The beloved animated feature FernGully: The Last Rainforest is getting an exciting new release this summer. On August 23, Shout! Factory will release FernGully: The Last Rainforest (30th Anniversary Edition) in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo. Restored from a brand-new 4K scan of the original film elements, fans will be able to enjoy the 2D classic like never before.
Shout! Factory announced it had picked up exclusive worldwidde rights to the film in November.
Special features of the release include a fascinating new introduction with director Bill Kroyer, which includes never-before-seen pencil, character and animation tests. Other features include multiple commentaries, featurettes, a music video, a multi-angle scene study, a script-to-scene comparison, and more.
The Blu-Ray + DVD Combo is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and ShoutFactory.com.
Deep in the heart of the forest awaits a paradise filled with tiny sprites, winged fairies, tree spirits and all kinds of animals who live together in joyful harmony. But when their home is threatened by humans, one courageous sprite must give her all to save it!
Featuring an all-star voice cast, including Robin Williams, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Tim Curry, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Tone Loc, FernGully: The Last Rainforest is an iconic fantasy adventure for kids of all ages, presented here in a special two-disc 30th Anniversary Edition.
Based on the series of books by Australian author Diana Young and directed by Bill Kroyer (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), FernGully was a labor of love. The filmmakers used what was then brand-new special effects technology for penetrating layers of backgrounds, and to generate the beginning stages of drawings which were then completed by hand. 150,000 cels were created for FernGully, a total of 38 miles of artwork if they were laid end-to-end. Although many steps were computer assisted, every shot was primarily painted and animated by hand.
The key creative team spent time in the Australian rainforest to view first-hand one of the richest natural environments on Earth, and drew inspiration from the multi-hued colors of the forest and exotic wildlife. As a result, FernGully is extraordinary in its attention to detail.
The film’s ecological message about the importance of the world’s rainforests had a strong impact on viewers 30 years ago. That message is timelier than ever in 2022, and the film continues to find new generations of fans.
Synopsis: Crysta (Samantha Mathis) is a fairy who lives in FernGully, a rainforest in Australia, and has never seen a human before. In fact, she is told they are extinct. But when a logging company comes near the rainforest, she sees that they do exist, and even accidentally shrinks one of them: a boy named Zak (Jonathan Ward). Now her size, Zak sees the damage that the company does and helps Crysta to stop not only them, but an evil entity named Hexxus (Tim Curry), who feeds off pollution.
Special Features:
- NEW Introduction with Director Bill Kroyer, which includes never-before-seen pencil, character and animation tests
- Audio Commentary with Bill Kroyer, art director Ralph Eggleston and coordinating art director Susan Kroyer
- “Seed of the Story” – Script-to-screen comparison with optional commentary by screenwriter Jim Cox
- “From Paper to Tree” – Making-of featurette
- “Behind The Voice: Toxic Love” – Multi-angle scene study
- Original Featurette
- “If I’m Gonna Eat Somebody (It Might as Well Be You)” music video
- Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
