Paul Grimault’s classic 1952 animated feature The King and the Mockingbird will be revived at the 2014 New York Film Festival in October, when the painstakingly restored version from Studiocanal will debut ahead of a limited Stateside release through Rialto Pictures (New York Nov. 21, L.A. Dec. 19 at Laemmle Theatres, other cities TBA).
Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, the satirical The King and the Mockingbird follows a chimney sweep and a shepherdess on the run from a tyrannical king. The influential 2D film, which Grimault scripted with Jacques Prevert, would influence a generation of animators — including Studio Ghibli founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. This despite its shaky history, which saw an unfinished version titled The Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird released in the U.S. in 1957 following a dispute which halted production, according to animation historian Jerry Beck.
More information on the New York Film Festival can be found at www.filmlinc.com/nyff2014.
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