London- and Paris-based Film Constellation (They Shot the Piano Player) is bringing a big, surprising new friend to the Cannes Film Market this week, kicking off sales The Growcodile. The CG-animated family adventure is produced by France’s Fantabulous, the recently formed joint venture of distributor KMBO (The Amazing Maurice) and prodco Fabrique d’Images (Stitch Head).
Based on the bestselling children’s book Weg met die krokodil (“Away with the Crocodile”) by Dutch author Paul Van Loon, the film centers on a precocious child with a quite unusual pet:
Bridget is a gifted young girl with a big secret: she has a pet crocodile, Gilbert, that she hides in her room. However, no matter how sweet, the little crocodile grows bigger and more difficult to care for. What to do when your parents don’t like pets, and your father, who owns a shoe store, loves crocodile leather? With the help of Grandma Nell, the duo set out on a wild adventure to find the perfect home for Gilbert.
The $10 million project will be directed by Joost Van Den Bosch and Erik Verkerk (Inkt, Momo, George & Paul), produced by Mark Mertens and Vladimir Kokh for Fantabulous with Richard Claus and Chantal Nissen for Cool Beans. The storybook was adapted by Luuk van Bemmelen (Swop).
The Growcodile is expected to deliver in Q4 2025. KMBO is handling French theatrical release.
[Source: Variety]
