Global Screen has picked up worldwide distribution rights (excluding North America, the UK and GST) to the English-language animated feature The Amazing Maurice which is based on one of Sir Terry Pratchett’s highly popular Discworld novels that have sold more than 90 million books worldwide. The Amazing Maurice is inspired by the Grimm’s fairy-tale about the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
The screenplay has been written by Oscar-nominated Terry Rossio, one of the highest-grossing screenwriters of all time. His extensive credits include Shrek, Aladdin, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Carter Goodrich, who worked on Ratatouille, The Croods, and Despicable Me is on board for the character design.
Global Screen will start pre-selling this new family animated film at the upcoming AFM with a script and promo in place. The film is planned to be ready for delivery mid of 2022.
Directed by Toby Genkel, the film is produced by Ulysses Filmproduktion, Emely Christians, Cantilever Media’s Andrew Baker and Robert Chandler, along with executive producer Roddy MacManus. Tobis Film has picked up the distribution rights for GST and is also the German Co-production partner. German Studio Rakete and Canadian Squeeze Animation will be responsible for the 3D animation, with 2D animation sequences by Cantilever Media. The Film is supported by Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, FFA Development and Creative Europe Media.
Global Screen senior sales and acquisitions manager Alice Buquoy said, “We are delighted to be continuing our close and extraordinarily successful collaboration with Emely Christians and her team and we can’t wait to present the first material from this incredibly lively and entertaining adventure to our buyers at the AFM.”
The official synopsis goes like – Maurice, a streetwise cat, has the perfect money-making scam. He’s found a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe, and his very own horde of rats – rats who, strangely, are educated and literate, so Maurice can no longer think of them as “lunch”. And everyone knows the stories about rats and pied pipers… However, when Maurice and the rodents reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, their little con goes down the drain. For someone there is playing a different tune. A dark, shadowy tune. Something very, very bad is waiting in the cellars.
Emely Christians stated, “The Amazing Maurice will be the first animated feature film ever made from a Terry Pratchett novel. It will get Ulysses’ complete focus and attention to detail in order to fulfil our promise: to make a wonderful movie from this very funny, unique, strong and awesome story.”
Cantilever Media producer and CEO Andrew Baker added, “Pratchett is a world-class, world-renowned writer and as a lifelong fan it is thrilling to bring to the screen one of his most cherished Discworld novels. The creative talent on the project is indisputable. Terry Rossio’s screenplay is unexpected yet heart-warming and Carter Goodrich’s designs are unique. With Global Screen on board we feel we have the perfect partners in place to take this film to a worldwide audience.”