THE BOXTROLLS – We Are Movie Geeks

LAIKA – Animation Studio Behind CORALINE, PARANORMAN, THE BOXTROLLS – Celebrates A Decade of Achievement

LAIKA, the award-winning animation studio nestled in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, celebrates 10 years of bold and memorable filmmaking this month. For a company whose name means “little barker” in Russian, Portland, Oregon-based LAIKA has made quite a noise in the global film industry over a relatively short time.

With its world-class filmmaking team, LAIKA pushes the boundaries of family entertainment and animated movies, redefining what stories can and should be told through the art form.

“When LAIKA began we had a simple goal: to make movies that matter,” says Travis Knight, LAIKA’s President and CEO, who also is lead animator and a producer on its films. “LAIKA is devoted to telling new and original stories in new and original ways.”

“We aspire to make films that are bold, distinctive, and enduring,” Knight continues. “We are committed to telling stories that are thematically challenging, aesthetically beautiful, emotionally resonant, and a wee bit subversive. By combining stop-motion animation with cutting-edge creative approaches, we’ve embraced the fusion of art and craft and technology, honoring tradition while looking toward the future. We invented new systems and technologies for liberating the camera, to make our films more cinematic. We created new techniques for building and animating our puppets, to make our characters more lifelike and to connect more immediately and intimately with audiences. We discovered new processes for integrating practical and digital visual effects, to make our worlds more authentic. But we’re never satisfied. There’s an inherent restlessness at LAIKA. We always want to challenge ourselves.”

LAIKA began its unconventional cinematic journey with Coraline in 2009, continuing with ParaNorman in 2012 and The Boxtrolls in 2014. All three films featured LAIKA’s unique and innovative 3D stop-motion and CG hybrid technique. LAIKA’s original distribution partners, Focus Features and Universal Pictures International, remain the studio’s collaborators to this day. “We have the bravest distributors in the world,” says Knight. “They are lionhearted souls who took a chance on a ragged band of misfits from Oregon. Together, we share an abiding love for original stories and inventive storytelling.”

In addition to numerous critics’ awards and multiple Annie Awards (the animation community’s Oscars equivalent), all three of LAIKA’s feature films have been nominated for Academy Awards, BAFTA, and PGA Awards. The Boxtrolls also received a Golden Globe nomination; ParaNorman was cited as the year’s best animated feature by more critics’ groups than any other film in 2012, and Coraline was named one of the American Film Institute’s Top 10 Films of the year. “These last ten years have been magical,” says Knight. “But as I look forward, I’m more excited for what the future holds. We’re just getting warmed up.”

Knight, who makes his directorial debut with LAIKA’s next film, Kubo and the Two Strings (release date: August 19, 2016) adds, “Stripping everything else away, we’re simple storytellers. We’re the heirs of flamboyant stage magicians, plainspoken raconteurs spinning yarns around a campfire, and knuckle-dragging troglodytes scrawling stick figures on a cave wall. We believe telling stories is one of the prime functions of the human mind and spirit. A good story can elicit empathy, opening us up to new possibilities, to new ways of thinking, to recognizing the shared humanity in which we all participate. And, in the end, that’s ultimately LAIKA’s reason for being.”

LAIKA FILMOGRAPHY

Coraline (Release Date: February 6, 2009) Combining the visionary imaginations of two premier fantasists, director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and author Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Coraline is a wondrous and thrilling, fun and suspenseful adventure and the first stop motion film ever to be conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3-D, unlike anything moviegoers had ever experienced before. In Coraline, a young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous and her counterfeit parents try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home and save her family.

Voice Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., and Ian McShane. Produced by Bill Mechanic, Claire Jennings, Henry Selick, Mary Sandell. Based on the book by Neil Gaiman. Written for the Screen and Directed by Henry Selick.

ParaNorman (Release Date: August 17, 2012)

In the comedy thriller, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul-whisperer bravely summons up all that makes a hero – courage and compassion – as he finds his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

Voice Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, Tempestt Bledsoe, Alex Borstein, and John Goodman. Produced by Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight. Written by Chris Butler. Directed by Sam Fell, Chris Butler.

The Boxtrolls (Release Date: September 26, 2014)

This comedic fable unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend residents have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are an underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells. The Boxtrolls have raised an orphaned human boy, Eggs since infancy as one of their dumpster-diving and mechanical junk-collecting own. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by villainous pest exterminator Archibald Snatcher, who is bent on eradicating them as his ticket to Cheesebridge society, the kindhearted band of tinkerers must turn to their adopted charge and adventurous rich girl Winnie to bridge two worlds amidst the winds of change – and cheese.

