For journalists this week, DreamWorks previewed its 2010 animation slate, including a roughly animated segment of its superhero spoof MEGAMIND, which hits theaters Nov. 5. Director Tom McGrath (also known as the voice of Skipper the penguin) introduced the film to a packed audience at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.
While the film will be in 3-D in theaters the sneak peek shown to reporters was not. Much of the animation was previs or unlit animation.
This spend-up of the superhero genre stars Megamind (Will Ferrell), an orphaned alien who crash lands in a prison, setting him up from an early age for a life of crime. The criminal mastermind constantly tries to take over the world, but it thwarted by the arrogant savior of Metro City, Metroman (Brad Pitt). In the clip, Megamind kidnaps reporter Roxanne (Tina Fey), who is not impressed with the villain's tired old plots, which she has seen all before. Megamind is assisted by Minion (David Cross), a Frankenstein-like monster with the body of a gorilla and a fish bowl head with a talking piranha inside.
The clip has fun with many superhero conventions from the battle of pun-filled lines to various damsel in distress scenarios.
SPOILER ALERT
At the end of the clip, despite himself, Megamind succeeds in ridding Metro City of Metroman. McGrath went on to tell the audience that Megamind then takes over the city, but without an adversary, he gets bored. So he sets out to create a new one, giving superpowers to Roxanne's chubby cameraman Hal Stewart, who lets his newfound powers go to his head.