Jock of the Bushveld, the independent South African 3D animated feature, has signed on with Hollywood-based Visio Entertainment to mount a global merketing and distribution campaign for the film, which is expected to be released in the United States and Europe in the third quarter of this year.
The deal brings in Visio’s Dennis Rice to the film as an executive producer on the film, which tells the true and quintessentially South African tale about Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s travels with his dog, Jock. Rice was a chief architect of Disney’s 2006 campaigns for Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. He also worked with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner on restarting United Artists before starting Visio in 2008.
The move means the planned spring release for the film in South Africa will be postponed, in part to prevent piracy, according to producer Duncan MacNeillie.
The movie recently secured internationally acclaimed artist Bryan Adams as the voice of Jock and also has an A-list of local artists involved, with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu playing a cameo role as the voice of the spiritual leader. Additional well-known talent may still join the voice cast.
Sir Tim Rice, who has contributed lyrics to Aladdin, The Lion King and Evita, is the lyricist for the film. Other contributors to the music include Johnny Clegg, Nianell, Craig Hinds of the band Watershed, and Marius Brouwer.
