3D animated feature based upon Angela Sommer-Bodenburg’s bestselling series of children’s books is set to be completed in summer 2016.
Producers Chris Brouwer and Richard Claus have partnered with A. Film (Copenhagen) and Studio Rakete (Hamburg) to produce a stereoscopic animated 3D film The Little Vampire 3D. Beverly Hills based international sales company Cinema Management Group (CMG), will begin selling the film in Cannes through May 21 at Lerins S 15. Angela Sommer-Bodenburg’s bestselling series of children’s book has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. The animated feature, a Dutch/German/Danish co-production, is set to be completed in summer 2016, just in time for a Fall/Halloween release.
"The Little Vampire" series was adapted in 2000 into a worldwide released live-action film starring Jonathan Lipnicki, who received Saturn and Young Artist Award nominations for his performance, and was directed by Uli Edel. The film received the German Film Award in Gold for Outstanding Children or Youth film. The live action feature had a 2000 print release with a box office of $13.5 million via New Line Cinema. It sold to every single territory in the world including Germany with over 1.5 million admissions and made over £ 4.5 million in the UK. The Little Vampire film has cultivated even more popularity among its target audience of 5-12 year olds as Disney Channel features it annually in its Halloween special and The Wall Street Journal named it "One of the ten frightfully fun Halloween movies for kids" last fall.
Richard Claus (producer of the 2000 version ofThe Little Vampire, and director and writer of 2004's The Thief Lord with Warner Bros. and Fox) co-wrote the script with Larry Wilson (Beetlejuice, The Addams Family) and will also co-direct with Karsten Kiilerich (The Ugly Duckling & Me). Casting will be announced shortly.
The animated feature, based on the characters from the bestselling novels, tells the story of Tony, who is fascinated by old castles, graveyards, and vampires. He meets a vampire kid, Rudolph, whose clan is threatened by a notorious vampire hunter. Tony helps Rudolph in an action- and humor-packed battle against their adversaries, together they save Rudolph’s family and become friends.
The Little Vampire 3D will be the third new animated film that CMG brings to Cannes. It follows Rainmaker Entertainment stereoscopic CG-animated feature Ratchet & Clank and Sly Cooper which are based on the bestselling PlayStation video game franchises from Sony Computer Entertainment America.
Source: Cinema Management Group
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
