“The Inseparables,” Jérémie Degruson’s ambitious animated feature competing this week at Annecy festival, has been sold to a raft of territories by Octopolis and nWave.
Based on an original idea by Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, the Oscar-nominated writers of “Toy Story,” “The Inseparables” follows the misadventures of Don, a runaway puppet with a boundless imagination and, DJ Doggy Dog, an abandoned stuffed animal toy in need of a friend. Don and DJ Doggy Dog cross paths in Central Park and pair up against all odds for an epic adventure of friendship in New York City. The film was penned by Bob Barlen and Cal Brunker.
Budgeted at $25 million, “The Inseparables” was produced by nWave Studios in Belgium, Octopolis in France and A Contracorriente Films in Spain.
New sales deals have been closed for France (KMBO), South Korea (First Run), Greece (Odeon), Poland (M2 Films), Turkey (filmarti), Israel (Forum), Gulf/Lebanon (MAF), South Africa (Filmfinity), French Speaking Africa (Films du 26), Vietnam (Blue Lantern) and Airlines (Skeye).
The film was previously acquired for Benelux (BelgaFilms), Spain (A Contracorriente), Scandinavia (Scanbox), CIS (Volgafilms), Ukraine/Baltics (Ad Astra), Hungary/Romania (ADS), Czech Rep/Slovakia (AQS), Bulgaria (Profilms), ex-Yougoslavia (Blitz).
Octopolis and nWave are both part of MZM, the production group launched by Matthieu Zeller, a well-respected former Studiocanal executive. The two companies previously teamed to handle the international sales on “Chickenhare” and “Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness.”
Zeller said the banner’s strategy is to deliver one big animated feature per year and hold off sales to major markets until films are completed. As such, the producer is now aiming enlist key distributors for “The Inseparables” from the U.S., Canada, Australia/New Zealand, Italy, the U.K., Germany, South America, China and Japan following its world premiere at Annecy on Thursday (June 15).
Degruson previously directed some of nWave Studios’ biggest animated hits “The House of Magic,” “Bigfoot Junior” and Bigfoot Family.”
