Based on fantastic artwork by animator and director, Benjamin Renner (Ernest and Celestine), Yellowbird is a rare feature-length animation film produced entirely in France and premiered on Sunday at the London Film Festival.
The story was inspired by airlines which flew thousands of swallows across the Mediterranean in 1974 after the birds began dying in masses before they could migrate due to an early winter. The main character, Yellowbird, is an orphaned chick that is forced to lead a migration to Africa after he is left as the only bird who knows the route.
Producer Corinne Kouper of TeamTO studios, which is also behind the children’s TV series Babar and the Adventures of Badou, said the animation shows the strength of talent outside of Hollywood.
“I think that in France we have the capacity to produce high quality films. American studios often come and steal from us, you might say, as studios often work with artists and young people, coming out of French schools,” Kouper said in a statement.
Before leading the Yellowbird team in studios in Paris, director Christian De Vita has worked as a story artist on Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox as well as Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie.
In a seven-figure deal, Wrekin Hill Entertainment has acquired all North American rights to Christian De Vita’s 3D animated feature, from TeamTO and Haut & Court, the company announced yesterday.
In terms of budget, the movie is a featherweight; made for 10 million euros ($12.6 million) as compared to the $150 million budget of last-year hit Disney animation Frozen.
The film is voiced by a strong cast that includes Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Elliot Gould (Ocean’s Eleven), Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire) and Seth Green (Family Guy).
The music for the movie has been composed by Oscar winning musician, Stephen Warbeck.
Kouper, also hopes that the feature-length film will convince more investors to support such ventures in the future, and feels that the Yellowbird story has a universal theme.