Exclusive First Look: Award-winning Amsterdam and LA-based studio Submarine (Undone, Apollo 10 1/2) has teamed up with Walking the Dog (Where is Anne Frank, The Triplets of Belleville) and indie South African outfit Diprente (Queen Sono) to produce a new animated family film titled Spike. The CG-animated comedy adventure was conceived by South African screenwriter Julia Smuts Louw.
The storyline follows the trials of Spike, an alpha rhino in an African wildlife reserve whose life changes when his son accidentally breaks through the fence and is taken by a mysterious truck, along with his baby daughter. Spike sets out to find his children, teaming up with Daisy, an outcast honey badger and reluctant sidekick. The synopsis reads, “What starts out as a rescue mission becomes a wild goose chase, and a surprising journey of self-discovery, when Spike is robbed of the one thing that is almost as precious to him as his children: his horn. During the adventures that follow, Spike encounters a variety of wild animals – funny, wicked and wise — who bring him a new perspective on what it means to be an alpha… and a parent.”
“Spike is a story about learning to see things differently,” says Bruno Felix, co-founder and co-managing director at Submarine. “Set in the heart of the savannah, this screwball adventure features a wild mix of vibrant characters families are going to fall in love with. We are thrilled to be partnering both with our friends at Walking the Dog and the talented, hilarious team at Diprente to make this a genuinely collaborative, original African story.”
Diprente’s Isaac Mogajane adds,: “We’re very excited about our collaboration with Submarine and Walking the Dog around the beautiful story of Spike and his family. Spike has the unique potential of addressing pertinent issues such as poaching and self-identity in an ever-changing world, all while maintaining a family friendly, funny and heart-warming tone. We can’t wait to bring it to screens for people all over the world to enjoy!”
Walking the Dog producer Eric Goossens adds, “Walking The Dog is thrilled to continue its long term partnership with Submarine Animation on this exceptional and very valuable story written by Julia Louw. We are eager to set up this partnership between Belgium, The Netherlands and South Africa.”
