authority, but also has a soft, vulnerable side which works very well for Marshall who comes across as a grouch, but is really a sensitive dog dealing with his past,” said Anderson.
“The kid in me is barely being contained right now. I’m so happy to get the chance to work on my first animated film with this wonderful team,” said Colfer.
Currently in pre-production with voiceover work set to start on February 1st, UK-based Timeless Films is handling international rights to the project, and will present it to buyers at next months European Film Market in Berlin.
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(Photo Credit: FayesVision / WENN.com)