Voice Cast: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, and Simon Pegg. Produced by David Bleiman Ichioka, Travis Knight. Screenplay by Irena Brignull, Adam Pava. Based on the book Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow. Directed by Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable.

Kubo and the Two Strings (Release date: August 19, 2016)

Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA, the film follows clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kamekichi (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Voice Cast: Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, Art Parkinson, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Brenda Vaccaro. Screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. Produced by Arianne Sutner, Travis Knight. Directed by Travis Knight.

Animated Features Films Bring The Magic As Academy Celebrates The Nominees

By Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson

This year there are 30 nominees in the animated category, between the Short and Features. “Don’t we love these people who bring us the magic?,” said Academy Governor Bill Kroyer as The Academy celebrated the Feature Animated films on Thursday.

The Academy presented their seventh annual event celebrating the nominees for Best Animated Feature Film.

Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, who won last year’s Animated Feature Film Oscar for FROZEN, moderated the discussion with all the nominated filmmakers from BIG HERO 6, THE BOXTROLLS, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, SONG OF THE SEA and THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA. This year’s nominated films come from around the world and encompass traditional animation, computer animation and stop-motion, and the evening also featured clips from each film.

Prior to the panel discussion, a few of the nominees spoke with WAMG.

Nominees Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

On her first nomination, Arnold said, “I feel like Cinderella at the ball. It’s so amazing because it’s a whirlwind of great activity and you get to meet so many people. So many great filmmakers. It’s fun and super special.”

On what’s in store for HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3, DeBlois gave us details on the third installment of the beloved series. “The story takes on a little more balance between Hiccup and Toothless because they are now chiefs of their respective tribes. It’s a story of carrying Hiccup through to the fulfillment of his character’s growth and arc, but also seeing where Toothless goes with all of this new responsibilities.”

In January, DreamWorks Animation appointed Bonnie Arnold & Mireille Soria as co-presidents of Feature Animation. When asked about her new position, Arnold told us, “there are so many great filmmakers at DreamWorks and a lot of projects, and I’m getting to spend time with the other filmmakers. There’s not a house style, so each of them are very unique and I’m having a lot of fun getting to know more about them and what they’re doing and helping them get the best version of their movies on the screen. It’s very exciting, until I start having to focus back on DRAGON 3.”

Nominees Roy Conli, Don Hall and Chris Williams, BIG HERO 6

The film is filled with a rousing score by composer Henry Jackman. On the choice to go with Jackman, Don Hall said, “He’s awesome. I worked with him on WINNIE THE POOH. I think he’s the best. I love working with Henry. He’s so collaborative. For those who don’t know music, he’s really good at breaking down what he’s thinking and very clear with his thoughts. He’s also a very fun, entertaining person who knows story. There was never any doubt that he was the guy.”

Chris Williams added, “the music covers a lot of ground tonally. He was able to hit all of those tones and bring a cohesion to the film, so he was fantastic.”

Roy Conli said Jackman, “saw early clips and had an idea where we going thematically. From those early themes, he was crafting ideas and as the film kept evolving, he would bring more. During our weekly meetings, for over a three month period, we would talk about the film, listen to music and he’s the most collaborative composer I’ve ever worked with.”

On how they put together the look and dialogue for Baymax. “It’s based on a real concept called soft robotics and I discovered it at Carnegie-Mellon University,” said Chris Williams. “I did a real trip and this is real stuff – vinyl robots that are inflatable for use in the health care industry. The entire personality of Baymax and his character design came from that research trip. We can’t say enough about the voice of Baymax, Scott Adsit.”

Adsit looked at many drawings of Baymax before deciding on the voice. “We wanted him to have a calm soothing voice and Scott himself came up with the idea of having the weird pauses between words. It was like the computer was trying to think of the things to say. It was great to have an amazing actor to work with,” said Roy Conli.

Between the filmmakers, the three mentioned their favorite animated films were PINOCCHIO and BAMBI.

Nominees Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable, THE BOXTROLLS

The film’s charming score is from Dario Marianelli. “He’s a genius. We listed to a bunch of different composers and something unique as far as the instrumentation from Dario really stood out,” said Stacchi on their choice to go with the Oscar-winning composer (ANNA KARENINA).

Annable added, “He’s never done animation. I didn’t even know if he was going to be interested. We were nervous to meet him and it turned out he was just as nervous to meet us. He has his own children and he really wanted to do an animated feature.”

