Starring Yara Shahidi, Natasha Lyonne, Daveed Diggs, Roy Wood Jr., and Tika Sumpter, the film follows an aspiring young magician whose curiosity accidentally unleashes Kaboom, a chaotic magical creature, into the heart of New York City; debuts this Fall.
Next-gen film and animation studio Asteria Film Co., in collaboration with Everyday Mischief and The Monk Studios, has announced , an animated short written and directed by c.Craig Patterson ().
The project, which features the voice talents of Yara Shahidi, Natasha Lyonne, Daveed Diggs, Roy Wood Jr., and Tika Sumpter, follows Chika Batstone, an aspiring young magician whose curiosity accidentally unleashes Kaboom, a chaotic magical creature, into the heart of New York City.“From the outset, we knew telling this story would mean exploring new technology and developing new approaches — but that’s not why you make a film,” said Patterson.“What brought so many incredible artists and filmmakers together was the chance to give audiences 10 minutes of joy through the lens of an awesome little animated girl named Chika.
She’s what brought this team together — and the reason we poured so much love into every frame.” The project brings together Hannah Beachler () as production designer and Ruth E.Carter () as costume designer.“We have a rare opportunity to shape how this technology is used — and it must remain in the hands of artists and animators,” added Benjamin Michel, Head of Creative R&D for Asteria.
“By blending hand-drawn 2D, CG animation, and generative workflows, we’ve built a hybrid pipeline to extend our animators’ capabilities.It’s driving monumental breakthroughs and helping us create something audiences have never experienced before.” The Gotham Group packaged the project alongside Patterson, Erik Weaver, and Kacie Lehner. Producers include Patterson, Kacie Lehner, Alyssa Katalyna, Benjamin Michel, and Ben Lock.Weaver, Tom Thudiyanplackal, Miles Perkins, Lyonne, Roy Wood Jr., Shahidi, Diggs, Ryan Stafford, Bryn Mooser, Matthew Cherchio, Justin Lacob, Eric Day, and Nick Confalone executive produce alongside The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Matt Shichtman, and Ross Siegel.
Marisa X.Castro co-produces.The short is currently in production and will debut this Fall.
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
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