A partnership between Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Film Commission
Film release marks New Zealand/United States partnership
The Ten Commandments", an animated feature film made by New Zealand 's Huhu Studios, was released across the US on October 19th. The film, a co-production with US based Promenade Pictures, was developed by Huhu in their studios at Snell's Beach, Auckland , and is the first completely animated feature film from New Zealand to be released in the US .
The film is the first in an intended series of 12 'Epic Stories of the Bible'. Each film will be created by Huhu and Promenade and produced, marketed and distributed worldwide by Promenade in a joint ownership arrangement. It is estimated that the total project, including all 12 movies, is worth more than US$120 million.
Huhu Studios has developed proprietary software for the project, which is allowing them to produce animation at a faster rate and at a higher quality than would otherwise be possible. "This has allowed us to deliver very high quality content to our North American partner, within time and budget constraints," says Trevor Yaxley, Huhu founder.
"The Ten Commandments" is voiced by Academy Award(r) winner Sir Ben Kingsley (narrator), Christian Slater (Moses), Alfred Molina (Ramses) and Academy Award(r) nominee Elliott Gould (God). The film is directed by Bill Boyce ("Hermie & Friends") and John Stronach ("Ben Hur", Cahoots") from a screenplay by Ed Naha ("Honey, I Shrunk the Kids").
Huhu Studios was founded by Trevor and Jan Yaxley in 1999. The studio produces original animated content for the family entertainment market and has attracted international attention through their own creations, such as the popular children's animated series "Buzz & Poppy" (New Zealand's first computer generated animated television series), and their work on "Hermie & Wormie" and "The Pond". The partnership with Promenade Pictures, who specialise in the production and distribution of theatrical motion pictures appropriate for the entire family, was formed in September 2004.
"We are extremely grateful for Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor and the pioneering work they have done in lifting the profile of the New Zealand film industry in Hollywood . We'd also like to recognize the continuing support of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise , who have been an important ally to the industry and have helped us grow to a level that allows us to work with key international players in a joint ownership capacity.
This, along with the hard work from the Huhu team and our supporters in both New Zealand and overseas during the last seven years, make this first release extremely satisfying," says Trevor Yaxley.
"This is a very exciting release not only for Huhu but for the broader New Zealand digital entertainment industry," said NZTE Sector Manager Adam McElroy. "It is another demonstration of the high quality creative work being undertaken in New Zealand and the potential for further growth."
"We are thrilled to be in business with Huhu Studios," said Promenade President Cindy Bond. "Their track record and expertise in the family arena make them the ideal partner for The Epic Stories of the Bible series. We're excited to grow the franchise together."
"The Ten Commandments" will be released in New Zealand at Easter 2008.