Monster! Distributes will be launching ROVER SAVES CHRISTMAS, a new one-hour program based on Roddy Doyles international best-selling childrens book of the same name, at MIPCOM. This is the first project to emerge from the collaboration between Oscar-nominated animation studio Brown Bag Films (GIVE UP YER AUL SINS) and award-winning feature film entity Treasure Entertainment (I WENT DOWN). All three companies are based in Ireland.
When Rudolf refuses to man the sleigh for Santa on Christmas Eve, they need a replacement, fast. None of the other reindeers are up to the job, but then someone suggests Rover, a dog from Dublin. Rover eventually agrees to take over on the condition that the kids get to come along for the ride. They get their things together and are off to Lapland, and the adventure of their life.
The top-selling book is published by Scholastic in the U.S. in many languages, including English, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Chinese, Catalan, Spanish, Italian, Estonian, German and French.
Recently pitched at Cartoon Movie in Pottsdam, Rover has already attracted enormous interest from potential partners and financiers, and has received significant funding from The Irish Film Board.
With the combination of a hilarious script by the author, Doyle, the international scope of the story, the strong existing international awareness of the book and the creative talent attached to the project, Brown Bag and Treasure Ent., aim to have ROVER SAVES CHRISTMAS available for Christmas 2004. They also plan to release theatrically in Ireland before worldwide television and DVD exploitation.
Monster! Distributes will be located in The Marketplace, H4.35. Monster! is also screening at MIPCOM Jr. DOMINATOR, HARVIE KRUMPET, WHY?, HERMIE: A COMMON CATERPILLAR and GIVE UP YER AUL SINS.
