Photo: (left to right) Anthony Silverston (Writer/Director), Ned Lott (U.S. Casting and Voice Director), Raffaella Delle Donne (Writer), Jonathan Roberts (Writer), Vanessa Sinden (Line Producer)Triggerfish Animation Studios second feature,
Khumba, received the royal treatment from one of
The Lion King screenplay writers, Jonathan Roberts. The charming story of a half-striped zebra who embarks on a quest for his missing stripes was originally penned by South African writers, Raffaella Delle Donne and Anthony Silverston who are excited to be collaborating with an experienced, U.S. writer. The writing duo were recently in L.A. to record some of the cast and to discuss the script in person with Roberts.
To date,
The Lion King is still one of Hollywood's biggest box-office successes and is the 4th-highest grossing animated release ever. The Disney classic is due to be re-released in stereoscopic 3D later this year. Roberts has subsequently worked on a number of other animated features including
Hunchback of Notre Dame,
James and the Giant Peach,
Monsters Inc. and the childhood classic,
Homeward Bound.
The Triggerfish team were aware that a coming-of-age, animated film set in Africa would inevitably be compared with the iconic film so it made perfect sense to work with the writer of
The Lion King to make sure that
Khumba remained an original, South African story while still being accessible to an international audience.
As Jonathan Roberts explains: “For better or worse,
The Lion King has cast a pretty long shadow and with
Khumba I learned how tricky it can be try to present a fresh animated fable – set on the African plains, populated by African animals. But by focusing on all the distinct and original elements in the story we could let
Khumba shine in its own, well-earned light.”
Since the early stages of development, Delle Donne and Silverston have been determined to write a unique story that is appealing to international audiences by collaborating with writers outside their borders. "Khumba has always been a bit of a cosmopolitan zebra", says Delle Donne. After winning a major scriptwriting competition funded by the South African National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the former UK Film Council, the writers were guided by UK script editor Camilla Bubna-Kasteliz. "She helped us immensely with the foundations of the story, which after many re-writes, still remain largely in tact", says Silverston who is also the Director on the film. Last year, the team was joined by Richelle Wilder, who while head of development at Aardman was involved from concept to completion of
Chicken Run,
Flushed Away and
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the WereRabbit.The screenplay for
Zambezia, Triggerfish's first film due to be released later this year, was also given a final polish by U.S. writers Cory and Todd Edwards the creators behind
Hoodwinked.
Triggerfish has always been passionate about drawing on its homegrown perspective to create character-driven, universal stories. The Cape Town-based studio is excited at the opportunity to make a film inspired by South African characters, themes and, of course, the magical landscape of the Great Karoo desert.
Both
Zambezia and
Khumba are being represented for international sales by LA-based Cinema Management Group.
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and Screen Africa magazine.
Khumba loved the novelty of being in a diner but struggled to find something on the menu that suited his taste.
No matter how many times we told him otherwise, Khumba was convinced the beach was a desert and that the sea was just "an enormous waterhole".
Khumba had heard that everything in America was super-size but this was just ridiculous!
Khumba thought he had hit the jackpot until he discovered that he was actually in the LA zoo!
As you can see, Khumba is dying to be famous.
"Mama?"
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