Less than four weeks after scooping the IFTA for Best Animation, Irish filmmaker Kealan O’Rourke (The Boy in the Bubble) has been signed by Warner Bros to write and direct a new animated feature film – an adaptation of the upcoming graphic novel ‘Bolivar’.
Warner recently picked up the rights to the novel from publisher Archaia Entertainment. Although not hitting shelves until May 2013, buzz about Sean Rubin’s writing and illustration in ‘Bolivar’ has been steady, with Warner Bros moving ahead of the pack to snap up the rights.
Set in New York, the graphic novel centers on young girl Sybil who has recently moved to the city and finds herself living beside a reclusive Bolivar, the last living dinosaur, and tries to befriend him.
Speaking to IFTN, Kealan O'Rourke commented: "It is a dream come true to make a film for a studio as revered as Warner Bros. It is also a great privilege to be working with someone as experienced and respected as Akiva Goldsman. All the team at Weed Road Pictures have made me feel so welcome. We have such beautiful source material to work from, thanks to the graphic novel by Sean Rubin. We're going to bring a really unique approach to the world; creating a whimsical, quirky tale that we hope will appeal to audiences young and old."
The writer/director has been wowing audiences with his short film output for many years with titles including ‘Before Sunrise’ and ‘Fairycatcher’ among his list of credits. He is also working with 'Song of the Sea' and 'My Brothers' screenwriter Will Collins to adapt 'The Boy in the Bubble' into a feature length movie, marking his feature debut. That film is due to begin production early 2013 and is produced by Brian Willis (Fairycatcher, Short Order) of Ireland's Igloo Films with IFB backing.
Kealan graduated from the National Film School IADT in 2001.
