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Development: Netflix secures Andes adventure Pachamama; He-Man doc coming; more
It's always a good time for another development roundup. You gotta stay up to date on all the genre-based deals being struck in Hollywood these days, right? This afternoon, we've got more Netflix originals, a He-Man documentary (yeah, we know you're excited by those words alone), and a new look at the Charlie's Angels reboot from Elizabeth Banks.
Today, Netflix announced that it had acquired the rights to debut Juan Antin’s (Mercano the Martian) animated project, Pachamama.
Described as "a hybrid animation adventure film about a young boy living in a remote village in the Andes Mountains," the movie was produced by Oscar nominee Didier Brunner (The Old Lady and the Pigeons) and nominated for a César Award. Whether it wins that prize or not will be announced February 22.
“Pachamama has been, for me, a very long journey, guided by a message that came like an echo from ancient times -- a message of love, respect, and gratitude to our cherished Earth. Thanks to Netflix, I am thrilled to share this awe-inspiring story with a global audience,” said Antin in an official statement.
Check out the artwork below:
The main character of the film is Tepulpaï, a 10-year-boy full of mischief, who wants to become a shaman for his village one day. As the citizens prepare an offering to the spirit known as Pachamama, an Incan overlord steals their sacred golden statue. Our central hero takes it upon himself to recover the artifact (Temple of Doom style) with the help of his friend, Naira, and her talking llama.
“At Netflix we look for passionate creators from around the world who have unique points of view and Juan Antin has done an exquisite job creating a broad and beautiful family animated feature film in a style all his own, to honor the cultural backdrop against which Pachamama is set,” said Netflix Vice President of Kids and Family Melissa Cobb. “We are thrilled that our global family audience will have the chance to visit the highest peaks of the majestic Andes mountains as they embark on an ambitious rite of passage alongside the film’s young and ambitious hero.”
Pachamama will premiere on Netflix sometime in June. Before then, however, it will screen at the Opening Spotlight at the 22nd annual New York International Children’s Film Festival on February 24.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, a documentary about the entire He-Man brand will make its North American debut thanks to High Octane Pictures.
The film, titled Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, was directed by Randall Lobb (Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Robert McCallum (Nintendo Quest: The Most Unofficial and Unauthorized Nintendo Documentary Ever!).
"The Masters of the Universe brand is bigger than ever – as this very solid documentary reminds us – and we’re excited for North American audiences to see it," Galen Christy, High Octane president, told THR. "This is both an insightful and very entertaining film that’ll appeal to fans and non-fans of Masters."
The documentary includes in-depth interviews with artists, actors, and fans. Even Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella make appearances to talk about their roles in the live-action (and very poorly received) Masters of the Universe movie from 1987; Lundgren played He-Man and Langella played Skeletor.
High Octane will also be in charge of courting foreign buyers at the European Film Market, which kicks off today in Berlin and runs through February 15.
Elizabeth Banks shared another behind-the-scenes photo of her upcoming Charlie's Angels reboot, which she wrote, produced, and directed. The image in question shows her posing with the movie's three main stars: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska.
"#BTS @CharliesAngels on set. Ella, Kristen, Naomi. #4PercentChallenge," reads Banks' caption.
While we don't know too much about the plot at this point, we do know that the project will be focusing on a worldwide network of female detectives employed by Charlie. His usual right-hand man, Bosley, is not one person, but a title, it seems. Banks, Patrick Stewart (The Kid Who Would Be King), and Djimon Hounsou (Captain Marvel) are all portraying different Bosleys within the framework of the story.
Other cast members include: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Jonathan Tucker, Sam Claflin, Noah Centineo, Chris Pang and Nat Faxon.
Charlie's Angels opens in theaters Nov. 1.
Lastly, Disney has struck a licensing deal with Mondo for clothing, collectibles, games, and more, the latter company revealed in a press release this afternoon.
“Imagination is often associated with Disney, and rightfully so. Through their films, animated classics, and characters, Disney's pantheon has inspired generations, old and young, to dream big," said Mondo's creative director for toys/collectibles, Brock Otterbacher. "For us here at Mondo, it's no different. We've all had our imagination stirred by Disney in one form or another in the work we do -- whether it's to design better, dig deeper for inspiration, or just add more heart. With this in mind, we couldn't be more proud of what we're bringing to both Disney and Mondo fans alike. From our pins and tiki mugs, as well as other fun items down the line, we're taking our queue from Walt himself -- ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.'"
Some of the first products from the agreement will be "an artistic line of Disney enamel pins as part of an ongoing series" and "an impressive lineup of the most recognizable Disney icons as tiki mugs."
The initial pins will, of course, be different variations of Mickey Mouse by artist Tom Whalen. Sorcerer Mickey from Fantasia is to be the first "Tee-ki" mug, followed by Scrooge McDuck, and then designs inspired by The Lion King, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and beyond.
