20th Century Fox has purchased the pitch for a potential three film franchise entitled SHADOWS and they have set animation director Carlos Saldanha to direct. The treatment for SHADOWS has been buzzing in Hollywood and comes from writer Jason Micallef. There is no word on the plot of the film aside from that it will be a blend of CGI and live action and focus on monsters and cryptozoology.
Carlos Saldanha is best known for directing both RIO movies as well as three of the ICE AGE films. SHADOWS would represent his first live action film. Saldanha has a first look deal with 20th Century Fox and has brought them a good deal of revenue in his Blue Sky films, but there is still an inherent risk in moving an animation director to live action. It could go well (Brad Bird on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL) or bad (Andrew Stanton on JOHN CARTER). Either way, the blend of CGI and live action will require someone familiar with the animation side if they want it to look good.
It is unclear if the franchise will be a family-oriented series or something closer to a PG-13 rating. It is tough to tell without more details, but screenwriter Jason Micallef has previously scripted the more adult comedy BUTTER and is in the midst of drafting the PLAY-DOH film for producer Paul Feig. Fox is on the lookout for new franchises, so keep an eye on this one.