Alcon has hired a pair of Disney Animation and Pixar veterans for its first animation venture, the fantasy adventure titled Darkmouth.
David Pimental, who most recently acted as head of story for Disney’s Moana, and Douglas Sweetland, who has worked on Monsters Inc, The Incredibles and Toy Story, among others, are attached to direct the project, which is based on the children’s book series by Irish author Shane Hegarty.
The project is described as a comedic animated fantasy centering on an overeager kid who bites off more than he can chew when he prematurely jumps into the family business: hunting monsters.
Simon Brooks (Love, Rosie) of Canyon Creek Films, 8:38’s Kira Davis (Prisoners) and Craig Peck, who produced the short film Chalk for Walt Disney Animation Studios before moving into feature animation, will produce along with Alcon co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove.
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Penning the screenplay will be Lloyd Taylor, who hails from the Disney Writers Program where he worked on Race to Witch Mountain and Enchanted, and recently worked on Fox Animation’s Pigeon Impossible.
In addition to working on Moana, which won the Oscar for best animated feature, Pimental was the story artist on Disney Animation’s Big Hero 6 and an animator on the studio’s Tarzan. He was also a story artist on DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon.
Sweetland previously co-directed Storks, released by Warner Bros. He was a directing animator on Monsters Inc., a supervising animator on Cars and an animator on both Incredibles and Toy Story.
Hegarty is repped by Marianne Gunn O’Connor of The Marianne Gunn O’Connor Literary, Film and TV Agency. Taylor is repped by Verve and Management 360
