Animated Santa by Christmas 2010

The Christmas season is set to see Santa Claus arrive on cinema screens, straight out of Toonz Animation India’s Thiruvananthapuram facility. Toonz Entertainment Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based parent of Toonz Animation India, has entered into a deal with US-based animation majors Gang of 7 Animation and Hyde Park Entertainment to produce an animation feature film on Santa Claus.

P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Group, said that the animated feature film, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, will be a computer graphic imagery (CGI) animation project. “We plan to make the film entirely at Toonz Animation India’s Technopark facility at Thiruvananthapuram . The total cost of the project is estimated to be $12 billion, a majority of which will be borne by Toonz,” Jayakumar added.

The movie will be based on the classic book, The Wizard of Oz, by L Frank Baum. The story would chronicle the life of Santa as he embarks on a hero’s journey through an enchanted realm and into a confrontation with the heart of evil, ultimately revealing the origin of the world’s best-loved Christmas legend.

The film is to be directed by Tom Tataranowicz, Rich Arons and Dick Sebast. The team boasts a supporting team of artists who have worked on films such as Finding Nemo, The Lion King, and Iron Giant.

Jayakumar said actual production will begin this month at Thiruvananthapuram. “The movie is expected to be released in time for 2010 Christmas. Hyde Park will distribute the picture internationally and share North American rights with G7 Animation,” he said. Ashok Amritraj is Hyde Park’s CEO. Jayakumar said that “this would be Toonz Animation India’s first CGI theatrical feature.

Besides The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Toonz Animation India’s Thiruvananthapuram facility is currently readying a big screen venture based on the tales from the Chandamama. Jayakmar added: “The animation major and Chandamama India Ltd will join hands in producing a full-length animated feature film based on a prime property from the library of Chandamama.” Toonz will undertake the entire production based in its state-of-the-art studio in Technopark. The total budget of the film is estimated at around Rs 20 crore.