Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios will be producing a live-action/animation musical feature based on Garth Nix’s upcoming book, Frogkisser! — a tongue-in-cheek take on the whole enchanted amphibian fairytale schtick. The project is being overseen by Fox VP for animation, Ralph Millero (Peanuts).
The film will center on Princess Anya, who has the “unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss.” When her evil stepmother’s new husband, her “evil stepstepfather,” tries to take over the kingdom, Anya goes on the run. With her unlikely companions — including a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and a mischievous wizard — the princess embarks on a quest to save the kingdom and uncover her magical potential.
The project is in line with recent Twentieth Century Fox hire Nate Hopper’s mission to expand the Fox Animation portfolio with the inclusion of more family-targeted hybrid projects. Hopper was a lead creative executive at Sony Pictures Animation, where he worked on hybrid blockbuster The Smurfs in addition to fully-animated fare like Open Season, Surf’s Up and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix will be published Feb. 28, 2017 by Scholastic (NorAm) and later that spring by Picadilly Press (UK). Nix is a prolific Australian author who has penned fantasy series The Old Kingdom, The Seventh Tower and The Keys to the Kingdom.
