First Look: Cartoon Saloon's 'My Father's Dragon'

Netflix has been in the news for all the wrong reasons this week, with the revelation of  their losing significant numbers of subscribers and that several major animated projects (including Bone) had been scrapped. On the bright side there are still a lot of very exciting projects on the way.

Not least among them is My Father's Dragon, the newest feature from Kilkenny, Ireland based studio Cartoon Saloon. Their follow up to the Oscar-nominated Wolfwalkers is directed by studio co-founder   Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) and written by Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) based on the beloved children's book by Ruth Stiles Gannett. The film had previously been touted to be directed by Twomey alongside her Secret Of Kells co-director Tomm Moore, but has since become a solo project. Moore remains on the project as producer alongside fellow Salooner Paul Young, who has held that position on all of their features so far.

From five-time Academy Award®-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Academy Award®-nominated director Nora Twomey, comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer's adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.

To commemorate world book day on April 23, Netflix has unveiled the first look at the film in a new image. It reveals the fact that this sixth feature from Cartoon Saloon will be the first to step away from what has become their house style. There are still similaraties with the look of their other films, but it seems that Twomey's second solo outing will have a style of its own.

Netflix also announced the film's starry voice cast. It will star the multiple award-nominated young actor Jacob Tremblay (presumably as Elmer), alongside Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith,Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.

My Father's Dragon does not have a firm release date, but is expected sometime later this year.