“Plus, a composer usually comes in at the end of the process, when the film is cut. Dario worked with us all the way through the process, so he did the music for our story reels. Sometimes we went to him for sequences where “Fish” and “Eggs” are playing with the music machine and he had to write the music before we would storyboard it. The dance sequence, he wrote that whole waltz while we were still storyboarding. It’s not only a waltz, it has to be a score, it has to be an emotional bed under the romantic moments. We worked with him for the entire 18 months of production,” concluded Stacchi.

Nominees Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA

Nominee Tomm Moore, SONG OF THE SEA

While waiting for the Q&A to begin, the song “Let It Go” was piped into the theater. We noticed co-hosts and Oscar-winners Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck sitting in the row ahead. Both turned and said, “not this song again.” With a sense of humor, Lee went onto say, “my new phrase is ‘it’s not my fault.’ ” Buck said he is a fan of the latest video to come online where one N.C. mom records her frustration with FROZEN on the third snow day as well as the Oscar nominated song.

The nominees discussed how their films were developed, their creative processes and presented clips illustrating their technique. The five nominated films all deal with young characters who had lost someone and invokes the conversation no matter the age of the viewer.

“Sometimes an animated movie is the first film a child will see,” said HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 producer Bonnie Arnold.

For all the filmmakers, the process is still very organic. SONG OF THE SEA director Tomm Moore said, “It’s a way to tell the story so we don’t lose the folklore.” (trailer)

From drawings to movies, the panel discussed what originally drew them all to animation. “Comics was a way into animation,” said BIG HERO 6 director Don Hall.

THE BOXTROLLS nominee Anthony Stacchi said, “I’d love to see the people who do the behind the scenes work acknowledged with nominations in the main categories like Best Costume and Best Visual Effects.”

Nominees Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura (THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA), via a translator, said they brought their film to life with a process of flat plane effects for animating. “It’s all about the simplicity of the line work.”

Watch the Oscars this Sunday, February 22nd on ABC.

Photos ©A.M.P.A.S.

Visit The Academy: www.oscars.org

Giveaway – Win A Copy of THE BOXTROLLS

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes in the family event movie The Boxtrolls. Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), andElle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio LAIKA, the makers of the Academy Award®-nominated Coraline andParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!

Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls voice cast also includes Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette, Jared Harris (Mad Men), Nick Frost (The World’s End), Richard Ayoade (The Watch), Tracy Morgan (30 Rock), and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

THIS CONTEST IS OVER

WAMG is giving away copies of the film to celebrate the film’s Blu-ray/DVD release.

ENTER YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW. WE WILL CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE A WINNER.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.

2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.

No purchase necessary.

ORDER HERE: http://www.amazon.com/Boxtrolls-Blu-ray-DVD-DIGITAL-UltraViolet/dp/B00NFZ2S7K/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_twi_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1421697198&sr=1-1&keywords=the+boxtrolls

The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Blu-ray™ 3D Combo Pack include a Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet™.

Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6x the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets you watch movies anywhere, on any device. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Android™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray™ players, game consoles and more.

Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack

PRELIMINARY ANIMATIC SEQUENCES
- Play with Commentary by Directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable
- Baby In The Trash
- Eggs In The Underworld
- Man On A Horse
- Trubshaw’s Inventorium
- Cheese Shop
- Tea And Cheese

Bonus Features on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack and DVD

DARE TO BE SQUARE: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOXTROLLS
- VOICING THE BOXTROLLS
  The tremendously talented cast members of The Boxtrolls discuss what it’s like to voice an animated puppet, what each actor brought to his/her role, whether their personalities were similar to their characters, and more.
- INSIDE THE BOX
  The directors, producers, and creative supervisor of character fabrication Georgina Hayns share the challenges of crafting characters who are inside a box.
- THE BIG CHEESE: ALLERGY SNATCHER
  The directors and producers are joined by Brian McLean, director of Rapid Prototyping, to discuss how the animation studio LAIKA creates the faces for their puppets. The big story here – literally! – is how Snatcher’s face changes shape due to his cheese allergy.
- DECONSTRUCTING THE DANCE
  Discover how LAIKA combined traditional stop-motion animation with visual effects in order to create the beautiful ballroom dance sequence – and how costume designer Deborah Cook met the challenge of creating costumes that could flow during a dance scene.
- THINK BIG: THE MECHA DRILL
  Standing 5 feet tall and weighing over 75 pounds, the Mecha-Drill is the largest stop motion puppet/prop ever created by LAIKA. Follow its creation from design to completion.

