Multi-hyphenate Jon Favreau has set up his original story, NEANDERTHALS, at Sony Pictures Animation (SPA). Details and plotline of NEANDERTHALS, however, are being kept in a cave under a large boulder protected by a mastodon.
The director of the blockbuster holiday comedy ELF, the family sci-fi film ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE (due in theaters from Columbia Pictures on Nov. 11) and the upcoming JOHN CARTER OF MARS will write and produce the 3D animated feature.
NEANDERTHALS is the second project from SPA that will feature Favreau's talents. He voices the character of Reilly, the construction foreman of a group of dam-building beavers in OPEN SEASON, the first full-length animated feature from SPA, opening Sept. 29, 2006, through Columbia Pictures.
"Jon's passion for this story and his love of animation make this a perfect fit for us," said Penney Finkelman Cox and Sandra Rabins, evps of Sony Pictures Animation. "We are thrilled to be working with him in realizing his distinctive vision."
"Whether as a director, writer, actor, producer, I'm a big fan of Jon's work," added Yair Landau, vice chairman, Sony Pictures Ent. and president, Sony Pictures Digital. "We are already working with him as an actor on OPEN SEASON and are thrilled to now be in development on an original project of his."
Favreau established himself as a writer and actor with SWINGERS before graduating to directing with MADE (which he wrote and starred in as well).
Favreau was most recently seen opposite Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany in WIMBLEDON, in Columbia Pictures' SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE for director Nancy Meyers and Mark Steven Johnson's DAREDEVIL with Ben Affleck. He also starred in the biopic ROCKY MARCIANO. Favreau's other feature film credits include LOVE AND SEX, THE REPLACEMENTS, VERY BAD THINGS and DEEP IMPACT. Favreau will be seen in the upcoming romantic comedy THE BREAK-UP with Vince Vaughan and Jennifer Aniston.
Favreau is also the creator, producer and host of the Emmy-nominated IFC series DINNER FOR FIVE.
SPA is currently in production on its first two features, OPEN SEASON and SURF'S UP. Directed by Roger Allers (THE LION KING) and Jill Culton (MONSTERS, INC.), OPEN SEASON features the vocal talents of Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, Billy Connolly, Jon Favreau, Patrick Warburton, Jane Krakowski, Georgia Engle and Gordon Tootoosis. Producing the film is Michelle Murdocca; Amy Jupiter serves as line-producer.
Set against the backdrop of the high-octane world of competitive penguin surfing, SURF'S UP will feature Jeff Bridges, Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, James Woods, Jon Heder, Jane Krakowski, Mario Cantone, Michael McKeon and Brian Benben. The film will be directed by Ash Brannon (TOY STORY 2) and Chris Buck (TARZAN) and produced by Chris Jenkins, with Lydia Bottegoni serving as co-producer. SURF'S UP is scheduled for release summer, 2007.
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Ent. (SPE, www.sonypictures.com) company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Corp. of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corp. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; televisionproduction and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
