Disney EMEA today announced that it has started production in Ireland, on a new action-packed animated comedy, ‘Randy Cunningham: Ninth Grade Ninja’, with BAFTA and Emmy winning Irish animation house Boulder Media (The Amazing World of Gumball) enlisted to handle the series from animation through to post-production.
Scheduled to air autumn 2012 in more than 129 countries worldwide, ‘Randy Cunningham: Ninth Grade Ninja’ is a fast-paced adventure series following unlikely hero Randy Cunningham who, armed with his magic demon fibre suit, the teachings of the ‘Ninja-ing’ (an 800 year old Ninja guide for dummies) and his best buddy, finds himself as the one thing protecting his school and the world from certain destruction!
Boulder Media in Ireland and Titmouse Inc in Los Angeles, USA will produce the animated 52 x 11 minute series for Disney XD. Boulder Media has already hired 50 additional artists and animators to work on the project for its two year duration. The project is assisted by the Irish government's Section 481 tax relief. Emmy Award winning studio Titmouse Inc based in LA, USA is leading the pre-production creative for the series.
Emmy Award-winning comedian and writer Ben Schwartz (Parks & Recreation, House of Lies, Everybody’s Fine) voices Randy; with Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Megan Mullaly (Will & Grace)’ and John Oliver (Smurfs) also among the voice cast.
The series is created and executive produced by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas whose previous credits include ‘Scooby Doo’ and ‘Paris Hilton’s My New BFF’; Emmy and Annie award-winning Shaun Cashman (Director: The Penguins of Madagascar, Chowder) is Supervising Director and Otto Tang (Metalocalypse) is Art Director. Guest voice talent also includes: Andy Dick, Bobcat Goldthwait, John Weatherspoon, Andy Richter and Sterling Knight.
Tricia Wilber, Chief Marketing Officer, The Walt Disney Company, EMEA & General Manager, Disney Channels EMEA comments, “Randy Cunningham: Ninth Grade Ninja is our most global production yet. Driven by the team here in London, the series draws on talent from both sides of the Atlantic to help create a world class show. We are thrilled to be working with the outstanding teams at Boulder in Ireland and Titmouse in LA on this project.”
Producer Anne Tweedy, Boulder Media adds, “We have recruited some of the best animators, BG artists and compositors from Finland, Italy, Poland, Denmark, England, Scotland, Spain and Portugal, though the majority of the crew is Irish. We are fortunate to have a highly skilled core crew and we have found the additional crew is adding to our company’s strength in creativity and production.”