FEATURETTES
- THE NATURE OF CREATION
- TROLLS RIGHT OFF THE TONGUE
- ALLERGIC TO EASY
- LET’S DANCE
- ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTORS Anthony Stacchi AND GRAHAM ANNABLE

TECHNICAL INFORMATION –BLU-RAY 3D™
Street Date: January 20, 2015
Copyright: 2015 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Numbers: 62129697
Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.78:1
Rating: PG for action, some peril, and mild rude humor.
Technical Info: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS Digital Surround 5.1 (French, Spanish)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – Blu-ray^™:
Street Date: January 20, 2015
Copyright: 2015 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Numbers: 62129700
Running Time: 1 hours 36 minutes
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.78:1
Rating: PG for action, some peril, and mild rude humor.
Technical Info: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS Digital Surround 5.1 (French, Spanish)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD:
Street Date: January 20, 2015
Copyright: 2015 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Numbers: 62129695
Running Time: 1 hours 36 minutes
Layers: Dual
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Rating: PG for action, some peril, and mild rude humor.
Technical Info: English Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS Digital Surround 5.1 (French, Spanish)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

THE BOXTROLLS – The Blu Review

“It won’t change who you are. Cheese, hats, boxes-they don’t make you who you are. You make you!”

Get ready to enjoy a masterfully crafted Dickensian world with stunningly well animated-characters and witty dialog. If you’re familiar with CORALINE and PARANORMAN, LAIKA Animation Studio’s previous works, THE BOXTROLLS will come as no surprise. As before, the visuals are worth the price of admission and as before, I was left hungry for more.

THE BOXTROLLS itself is a well-told fantasy full of silliness and whimsy, but there’s depth and meaning as well. It could be argued that this is a kids film about ethnic cleansing and genocide(!), but it’s all handled in the best possible taste. Somehow they managed to pull this off without ever being too heavy-handed, scary, or inappropriate. An example of this would be the villain’s henchmen, who spend much of the film in the mistaken belief that they’re the good guys. It’s not so much a film about good vs evil, as it is good vs foolishness. THE BOXTROLLS also presents a fantasy world with a visible class system, where aloof aristocrats are so distracted with their ridiculous hobbies that real world problems are neglected. Cheesebridge, the locale, is a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. You could easily spend another viewing just taking in the beautifully detailed sets full of crooked buildings on cobble-stoned streets, and the immaculately tailored costumes, all of it so tactile and vivid you’ll want to reach out. If you’re the kind of person that would love to interact and play around with all these props and puppets, I recommend seeing THE BOXTROLLS in 3D. It’s like having them right there in front of you. Aside from the window dressing, there’s good characterizations all round. The Box Trolls themselves are particularly adorable, and their antics are endlessly amusing. The talent involved with the stop-motion animation makes THE BOXTROLLS a joy to behold.

THE BOXTROLLS is a future classic, destined to be fondly remembered for years to come and on January 20^th , you will be able to enjoy it at home with the thrilling Blu-ray/DVD combo release from Focus Features. We Are Movie Geeks got a sneak peak at the package:

THE BOXTROLLS is presented in a flawless 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that showcases the film’s grim period wonders beautifully. I do not have a 3-D TV but the high definition image on the flat Blu-ray is as crisp and refined as any animation fan could hope for. Edges are sharp and clean and textures are incredibly revealing. Even minuscule frame-by-frame facial variations are wonderfully apparent, without any blip, blemish or significant artifact to report. Colors are striking and vibrant, primaries are rich and rewarding, black levels are suitably ominous, and contrast is dialed in perfectly. I don’t have a single complaint. This is an amazing presentation.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is just as impressive as the video with plenty of fun, demo-worthy moments throughout.

The Blu-ray 3D – Blu-ray – DVD – Digital HD package is loaded with extras:

– DARE TO BE SQUARE: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOXTROLLS

VOICING THE BOXTROLLS: The tremendously talented cast members of The Boxtrolls discuss what it’s like to voice an animated puppet, what each actor brought to his/her role, whether their personalities were similar to their characters, and more.

INSIDE THE BOX: The directors, producers, and creative supervisor of character fabrication Georgina Hayns share the challenges of crafting characters who are inside a box.

THE BIG CHEESE: ALLERGY SNATCHER: The directors and producers are joined by Brian McLean, director of Rapid Prototyping, to discuss how the animation studio LAIKA creates the faces for their puppets. The big story here – literally! – is how Snatcher’s face changes shape due to his cheese allergy.

DECONSTRUCTING THE DANCE: Discover how LAIKA combined traditional stop-motion animation with visual effects in order to create the beautiful ballroom dance sequence – and how costume designer Deborah Cook met the challenge of creating costumes that could flow during a dance scene.

