My Father's Dragon

#IrishFilm: Netflix acquires Nora Twomey and Cartoon Saloon’s My Father’s Dragon

Variety is reporting that US streaming giant Netflix has announced six new animated projects, including My Father’s Dragon from Nora Twomey and Cartoon Saloon, who were Academy Award nominated earlier this year (for the third time) for The Breadwinner.

The film is based on the series of children’s books by Ruth Gannett Stiles about a young boy, Elmer Elevator, who runs away to Wild Island to rescue a baby Dragon. The script has been adapted by Meg LeFauve (Inside Out), with the story by LeFauve and John Morgan, who are also executive producers.

Tomm Moore, Twomey, and Cartoon Saloon co-founder Paul Young will develop My Father’s Dragon with Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn for LA-based Mockingbird Pictures. The film will be executively produced by Alan Moloney and Ruth Coady for Parallel Films, alongside Gerry Shirren.

My Father’s Dragon has previously been adapted into a Japanese anime film titled, Elmer’s Adventures: My Father’s Dragon in 1997.

Other projects announced include The Willoughbys from writer/director Kris Pearn (​Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2); Maya and the Three, an animated series from writer/directer Jorge Gutierrez (​The Book of Life); Go! Go! Cory Carson!, an animated preschool series from Kuku Studios; Kid Cosmic, an animated series from Craig McCracken (T​he Powerpuff Girls, Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends); and Trash Truck, an animated series from Max Keane (D​ear Basketball)​.

This news comes at a fruitful period for Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon, who recently were awarded a civic honour of contributions to the city of Kilkenny and who have also sold Tom Moore’s next animated feature Wolfwalkers to Apple.