Creators Of The Nut Job Join Forces To Create New Animation Studio

Gulfstream Pictures is capitalizing on the success of their new animated film, The Nut Job, by [...]

By Jamie Lovett

The Nut Job

Gulfstream Pictures is capitalizing on the success of their new animated film, The Nut Job, by forming a new animation studio. Gulfstream will team with the other makers of the film – Redrover Co. and ToonBox entertainment – to form the Gulfstream ToonBox Animation Lab. The lab will give the team a place to test ideas for films before they commission a full script. The Lab will cultivate talent from the pre-production stage, helping along the development of treatments and worlds involved in promising animated projects, hoping to ultimately get them into full production. The first projects accepted into the program are: -An epic romance set inside a turf war in the animal kingdom by award-winning writer/producer Jason Horwitch (A-Space, Rubicon, The Pentagon Papers) -A comedy project by WGA-nominated writer/producer/actress Rebecca Drysdale (Key and Peele), centered around a coming-of-age story with an ensemble cast -An aspirational and comedic tale by Alfredo Botello, an Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellow (The Crasher) and writer/co-director of the web series Reality Reboot. "Our Animation Lab is unique because it's so centered on the writers and the engaging characters and amazing worlds they can develop," said Gulfstream partner Bill Bindley. "Working with our partner ToonBox, writers can enjoy the creative power of sitting alongside world-class animators to stretch and realize their vision." Said Jay Ahn, President and CEO/Executive Producer at ToonBox: "The Animation Lab will allow for the best and most promising projects to be afforded a dedicated space for first-rate creative and narrative development." Added Gulfstream partner Mike Karz: "After the success of The Nut Job and anticipation for The Nut Job 2, the Animation Lab allows Gulfstream and ToonBox to together bring to life for global audiences a whole new slate of exciting animated projects." Gulfstream Pictures' first animated feature, The Nut Job was released on January 17, 2014, taking in more than $25,700,000 at the holiday weekend box-office as the biggest independent animated film opening of all time. The Nut Job stars Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Brendan Fraser, Stephen Lang, Gabriel Iglesias, and Jeff Dunham lending their voices for director Peter Lepeniotis. The sequel, The Nut Job 2, was recently announced, with a release date of January 15, 2016.

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