Prickly Pear Productions, the award-winning Irish animation studio, are currently working on a full-length animated feature based upon their hugely successful short ‘Paperman’.
‘Paperboy’ - as the expanded feature will be known - was officially launched earlier this month at the European co-production and distribution ‘Cartoon Movie’ forum.
The project is the brainchild of creators Richard Kelly and Sean William Ryan, who co-directed the original short, and have enlisted the expertise of experienced writer and script editor Richard Hansom to work on a draft screenplay of their treatment for the full-length feature.
Richard Kelly said: ‘Its hugely encouraging that so many others have seen the potential of our slightly crazy idea and are willing to buy into a world where an oppressed human population are living in a city mostly made from recycled paper alongside a secret world of funny and unlikely paper characters who eventually set them free.’
Prickly Pear Productions’ original short has already been selected for forty international festivals, including the forthcoming Bucharest International Film Festival, where it will be be screened in competition, and the second annual Irish Film Festival in Delhi, India, where it will participate.
Sean William Ryan added: ‘There's so much potential for comedy in the characters and the world, and it makes a great setting for a classic ‘David and Goliath’ story where the little people take on and defeat some truly scary baddies. We truly believe the idea has real international appeal.'
The Irish Film Board provided a development loan for the project, following its selection for ‘Cartoon Movie’, with the visual aspects of the film set to be further developed by Dublin-based 3D animation house ‘Giant’.
The 'Paperboy' animation team also includes producer Richard Morss, with plans for production to take place from 2014-16.
The original short is available to view online at www.pricklypearproductions.ie and the teaser for 'Paperboy' can be viewed at www.paperboythemovie.com
