Award-winning French animated feature Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be — based on the beloved comics and children’s books introduced by Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny in the 1950s — is ready to enchant U.S. audiences this week. Through a key distribution deal just secured this week, Buffalo 8 (a Bondit Company) is bringing the charming hand-drawn family adventure to theaters across the country starting Friday, December 16.
Synopsis: Somewhere between Montmartre and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny lean over a large white sheet of paper and bring to life a mischievous and endearing boy, Little Nicholas. From schoolyard games and fights to summer camp prank and camaraderie, Nicholas lives a merry and enriching childhood. As the adventures of Nicholas and his friends unfold, the boy makes his way into his creators’ workshop and light-heartedly questions them. Sempé and Goscinny will recount the story of their friendship, career, and reveal a childhood filled with hopes and dreams.
Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be was awarded the prestigious Best Feature Cristal at Annecy this year and also won top awards at Bucheon International Animation Film Festival (International Feature) and the Cambridge Film Festival (Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature). The film was also nominated for the European Film Award for Animated Feature.
The film is directed by Amandine Bredon and Benjamin Massoubre, written by Michael Fessler, Anne Goscinny (René Goscinny’s daughter) and Massoubre. The French voice cast is led by César-winning actor Alain Chabat (Didier, The Taste of Others and the local dubbing voice of Shrek in the DreamWorks Animation franchise) as Goscinny and César nominee Laurent Lafitte (Elle, Tell No One, The Little Prince).
Produced by ON Classica, Atom Soumache, Cedrio Pilot, Bidibul Productions, Lilian Eche and Christel Henon.
