Nicolas Schmerkin: Last News

Lise Pedersen Oscar-winning animation film producer Nicolas Schmerkin (“Logorama,” 2010) has revealed his Paris-based outfit Autour de Minuit has signed a pre-development agreement with Franco-German TV channel Arte for its latest project, “Fucking Cat”, which is being pitched at this week’s Cartoon Forum in Toulouse. An adaptation of Belgian author Stéphane Lapuss’ “Putain de Chat” comic book series, “Fucking Cat” tells the story of Moustique, the talking cat, who, like all cats, hates humans and would like to get rid of his master but faces the dilemna of how to become master of the world without giving up his cat food. Both Lapuss and co-author Lionel Bonnal will assist in penning the adaptation. 

Gkids has acquired North American rights to Unicorn Wars — the latest genre-bending animated feature from Goya and Annecy Cristal-winning director Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children) — ahead of its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest. The horror-comedy will be released in theaters by Gkids in early 2023, following its domestic release in Spain this fall.

Michaela Zee editor GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Unicorn Wars,” ahead of the adult animated film’s U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The news was announced Thursday. Set during an ancestral war between teddy bears and unicorns, the horror-comedy film follows Bluet and Tubby, teddy bear brothers who are polar opposites to each other. When their time at teddy bear bootcamp leads to a combat tour in the Magic Forest, Bluet and Tubby’s complicated history and tense relationship could affect the fate of the war, including whether the teddy bears will fulfill the prophecy and usher in a new era. “Unicorn Wars” is directed and written by illustrator Alberto Vázquez. Prior to this deal, GKIDS distributed Vázquez’s Goya Award-winning feature “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children” and animated short “Decorado.”

Cartoon Movie Croissants Breakfast – a video clip prompting approving whoops and hollers – Spanish-French animated feature “Unicorn Wars” saw its poster and first stills unveiled at the presentation which looks like an early highlight at this year’s meet. Yohann Comte, co-founder of Charades, the film’s sales agent, also confirmed at the unveil that “Unicorn Wars” has sold to Japan’s Riskit. UFO Distribution handles the feature’s release in France, Barton Films distributes in Spain.The film is just a few weeks off completion, said Miñambres.

Jamie Lang On Wednesday, the Annecy Animation Festival hosted a live, in-person Work in Progress panel for Spanish filmmaker Alberto Vázquez’s “Unicorn Wars” at the Salle Pierre Lamy, perhaps indicating that the world is healing. Joining Vázquez on stage were his Oscar-winning Autor de Minuit producer Nicolas Schmerkin, Spanish producer Chelo Loureiro from Abano Producións, and “Unicorn Wars” technical supervisor Fiona Cohen.“Unicorn Wars” unspools amidst a prophesized apocalyptic war between religious zealot teddy bears and pragmatic, environmentalist unicorns who have fought for as long as anyone alive can remember.