AFM 2011: Animetropolis And IDA Bringing TAILCHASER'S SONG To The Big Screen

American and Japanese forces are teaming up to bring Tad Williams' fantasy novel Tailchaser's Song to the big screen. It has just been announced that US production house Animetropolis is teaming with Japan's IDA - the animation studio responsible for the stellar Cat Shit One - to create a CG animated version of Williams' story. What you see above is the first concept art for the film by Matt Rhodes.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2011 -- AT AFM IN SANTA MONICA, CA -- Animetropolis is pleased to announce that it has engaged IDA (International Digital Artists) as production partner and lead animation unit for its highly anticipated debut film, the CG-animated feature adaptation of TAILCHASER'S SONG, the acclaimed best-selling fantasy novel by author Tad Williams.

Earlier this year, IDA became the first Japanese studio ever nominated for a U.S. VES (Visual Effects Society) Award for animation, recognized in the "Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short" category for their ground-breaking CAT SHIT ONE*, which chronicles an intense hostage rescue mission by an intrepid (and adorable) pair of bunny rabbit commandos.

"We are thrilled and honored to be teaming up with IDA," said Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, producer and Animetropolis partner.  "We searched long and hard to find the perfect animation studio partner for this project, and IDA couldn't be a more ideal fit to fulfill our vision of producing a high-quality, family-friendly, CG-animated independent film as our first project."

"The quality of CG animal character animation that IDA achieved in CAT SHIT ONE made our entire industry take notice, and demonstrated how ideally suited they are for this project," commented Samantha Inoue-Harte, producer and Animetropolis partner.  "We're very excited to work with them to bring Tad Williams' beloved characters and story to life on the big screen."

"'We will do our best to produce a great animation by utilizing the techniques and creativity Japanese artists have built up through history from cel animation to CG animation," added Junya Okabe, producer and President of IDA.

Animetropolis partners Paul Alvarado-Dykstra and Samantha Inoue-Harte are producing with Junya Okabe, President of IDA, in association with Fire Duck principals Chris Rydo and Bethany Rhoades, co-writers of the screenplay.  Author Tad Williams is creative consultant on the film.


*NOTE:  IDA's CAT SHIT ONE is screening Saturday, November 12, at 11:40am at the Chinese 6 Theatres at Hollywood & Highland as part of the L.A. EigaFest Animated Shorts Program.  (Admission is free, but seating is limited.  For more information visit laeigafest.com.)


ABOUT TAILCHASER'S SONG

Hailed "as fully realized as Watership Down" by Publisher's Weekly and written by "the best author of epic fantasy not named Tolkein" according to The New Yorker, TAILCHASER'S SONG follows a young ginger tomcat named Fritti Tailchaser on a perilous quest to find his best friend, Hushpad, after she mysteriously vanishes.  This imaginative fantasy adventure takes us through a wondrous world of whiskery heroes and villains (and strange, furless creatures called M'an), culminating in an epic battle against an evil cat god.  [Over 3 million copies sold, and over 25 years in print.]

ABOUT ANIMETROPOLIS, LLC

Animetropolis is a boutique transmedia studio that develops and produces compelling cross-cultural creative content on a low-budget, low-risk indie film scale, focusing on animation and companion mobile/social game apps.  We combine expertise in creative development and animation production supervision with robust international production partnerships, along with substantial licensing and merchandising opportunities. 

Producer Paul Alvarado-Dykstra co-founded Fantastic Fest (the preeminent genre film festival in the U.S.; fantasticfest.com) and Ain't It Cool, Inc. (publisher of aintitcoolnews.com), founded the Texas Film Festival (txfilmfest.com), and has worked with award-winning filmmakers including Oscar nominees Guillermo del Toro (PAN'S LABYRINTH) and Frances Reid (LONG NIGHT'S JOURNEY INTO DAY).

Producer Samantha Inoue-Harte apprenticed under Disney animator Sam Fleming (who in turn was mentored by Ollie Johnston of Disney's "Nine Old Men"), and is a long-time veteran of the Japanese and American animation industries.  As an animator she has worked with Disney,  Spike TV, Nickelodeon,  Warner Brothers,  and Cartoon Network, and has also worked with A.D. Vision Films, Funimation Entertainment and New Generation Pictures.