As the battle for entertainment streamer supremacy rages on, it's been announced today that Netflix has secured a pitch from Patrick Osborne, director of the Disney animated short-film FEAST, to helm an exclusive animated feature for the service.
While few plot details have been shared at this time, we do know that the project will have a script written by Emma Needell (THE WATER MAN) with the idea of creating an animated adventure in the vein of films like THE JUNGLE BOOK and WIZARD OF OZ. Sources close to the project are saying that the film will center around a young boy who escapes into a fantasy world in his dreams as he struggles to evade his own crushing reality. Bard Dorros, Tariq Merhab and Charlie Scully of Anonymous Content are set to produce.
If you're unfamiliar with Osborne's past work, he's the Oscar-winning director of FEAST and the Oscar-nominated virtual reality short PEARL. While stepping away from the camera, and instead contributing to projects as an animator, Osborne has worked on the films: BOLT, WRECK IT RALPH and TANGLED for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Additionally, Osborne was also the head of the animation department that helped to create the Oscar-nominated PAPER MAN animated short in 2012.
Currently, Osborne is hard at work at creating his first major motion picture for Fox by way of the Marc Haimes-scripted NIMONA, which is based on the highly-celebrated graphic novel by Noelle Stevenson. Osborne is also poised to direct BATTLING BOY for Paramount and Plan B, with Jason Mantzoukas writing the adaptation of the first book in Paul Pope's popular graphic novel series.
This is fantastic news, as Osborne appears to be more-than-ready to step up to the big leagues with his own original animated feature. Here's hoping that he and Needell can establish a great creative synergy together and really take the genre to an interesting place. Oh, and just so it's at the back of your mind, NIMONA is a fantastic read. I highly recommend that you check it out.