THINK BIG: THE MECHA DRILL: Standing 5 feet tall and weighing over 75 pounds, the Mecha-Drill is the largest stop motion puppet/prop ever created by LAIKA. Follow its creation from design to completion.

– Five featurettes that take you inside the magical world of the Boxtrolls:

THE NATURE OF CREATION

TROLLS RIGHT OFF THE TONGUE

ALLERGIC TO EASY

LET’S DANCE

ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

– FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTORS ANTHONY STACCHI AND GRAHAM ANNABLE

THE BOXTROLLS was a weird, completely original experience and the new Blu-ray is recommended for fans of this morbid animation masterpiece.

42nd Annie Award Nominations Announced

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced nominations today for its 42nd Annual Annie Award recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation.

Best Animated Features nominations include: Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Cheatin’ (Plymptoons Studio), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (DreamWorks Animation SKG), Song of the Sea (GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon), The Book of Life (Reel FX), The Boxtrolls (Focus Features/Laika), The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures), and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (GKIDS/Studio Ghibli).

The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

“We had a steady increase in submissions this year and I am excited to say it’s going to be a great awards ceremony,” remarked ASIFA-Hollywood Executive Director, Frank Gladstone. “We added a new category to the mix – Best Character Animation in a Video Game – bringing the total Annie categories to 36. The Annies are a true celebration of the best talent in the animation industry, from big studio features to indie films, television series to internet shows, games, shorts and student films alike, as well as a wonderful group of juried award recipients again this year.”

The juried awards honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation, will also be presented. Three Winsor McCay recipients have been selected by the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors – Didier Brunner, Don Lusk and Lee Mendelson for their career contributions to the art of animation; June Foray Award – Charles Solomon for his significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation; Ub Iwerks Award – DreamWorks Animation’s Apollo Software for technical advancement that has made a significant impact on the art or industry of animation; and Special Achievement Award – The Walt Disney Family Museum recognizing the unique and significant impact on the art and industry of animation.

For a complete list of nominations, visit www.annieawards.org.

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past four decades.

THE BOXTROLLS On Blu-ray and DVD January 20th; Digital HD December 23rd

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes in the family event movie THE BOXTROLLS.

Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), and Elle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio LAIKA, the makers of the Academy Award-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Boxtrolls will also be available on Digital HD December 23, 2014, just in time for the holidays.

Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls voice cast also includes Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette, Jared Harris (Mad Men), Nick Frost (The World’s End), Richard Ayoade (The Watch), Tracy Morgan (30 Rock), and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

The Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack include a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet.

Blu-ray unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6x the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets you watch movies anywhere, on any device. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Android™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray™ players, game consoles and more.

Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack

PRELIMINARY ANIMATIC SEQUENCES
- Play with Commentary by Directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable
- Baby In The Trash
- Eggs In The Underworld
- Man On A Horse
- Trubshaw’s Inventorium
- Cheese Shop
- Tea And Cheese

Bonus Features on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack and DVD

DARE TO BE SQUARE: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOXTROLLS
- VOICING THE BOXTROLLS
  The tremendously talented cast members of The Boxtrolls discuss what it’s like to voice an animated puppet, what each actor brought to his/her role, whether their personalities were similar to their characters, and more.
- INSIDE THE BOX
  The directors, producers, and creative supervisor of character fabrication Georgina Hayns share the challenges of crafting characters who are inside a box.
- THE BIG CHEESE: ALLERGY SNATCHER
  The directors and producers are joined by Brian McLean, director of Rapid Prototyping, to discuss how the animation studio LAIKA creates the faces for their puppets. The big story here – literally! – is how Snatcher’s face changes shape due to his cheese allergy.
- DECONSTRUCTING THE DANCE
  Discover how LAIKA combined traditional stop-motion animation with visual effects in order to create the beautiful ballroom dance sequence – and how costume designer Deborah Cook met the challenge of creating costumes that could flow during a dance scene.
- THINK BIG: THE MECHA DRILL
  Standing 5 feet tall and weighing over 75 pounds, the Mecha-Drill is the largest stop motion puppet/prop ever created by LAIKA. Follow its creation from design to completion.

FEATURETTES
- THE NATURE OF CREATION
- TROLLS RIGHT OFF THE TONGUE
- ALLERGIC TO EASY
- LET’S DANCE
- ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTORS Anthony Stacchi AND GRAHAM ANNABLE

Focus Features And LAIKA Sign 3 Picture Deal

LAIKA and Focus Features, the two companies behind the hit animated feature THE BOXTROLLS, will continue their partnership on LAIKA’s next three projects. Focus CEO Peter Schlessel and LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight made the announcement today.

