Hot Topics:

Home Ent

Posted: Thurs., Nov. 6, 2008, 8:00pm PT

Talk Back

Hyde Park teams on CGI 'Santa'

Tom Tataranowicz to direct animated feature

Lifetime casts 'Northern Lights'

Universal gets 'In the Heights' rights

Burnett takes stake in No Good TV

Jeff Kwatinetz resigns from the Firm

White House cold at Kennedy Center(11640 views)

Sunny screenplays get Academy's vote(1540 views)

Future of Film summit aims positive(1431 views)

Variety.com behind paywall(1317 views)

Slamdance to debut Soderbergh's 'Fine'(1104 views)

'Eclipse' sets Imax release(947 views)

Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment has joined forces with Singapore-based Toonz Entertainment and Gang of 7 Animation to mount "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," a CGI-animated feature based on the book by L. Frank Baum.

The film is expected to be ready for holiday 2010 theatrical release.

John Boorman was recently attached to direct a CG adaptation of Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

"Santa Claus" will be the first animated film for Hyde Park. Gang of 7 Animation head Tom Tataranowicz will direct with Rich Arons and Dick Sebast. Tataranowicz wrote the script with Mark Edward Edens.

Production begins in November at the Toonz Animation Studio in India. Hyde Park will distribute internationally and shares domestic rights with G7. The film will be sold at AFM.

Story follows Santa's formative years, including a battle against the heart of evil that establishes the Santa mythology.