Trailer Double Bill: The Boxtrolls and Penguins of Madagascar

A couple of very different animation trailers saw release this week- a final trailer for a much-anticipated film due for release in a few short months, and a debut trailer for a movie not due until later in the year. They have distinct styles and tones that nicely show off the relative diversity of the animated movies being produced today.


First up is the final trailer for The Boxtrolls. It feels like we've been waiting forever for the new film from Laika, the studio that brought you Coraline and Paranorman. While the early teasers gave precious little away, this is our best look yet at the film's story. The eponymous critters are a colony of trolls who wear cardboard boxes for clothes, and the story centres on a human boy raised by these creatures. The stop-motion animation looks incredible, as you would expect. For an American production, the voice-cast sports a surprising array of British voice talent including Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Sir Ben Kingsley, as well as US stars Elle Fanning and Tracey Morgan (get well soon). The Boxtrolls will be released in cinemas in the UK on September 12th, 2014, with the US following on the 26th.



Then there's the first trailer for The Penguins of Madagascar from Dreamworks. Whatever else you might say about the Madagascar series, it's hard to dispute that the penguins are it's stand-out characters. They've already starred in shorts and a TV series, but can they sustain a whole motion picture on their lonesome? This first trailer is perfectly fine, with the fearless flightless birds as entertaining as ever. It also features an appearance from none other than Benedict "Sherlock" Cumberbatch as a well-spoken wolf (or maybe a dog?). The black and white menace will be let loose on cinemas in North America at Thanksgiving, with the UK following on December 5th 2014.