As with the three movies that the companies have partnered on previously, Focus will distribute the next three movies domestically, and Universal Pictures International will release them overseas.

Focus opened THE BOXTROLLS nationwide last weekend to a $17.3 million gross, marking the biggest debut yet for a LAIKA movie. THE BOXTROLLS follows the successful and acclaimed Focus and LAIKA animated films CORALINE (2009) and PARANORMAN (2012), each of which grossed over $100 million worldwide.

CORALINE earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film; and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI) with an AFI Award. PARANORMAN was cited as best animated feature film by more critics’ groups than any other 2012 animated feature; and earned BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film.

THE BOXTROLLS has also been released in 16 international territories to date, including the United Kingdom, where it was #1 at the box office for two weeks in a row; and Australia, where after just over two weeks it has already grossed more than either Coraline or ParaNorman did during their entire runs.

Mr. Schlessel commented, “I am very pleased to continue our relationship with our friends at LAIKA. Travis and his company have elevated the art of animated films and we are proud to be part of their success.”

“Focus and LAIKA are kindred spirits,” said Mr. Knight. “Over eight years and three films we’ve forged an incredible bond over a shared love for, and commitment to, bold, distinctive, and enduring stories. Peter and his superlative team have created a welcoming home for original voices and enriching, challenging filmmaking. They’re the bravest studio in the world. We look forward to many ongoing cinematic adventures with our Focus/Universal family. The best is yet to come.”

SIR BEN KINGSLEY Talks THE BOXTROLLS

In celebration of the newly released film THE BOXTROLLS, Sir Ben Kingsley sat down with a small group of press to talk about his voice over work, and his new project LEARNING TO DRIVE. Check it out below!

A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family.

You haven’t done much voice work before, was that what attracted you to the role? And was it fun playing that kind of character?

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : I haven’t done much of this before and I was sent the most beautiful script which rang true. The honest starting point for a family film I think is a very bold, very mature move — orphans. And they go through a struggle. They fight some very dark forces and they achieve their own light, and their own friendship and their own future. To present this as a family film is very refreshing, because I’m sorry to say that I think family films often wipe off the top two generations of the family and say anyone taller than this table won’t like this movie. It’s stupid, because that’s not a family film. But this is and it will have resonance for all the members of the family that see it. I say it’s rooted in truth because I can tell a good script from a bad. My training in my former years… I had no training, sorry. My former years as an actor were with tremendously good writers, one in particular, and therefore the way that this rang true, the way the patterns of human behavior in terms of loneliness, of longing, of care, of nurturing, of loss, of greed, of power, of indifference, they’re all there on the canvas. They’re all beautifully etched. So it was not a great leap for me to say, “Absolutely, yes,” to the script. Then I saw the drawing of the chap and saw that he was very different from me and therefore my voice would have to come from a different place. I’d have to find a voice that resonated from a very different place and would include all those frailties, those inadequacies, those longings, those addictions, delusions, narcissism, vanity. The guy’s a mess, held together by an absolute determination to be admitted into a club that does not want him. Because it’s so perfectly written, any actor would recognize, “Well, that’s the worst thing to do to that guy.” The worst thing you can do to that guy is to say, “You can’t come in,” because sooner or later, he’ll smash the door down. And he does. He demonizes a whole tribe of people who actually have nurtured and looked after an orphan beautifully, who are creative, inventive, loving, bonded. And they create their own civilization by what upper ground throws away. They never steal. They actually just use what is discarded and they make their world out of it. So given that the character was so beautifully presented to me as a portrait artist, my portrayal involved finding a voice that was completely relaxed, not my own. So I invited the recording studio to build a kind of airplane seat. It took five minutes. They had everything in the studio. It took them five minutes. They had everything there — the reclining chair, something to put my feet on. They were great. Moved the microphone, moved the script panel, and I did the whole thing reclining, lying down. It also helped me not to make physical gestures. When we speak, we tend to augment our language with our mannerisms. If I did that, it would perhaps lessen, shrink, what I was giving the animators. If I had to push something with my physical gesture, it means my voice isn’t doing enough. So I was completely still, which I found very, very freeing, as you say. I didn’t impose many limits on myself other than of course the character’s journey and his narrative function in the piece. Tony was mostly in the studio with me in England, not in America, and he helped me a great deal by letting me know that certain vocal mannerisms that I acquired as the character were great gifts to the animator. He said, “The animators will love that. When you do that, they can do all sorts of extraordinary things with it.” So I played with elongating my vowel sounds. I played with putting the letter ‘H’ where it shouldn’t be in a word to try and sound posh. All those little mannerisms, he encouraged me to really make them part of my bit of the portrait. Then the rest of my portrait, which is unprecedented for me, is to say, “And the other department do my body language.” I’ve never done that before. It’s always been me that I delegated the whole lot, because I had to, to the animators, to the guys who work with these people.

