Heading into the European Film Market, Paris-based company Indie Sales has released the official teaser trailer for Richard the Stork 2, directed by Mette Tange and Benjamin Quabeck. The film will have its market premiere at the EFM in Berlin (Feb. 16-22) and is expected to ruffle feathers among buyers, as pre-sales are already inked in more than 20 territories.
Produced by Knudsen Pictures and co-produced by Walking The Dog and Den Siste Skilling, the film is a sequel to Richard the Stork (released in North America as A Stork’s Journey and also known as Little Bird’s Big Adventure), which was distributed widely worldwide, sold to 155 countries and grossed over $20 million worldwide.
Indie Sales is well-known for My Life as a Zucchini, the high-profile Oscar and Golden Globe nominated feature which sold in more than 80 territories. The company increasingly focuses on acquiring big-budget animation but while continuing its support for prestigious arthouse animated films.
Film Synopsis: Richard, the daring sparrow who was adopted by a stork family, is enjoying wintering at the Great Lake in Northern Africa when he realizes he won’t be the one to lead the flock back north. Therefore, he runs away to travel on his own. On his journey he meets Samia and her sparrow flock, who are being held captive by evil marabous under the control of the greedy peacock Zamano.
The only chance of freedom for the sparrows is to solve a riddle and find the Great Jewel, which will call upon teamwork, trust and most of all skills learnt from storks, also known as “spork” (sparrow + stork) skills!
The sequel features a score composed by Eric Neveux, well-known for Poly, Samsam and Nicholas on Holiday, along with original songs written by Canadian songwriter Mocky (Dominic Salole).
The film is set for a theatrical release in Germany on March 23 with Wild Bunch Germany. Paradis Films will follow with a French release on April 12, followed by a Norwegian theatrical release with SF Studios on April 21.
Richard the Stork 2 was produced at animation studio Walking the Dog in Belgium, Mideu Films in Halle, Germany as well as at Apparat.Studio in Bergen and Nordisk Film Shortcut in Oslo, Norway. The film is co-produced with BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, Mediefondet Zefyr, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Magellan Films, Senator Film Produktion, in collaboration with Nordisk Film Shortcut Oslo.
Production received support from the German Federal Film Fund, German Federal Film Board, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, The Tax Shelter of the Belgian Government, Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Berrymark NV, Norwegian Film Institute and Creative Europe.
