Zayn Malik, Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, and Bill Nighy star in the 3DCG comedy about a spoiled, ungrateful rescue cat who, upon losing his ninth life, gets a reprieve that sets him on a transformative journey; film debuts January 20.
‘Surf’s Up’ writer/producer and ‘Duck Duck Goose’ director Chris Jenkins’ indie 3DCG animated feature 10 Lives debuts tomorrow at the Sundance Film Festival, which kicked off today and runs through January 28. The film, featuring the voices of Mo Gilligan; Simone Ashley; Sophie Okonedo; Zayn Malik; Dylan Llewellyn; Jeremy Swift; and Bill Nighy, follows a rescued pampered cat who takes his luck for granted until he loses his ninth life, which sets him off on a transformative journey.
Sundance Film Festival will premiere 10 Lives January 20 at 12:30 PM at Prospector Square Theater. Additional screenings are January 21, 22, and 27; additional program and screening information is on the festival website.
Check out a clip from the film:
“Every good, animated movie transports you to another world,” shared Jenkins, describing the backdrop for the film, set on the English Riviera, the Dorset Coast, “… where the sky is blue, the countryside wraps you up in a weave of fields and hedgerows, and the azure ocean beats loudly against the White Cliffs.”
“This is where we meet our unlikely hero, Beckett,” continued Jenkins. “A pampered and selfish cat who’s already used up eight of his lives being despicable. Beckett has humans figured out; they take care of all his dietary needs, and he never stays in one place too long, moving on to play the lost cat card and finding bigger opportunities for bigger meals with more gullible types.”
In the film, Beckett carelessly loses his ninth life and faces the inevitable. He pleads with the “Gatekeeper” to grant him another chance, who initially refuses his request but ultimately has a change of heart and grants him a new set of lives and a return to earth.
However, he doesn’t realize that each of these new lives will see him return in various forms, each teaching him a valuable and timely lesson. It is a journey that sees Beckett turn from a gloriously self-absorbed pet to a self-sacrificing hero because sometimes you must travel many different roads to find the very best version of yourself.
The animated comedy is conceived and directed by Jenkins, a 30-year animation veteran who had a 14-year stint at Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he worked on some of the studio’s most notable features, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Atlantis.
At Sony Pictures Animation, Jenkins played a critical role in launching the division’s inaugural film, Open Season, then wrote and produced the studio’s Oscar-nominated animated mockumentary, Surf’s Up.
Jenkins’ career included work at Blue Sky Animation, DreamWorks Animation, and Original Force Animation, where he wrote and directed Duck Duck Goose, starring Jim Gaffigan, Zendaya, Carl Reiner, and Steven Fry.
Source: GFM Animation
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
