'Coraline' Team Back for Animated Film 'ParaNorman'

Focus Features and animation company LAIKA, which last joined forces for 2009’s Coraline, are reteaming for ParaNorman, another animated film.

Like Coraline, ParaNorman will be a 3D, stop-motion movie. It is slated for nationwide release on Aug. 17, 2012.

A comedy/thriller about a small town being attacked by zombies, the movie, which is currently in production, has a voice cast that includes Casey Affleck, Tempestt Bledsoe, Jeff Garlin, John Goodman, Bernard Hill, Anna Kendrick, Leslie Mann, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Elaine Stritch.

It is being directed by Sam Fell, who directed The Tale of Despereaux and Flushed Away, and Chris Butler, who was the storyboard supervisor on Coraline. Butler also wrote the original screenplay.

Arianne Sutner, animation producer on The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, and Travis Knight are producing.

ParaNorman will be the first project under a new, two-picture deal between the two companies that Focus CEO James Schamus and LAIKA president and CEO Knight announced Wednesday.

Focus will hold all worldwide distribution rights to the movies, and Universal Pictures International will release them overseas.