It seems like we'd just heard about Lucasfilm's STRANGE MAGIC, based on a story by Mr. Lucas himself, and now we're already seeing a full-length trailer for sound guru Gary Rydstrom's (JURASSIC PARK, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) first feature as a director.
It seems better produced and larger-scaled than the usual GNOMEO & JULIETs that usually come out over the first few months of the year, but this trailer is obviously selling this flick to the kids with the poppy music and the cutesy humor. I'm getting a bit of a RISE OF THE GUARDIANS vibe from this, and I mean that in a good way: this seems to have shades of the fantasy darkness of LEGEND and Lucas' own WILLOW. I just hope all those animal gags and shaking booties don't undercut the elegance of it.
The film was co-written by Rydstrom, Irene Mecchi (THE LION KING), and David Berenbaum (ELF), and the voice-cast includes Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Maya Rudolph, Kristin Chenoweth, Alfred Molina, Peter Stormare, and "Super Dave" Bob Einstein.
STRANGE MAGIC performs on January 23rd, 2015.
