Lionsgate, Roadside team on 'Terra'

Companies acquire rights to 3-D animated pic

By DAVE MCNARY

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired U.S. rights to Snoot Entertainment's animated 3-D feature "Battle for Terra" and plan to release it on May 1.

Pic will open in both 2-D and 3-D formats. It will go up against Warner Bros./New Line romantic comedy "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" and Fox's franchiser "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

"Terra" includes voices by Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Chris Evans and Dennis Quaid. Project's the feature directorial debut of short filmmaker Aristomenis Tsirbas ("The Freak").

Story is told from the perspective of the aliens whose planet is invaded by humans fleeing a dying Earth.

"Terra" preemed at the Toronto fest and won awards last year at Heartland, Giffoni and the Ottawa Intl. Animation Festival.

Stuart Ford's IM Global will handle international.

Keith Calder founded Snoot in 2004 to independently develop, finance and produce both commercial genre-oriented live-action films and CG-animated features.