'Peregrine' flies to Central
Production company moves to animation
"Peregrine" -- the working title for a $2.5 million co-production with Moscow animation firm House of Aquarius -- tells the story of Mitya, a falcon adopted at birth by a family of pigeons.
The full-length feature, due for release late 2008 or early 2009, is Central Partnership's first venture into animation and is designed to take advantage of the growing popularity of cartoon films in Russia.
"This is a new market sector for us and one we consider very promising,"Aram Movsesian, Central Partnership's production director said Tuesday. "Viewer interest in animation can be seen from the box office of feature-length animated films, comparable to that of regular films, and the incredible launch of (cartoon channel) 2x2 last spring."
Animated films accounted for some 10% of the Russian box office over the past three years, he added.
Box office figures collated by Russian Film Business Today mag put that figure at around $130 million for the period.
"Peregrine" is a modern take on the classic tale of "Romeo and Juliet" told through the stories of Moscow pigeons, sparrows and falcons. It employs the voice talents of local TV and film personalities including Konstantin Khabensky ("Day Watch") as Mitya the peregrine falcon and Renata Litvinova as the pigeon Galya.