Knowing that, once you saw it, what was your impression and what struck you?

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : They put something together, a speech that Snatcher gives to his goons, to his stooges, about ambition, how in some people, some creatures are of limited ambition and will be locked in their own small ambitions and world and others are capable of great ambition. And it’s actually politically a horrible speech when you examine it. It’s pretty nasty. I enjoyed very free reign, lying down in the studio, letting this voice come out, and I saw this clip. He’s walking down a flight of stairs and they accompanied one of my words with an amazingly narcissistic gesture of brushing back these awful threads of hair that he has hanging down. And I thought, “I have nothing to worry about. Absolutely everything I’m trying to do is there in that puppet.” Extraordinary exercise really.

I found it interesting that the adults had no redeeming qualities whatsoever and that can be the viewpoint of someone who’s five, six, or seven

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : Whether it’s the viewpoint or not, the fact is that if you’re going to offer a story, narrative to the audience about orphans struggling, you have to have a tidal wave against which they have to struggle. It can be indifference. It can be abandonment. It can be incarceration. It can be domineering cruelty. But in the narrative our heroine and hero have to struggle through the darker side of life and I congratulate LAIKA on having the courage to say, “Look boys and girls, it’s not a bowl of cherries.” That is really courageous because I don’t think anything is learned by feel good movies.

Looking at your vast body of work, speaking to the comedic elements of the character.

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : Absurd, really.

(con’t): Do you see elements of Richard III?

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : Absolutely. The wonderful thing about Richard III is in his first soliloquy is in front of the audience and he explains exactly how he’s feeling and how he’s going to behave. He tells them, “Look, I’m mangled and wounded and I’m going to get the crown.” And Snatcher is in a sense, he can’t take rejection. There’s a reason for that, I don’t know the reason. But there’s a reason that he has an utter inability to be rejected. It turns him into a maniac. I saw a splendid version of Richard III ages of ago, and I could see what he was doing, but I could see why. I wasn’t allowed to join into why and really the why in Richard is it hurts to be me. I think there is something about the villains that I’m able to play that isn’t villainous. They’re vulnerable and wounded. I use that with Archibald Snatcher. Richard III and Othello — because he begins the play I’ve just been passed over for promotion and the world will suffer. And it does. At the end of the third act, Othello is responsible for seven deaths.

There’s a theme of transformation and there’s a huge difference between the hero and the villain. The hero just wants to transform into someone who knows who he is and the villain wants to move up the ladder, even though it’s shown very clearly that …

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : He’s allergic to it…

(con’t): And it’s not like kids movies where he’s brought down by the destruction of a machine. He does himself in where he has the choice to turn away. He even seems to know what’s going to happen and he does ti anyway. That’s almost tragic. Did you find that tragic element to it?

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : I totally embraced the tragic element of his demise. He’s arc is doomed because of the way he’s been constructed. The way he has arrived, the way the God’s have made him, fashioned him that way. There is, in the script and in my portrait and hopefully in bigger context of the movie, there is that thread of tragedy, absurdity, danger, redemption, reunification, all the threads. I definitely warmed to the wound that will eventually consume him. Cheese is a great metaphor for success or power and power will absolutely corrupt Snatcher. And he has the choice. He thinks by being empowered that he can conquer the addiction. It happens to other people. It won’t happen to me. Bang!

You’ve got a lot of interesting projects coming up, can you talk about some of the ones you’re most excited for people to know about?

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : Where do I begin [laughs]. LEARNING TO DRIVE, I’m particularly fond of. ROBOT OVERLOARDS, I’m looking forward to that one. That’s going to the London Film Festival. But, LEARNING TO DRIVE coming to Toronto, I’m excited to see, not how it’s received, how it touches people and attracts them.

You come from different cultures. I’m fascinated by different culture. You have families and grandkids… do they all get together. What does it look like at your house over the holidays?

SIR BEN KINGSLEY : It’s very hard for an actor to answer that because an actor, my pattern of life is so random that there are no such things as Holidays with a capitol H because I could be anywhere in the world and my children appreciate this. And as long as we keep in touch by email and telephone, everything is fine. No one ever says, “But it’s family.” No one ever says that. For me, that’s nonsense. Family is family over the internet, over Skype over telephone. Love is love, you don’t actually have to go through a ritual to prove that you love somebody. They all know dad’s very busy and I’ve looked after them well. They’ve all got homes, thanks to good ole dad. They’re happy, safe and loved.

