Tag Archives: Fox Animation

Tobey Maguire Options Cardboard

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What is the worst present you could ever give to a child on his birthday? How about a cardboard box? That’s pretty lame under normal circumstances, but in the graphic novel called Cardboard, the extraordinary happens. What’s even more interesting is the fact that this piece, written by Doug TenNapel, is about to get the big screen treatment, thanks to Fox Animation, WedgeWorks, and star, Tobey Maguire.

You see, Maguire owns Material Pictures, the company all set to executive produce the film adaptation of the graphic novel. Cardboard will be an animated feature.

After the down on his luck dad, a widower, to boot, offers the box to his son in the story, they decide to fold it up into the figure of a boxer named Bill. To their surprise, Bill comes to life. But the local bully, Marcus, has his own wicked plans for Bill. If the film follows the novel closely, other cardboard creatures will come to life as well, threatening everyone in town.

The graphic novel is published by Scholastic Graphix. WedgeWorks’ own, Chris Wedge whose credits include Ice Age, may choose to direct the upcoming film adaptation.

If handled right, this project could get pretty epic. Sounds like a rip-roaring good time to me. I can already picture my nephew begging for Cardboard action figures.

Since Maguire is already affiliated with the film, we may expect him to lend his voice to one of the main characters. This wouldn’t be the first time. His pipes were featured in the WB’s Cats & Dogs. He was Lou the Beagle, for your information.

It’s good to see Tobey Maguire in the news. I haven’t really seen his face since the drama Brothers, where he acted a prickly part opposite Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. If you haven’t seen it yet, the acting is well worth a watch, but there are scenes that will make you squirm, thus earning it’s R-rating.

Maguire has a few other projects on the burner. I simply cannot wait for the 2013 debut of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gastsby. The best known film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic novel, starred Robert Redford as Gatsby; Mia Farrow as his wealthy love interest, Daisy; Sam Waterston as the narrator, Nick Carrway; and Bruce Dern as Tom, Daisy’s husband. In the 2013 version; however, it is Tobey Maguire who plays Nick; Leonardo DiCaprio will be Gatsby; Carey Mulligan is Daisy; and Joel Edgerton is Tom.

If you know Baz Lurhman’s work, you know the film will be epic and larger than life. He’s actually going to present the film in 3D.

Maguire is also slated to act as real life persona, Bobby Fisher in the upcoming biographical picture titled Pawn Sacrifice. Maguire’s own Material Pictures will produce this project as well.

As for author, TenNapel, he has a whole slew of other titles to his name and best of all a few others are scheduled for big screen adaptations, too! His Ghostopolis is currently in the hands of Disney, and his Monster Zoo was snatched by Paramount.

Fox Animation To Adapt The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

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Most everyone knows the stories of literature’s classic fairy tale princesses by now— Rapunzel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella… etc. Children have been reading these stories and watching their respective Disney adaptations for decades. Now first-time author Jeff Healy is telling these classic stories from a different perspective.

Now available, The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom tells the story of the four princes from these familiar fairy tales.

“In the tome, the princes’ due is glossed over by various minstrels, but the four young men—cast out of their respective castles—get a shot at redemption and glory when they uncover a plot that could destroy the kingdoms,” according to Hollywood Reporter.

The 432 page novel was released by Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins Children’s Books. Before penning the novel, Healy was a children’s entertainment reviewer, and before that a haunted house zombie actor. If these former occupations are any indication of Healy’s writing style, Save Your Kingdom should be an interesting read.

Those interested in checking out the book may want to do so quickly, as there will soon be an animated film version as well. It was also announced that Fox Animation has picked up the movie rights to Saving Your Kingdom. The project will be produced by Chernin Entertainment—the same company that produced Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

See the book’s official plot synopsis below:

Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be. Debut author Christopher Healy takes us on a journey with four imperfect princes and their four improbable princesses, all of whom are trying to become perfect heroes—a fast-paced, funny, and fresh introduction to a world where everything, even our classic fairy tales, is not at all what it seems.”

There is no word yet on when the adaptation will be released or who is expected to provided the voices for the characters.