Thursday, June 04, 2009

Henson Goes on a Monster Safari

It has been announced that the Jim Henson Company is planning to produce a stop-animated feature entitled "Monster Safari." The creative team at the renown stop-motion animation studio Screen Novelties - Mark Caballero, Chris Finnegan and Seamus Walsh - will animate and direct the project; while Craig Zobel and Matt Chapman are said to be penning the script.

"Monster Safari" began life as a short film from Screen Novelties that Henson executives Lisa Henson and Jason Lust saw and decided to spin into a feature. The film follows the adventures of Basil and Pang, two charmingly inept cryptozoologists in search of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other mythical beasts. However things become complicated when Buckminster, the world's most insane big-game hunter, begins hunting the beasts. Basil and Pang spring into action in an attempt to save the rare creatures from the ruthless hunter.

Jason Lust, Senior Vice President of Feature Films for the Jim Henson Company, said of the project: "What's great about Screen Novelties is their look and feel is very Henson-esque. There was a stylistic similarity... [the writers] have a wry, witty sense of humor that fits perfectly with the Henson and the Screen Novelties approach to comedy."

I will be sure to keep you updated as soon as more information on this upcoming film becomes available.

4 comments:

James Wojtal ,Puppet Designer said...

this is the firts project they have anounced in a long time, that actualy seesm interesting and fun

Vaughn Michael said...

I agree 100% James.
It's also the first time in years that anything looks Hensonish to me.

frogboy4 said...

It does have a Muppety look and feel to it.

The Nostalgia Teen said...

I'm pretty excited at the thought of the Hensons doing a stop-motion movie, but why do I already get the feeling this will end up on the huge pile of movies the Henson Company announces but never makes?