Get social with the Boxtrolls:

https://www.facebook.com/theboxtrolls

http://instagram.com/theboxtrolls#

https://twitter.com/TheBoxtrolls

http://www.theboxtrolls.com/

#TheBoxtrolls

THE BOXTROLLS is in theaters now

THE EQUALIZER No. 1 At Weekend Box Office

Antoine Fuqua’s THE EQUALIZER took the number one spot at this weekend’s box office.

Rentrak’s Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian commented, “Denzel Washington proves that he is an international superstar as ‘The Equalizer’ in 65 territories tops the global chart with $52.8 million in its opening weekend while ‘The Maze Runner’ led the charge in the international territories this weekend with $27.5 million.”

“Notably, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ now at $644.3 million, surpasses ‘Thor: The Dark World’ and its global total of $644 million.”

Check out our reviews HERE.

Coming up next weekend (October 3) are David Fincher’s GONE GIRL, THE GOOD LIE starring Reese Witherspoon and to get you in that Halloween spirit, ANNABELLE.

The top 12 worldwide weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, are below.

1. Equalizer, The – Sony – $52.8M
2. Maze Runner, The – 20th Century Fox – $45.0M
3. Boxtrolls, The – Universal – $22.4M
4. Dearest – Multiple – $13.5M
5. Lucy – Multiple – $11.5M
6. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Disney – $7.8M
7. This Is Where I Leave You – Warner Bros. – $7.0M
8. Walk Among The Tombstones, A – Multiple – $6.3M
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Paramount – $5.4M
10. Sex Tape – Sony – $5.1M
11. Dolphin Tale 2 – Warner Bros. – $4.8M
12. No Good Deed – Sony – $4.6M

The top 12 domestic weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, are below.

1. Equalizer, The – Sony – $35.0M
2. Maze Runner, The – 20th Century Fox – $17.5M
3. Boxtrolls, The – Focus Features – $17.2M
4. This Is Where I Leave You – Warner Bros. – $7.0M
5. Dolphin Tale 2 – Warner Bros. – $4.8M
6. No Good Deed – Sony – $4.6M
7. Walk Among The Tombstones, A – Universal – $4.2M
8. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Disney – $3.8M
9. Let’s Be Cops – 20th Century Fox – $1.5M
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Paramount – $1.4M
11. Skeleton Twins, The – Roadside Attractions – $1.3M
12. Drop, The – Fox Searchlight – $1.1M

Focus Features’ THE BOXTROLLS Packs In Promotional Partnership Tie-Ins

Focus Features, which releases animation studio LAIKA’s family event movie THE BOXTROLLS nationwide this Friday, September 26th, has through Universal Studios Partnerships packed in a number of promotional partnership tie-ins generating millions of impressions on consumers and moviegoers.

The latest ones are with Great Day Farms, promoted on egg cartons (referencing the movie’s lead boy character of Eggs) and offering a sweepstakes Grand Prize of a hometown screening; with Sun-Maid Raisins, featuring sticker sheets inside 12-count bags of Mini Snacks boxes (which are made of cardboard – a favorite building block and/or clothing choice of the lovable Boxtrolls themselves) and promoting a sweepstakes to win movie tickets; with Carl’s Jr. and participating Hardee’s, providing four different movie-themed activity toys in the Cool Kids Combos® Meal Program; with Langer’s Juice, promoted on juice bottles and giving away free movie-themed T-shirts; and with Time Warner Cable, showcasing exclusive content from the movie’s premiere while offering subscribers advance screenings tickets.

These newly announced partnerships follow previously announced ones, among others, with and at the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby; and with the Imagination Foundation for a Boxtrolls Cardboard Challenge as well as the Foundation’s Global Cardboard Challenge.

Check out Jim Batts review HERE.

Enter our contest to win THE BOXTROLLS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack HERE.

THE BOXTROLLS is a family event movie from LAIKA, the creators of the Academy Award-nominated animated features Coraline and ParaNorman, that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – the Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright of Game of Thrones) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge.

When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning of Maleficent). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family.

Based upon the book Here Be Monsters, by Alan Snow, The Boxtrolls is directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable and is MPAA-rated PG.

For more behind the scenes content, go to theboxtrolls.com and follow on Twitter (twitter.com/theboxtrolls), Instagram (instagram.com/theboxtrolls) and Facebook (facebook.com/theboxtrolls).

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THE BOXTROLLS is in theaters now

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