It was announced today at a press conference in Helsinki that Stellan Skarsgard (“Good Will Hunting”, “Mamma Mia!”, “Angels & Demons”), Peter Stormare (“Fargo”, “Bad Boys II”, “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”) and Alexander Skarsgard (“True Blood” “Zoolander” “Beyond the Pole”) have signed on to voice the iconic MOOMINS characters in the animated family 3D feature MOOMINS AND THE COMET CHASE.
Moomins and the Comet Chase
Press Release from Oy Filmkompaniet
Helsinki, Finland – March 19, 2010 – It was announced today at a press conference in Helsinki that Stellan Skarsgard (“Good Will Hunting”, “Mamma Mia!”, “Angels & Demons”), Peter Stormare (“Fargo”, “Bad Boys II”, “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”) and Alexander Skarsgard (“True Blood” “Zoolander” “Beyond the Pole”) have signed on to voice the iconic MOOMINS characters in the animated family 3D feature MOOMINS AND THE COMET CHASE.
Finnish production company Oy Filmkompaniet is bringing the beloved animated creatures to the big screen in a way they have never been seen before – presenting the first MOOMINS feature film in digital stereoscopic 3D. This is the first Nordic stereoscopic 3D film ever produced.
Providing the most authentic family depiction possible, real life father and son Stellan and Alexander Skarsgård will provide the voices of Moominpapa and son Moomintroll, respectively. Peter Stormare will lend his voice to the character Snufkin.
Maria Lindberg is directing the film from a script written by Joel Backström, Iivo Baric, Anders Larsson, and Minna Karvonen. Filmkompaniet CEO Tom Carpelan serves as Producer.
Acclaimed recording artist and avid Moomins fan Björk is providing original music for the film along with Andrzej Rokicki.
Stellan Skarsgård commented, “This universe of the Moomins is a universe where dreams are looked at with love and care. And the attitude towards people and reality doesn’t have to be always so practical, but it has to be curious, friendly, and always feeling that something really good, really interesting could happen.”
“The Moomins are one of the best-loved animated properties in the world, and this is their biggest adventure yet,” said Tom Carpelan. “The support and commitment from the talent, who themselves grew up with the Moomins and have been fans throughout their lives, is wonderful. We’re thrilled to be working with such a phenomenal cast and production team on this 3D animated feature for families worldwide.
Celebrating their 65th anniversary this year, the iconic MOOMINS are one of Finland’s greatest exports of the last 20 years. Translated in over 40 languages, they have been adapted for television, film, opera and radio and have spawned numerous books and comics as well as thousands of licensed products including food (pasta) and a theme park! Now, the unmistakable, distinctive look of the MOOMINS will be showcased like never before in the new epic big-screen adventure MOOMINS AND THE COMET CHASE.
Currently in post-production and scheduled to hit theaters in fall 2010, the launch of MOOMINS AND THE COMET CHASE is backed by massive worldwide publishing and merchandising efforts that will include brand new MOOMINS books being published in over 20 countries around the world through major publishers such as MacMillan and Penguin Books.
In the film MOOMINS AND THE COMET CHASE, something strange has happened in the Moominvalley – grey dust covers everything; not just the grass, but the river, the trees, and the Moominhouse, too! It is declared that this is the way things tend to look like before the earth faces an awful fate coming from the sky… a comet!
Seeking answers, Moomintroll leads a long and adventurous trek where they meet many peculiar creatures and dangers on the way. But finally on their way back home they reach the Moominhouse, and discover that a ferocious comet will reach the Earth in four days, four hours, four minutes and 44 seconds. Maybe four seconds later. An additional chilling fact: the comet will fall exactly in the kitchen garden the same night. Will they get everybody safe in time? It's a long way home, and it's full of adventure.
NonStop Sales is handling worldwide sales for the film.
About The Moomins Franchise:
The Moomins (Swedish: Mumintroll) are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish by Schildts in Finland. The Moomins are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley, in the forests of Finland, though in the past their temporary residences have included a lighthouse and a theatre. They have many adventures along with their various friends.
In all, nine books were released in the series, with five picture books and a comic strip also written by Jansson being released between 1945 and 1993. The Moomins have since been the basis for numerous television series, films and even a theme park called Moomin World in Naantali, Finland.
About Oy Filmkompaniet Alpha Ab
Oy Filmkompaniet Alpha Ab is a company specializing in children's films and in branding these products. Filmkompaniet was founded in 2003 by Tom Carpelan, who has worked in distribution since 1981.
Distribution of children's films through DVD and TV-channels in Scandinavia is one of Filmkompaniet's main areas. The company strives to work long-term on building good distribution platforms and creating a strong brand around the titles. A good example is the Little Mole, which has been in distribution through Tom Carpelan since 1986, and which has sold over 300.000 videos in Finland alone. Other well-known products include the Pat & Mat series, The Snowman, and a selection of Hayao Miyazaki's titles.
Production of animated films for children is the other area. Tom Carpelan co-produced the first Finnish international animated feature film, "Jungledyret 2: den store filmhelt". Filmkompaniet produced its first feature length animation “Moomin and Midsummer Madness” in 2008, which has so far been sold theatrically to over 10 countries, such as France and Japan. The new Moomin movie "Moomins and the Comet Chase" is now in production in stereoscopic 3D, making it the first Nordic stereoscopic 3D animation. A 78-part TV-series in HD is also currently in production.
For more information please visit www.originalmoomin.com
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
