Warner Bros Discovery Tease Peter and The Wolf, 'Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai'
Warner Bros, Discovery has been teasing their future. They unveiled their new streaming platform Max which will bring together HBO Max with Discovery Plus. They also teased a couple of upcoming animated projects that will come to the new service.
Cartoon Network and Max have greenlit a new animated adaptation of Peter And The Wolf featuring music and narration by Gavin Friday, based on illustrations by rock superstar Bono. The special takes Sergei Prokofiev's beloved symphony and transforms it into a heartfelt contemporary tale. The film will be released this year and is being produced as part of an ongoing relationship with the Irish Hospice Foundation.
The artwork seen throughout the film is based on illustrations by Friday's longtime collaborator and friend Bono, from his book of the same name. Friday narrated the reimagined classic tale with The Friday Seezer Ensemble performing Prokofiev's score, newly arranged by Maurice Seezer and Gavin Friday.
The film will combine 2d animation with 3D physical sets. The animation is produced by Blink Industries.
The story centers on grieving 12-year old Peter, now in the care of his grandparents after the loss of a parent. When he hears talk of a wolf on the loose he decides to explore the vast meadow and forest nearby to try and find the wolf himself. Along the way he comes across creatures who help him in his quest and encounters hunters who want to win a prize for hunting the wolves.
"The messaging of vigilance, bravery, and resilience that were core to the original symphony are still echoed throughout our interpretation, but we spin a traditional fairy tale into a unique adaptation that also incorporates the topic of loss, redemption, and recovery," said Gavin Friday and Bono. "It’s our hope that this Peter & the Wolf becomes a balm for any child dealing with loss, alongside exposing and captivating them into the wonderful and musical world of Prokofiev."
The project was originally developed in support of the Irish Hospice Foundation, a charity that supports those facing dying, death and bereavement. The IHF has worked closely with The Peter And The Wolf team on how best to represent the story’s sensitive themes of bereavement and loss with authenticity and thoughtfulness.
“The emotion and artistry that Gavin has created in this modern retelling of ‘Peter & the Wolf’ brings a sense of fearlessness and style this story has never seen before,” said Michael Ouweleen, president, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family, and Boomerang. “We think this slightly punk rock version of the timeless classic fuses beautifully for every audience, and we are honored that Bono and Gavin have entrusted us as the home to share such a personal journey.”
Blink Industries developed a unique style that embraced the 2D roots of Bono's original 2D artwork, while creating a tangible, immersive and atmospheric world for Peter and his friends. Working with an extensive team of model makers directors Stephen McNally and Elliot Dear built and filmed all the environments as miniatures in their studio in London before compositing the 2D characters seamlessly to the 3D world.
Warner Bros Discovery also released a trailer and unveiled the release date for Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai. Spun off from the popular Gremlins movies, it takes us back to 1920's Shanghai where a young Mr. Wing (the shopkeeper from the 1984 movie) first meets a Mogwai named Gizmo. Accepting the dangerous task of taking Gizmo home, Wing embarks on a perilous journey through the Chinese countryside.Joined by a teenage street thief named Elle they encounter colourful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore- and sometimes battle them. All the way they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.
The series stars Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Matthew Rhys, Izaac Wang, and Gabrielle Neveah Green. Guest stars include Zach Galligan who starred in the original Gremlins films as Billy.
Tze Chun is showrunner and producer. Steven Spielberg is executive producer alongside with Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, Presidents of Amblin Television, and Sam Register, President, of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios. Brendan Hay is executive producer with Dan Krall serving as Supervising Producer. Joe Dante serves as consulting producer.
Gremlins: Legend Of The Mogwai streams on Max from Tuesday, May 23.
