Oscar-winning director Chris Landreth and Steven Hoban, head of Copperheart Entertainment, will kick off financing for the animated adaptation of Fifteen Dogs at the inaugural Animation Days during the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin. This event will take place from February 12 to 14, 2024, showcasing a range of projects and offering opportunities for pitching, networking, and workshops.
Copperheart Entertainment has recently acquired the rights to André Alexis’s acclaimed novel, which explores the lives of dogs who gain human intelligence and language after a wager between two Greek gods. The studio aims to produce an adult-oriented animated feature that delves into the complexities of human consciousness.
Exploring Themes of Mortality and Love
The narrative begins with a conversation between the gods Hermes and Apollo in a Toronto bar, where they debate whether animals would experience greater happiness if endowed with cognitive and communicative abilities. As part of their experiment, they grant a group of dogs these powers, leading to profound awareness of concepts such as time, love, and mortality. The dogs confront their new reality, which disrupts their instinctual existence and causes their pack to splinter into various philosophies of life, including power, art, and love.
The central character, a black poodle named Majnoun, embarks on an emotional journey that reveals a key theme of the story: the essence of a meaningful life lies not merely in intelligence, but in love and belonging, coupled with the inevitability of death.
Creative Vision and Production Plans
Hoban, who co-wrote the successful animated feature Night of the Zoopocalypse, is responsible for the screenplay of Fifteen Dogs. Meanwhile, Landreth will direct, marking his debut in feature-length animation following his Academy Award-winning short Ryan and the Oscar-nominated The End. He intends to employ his distinctive style of “psychorealism,” which uses computer-generated imagery to convey the emotional and psychological landscapes of the characters.
“From the moment we read André Alexis’s masterpiece, we felt it demanded a cinematic treatment that was as bold, strange, and emotionally truthful as the book itself,” said Hoban. “This is a project that challenges me creatively in the best possible way, and I believe it has the potential to resonate powerfully with audiences around the world,” added Landreth.
The film will be produced by Hoban and Mark Smith, who previously collaborated on Night of the Zoopocalypse and other projects. Animation will be produced by L’Atelier Animation, based in Montreal, which has worked on acclaimed titles like 10 Lives. The project is currently in the design stage with support from Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates.
Copperheart Entertainment, known for its innovative storytelling and visual style, looks to make a significant impact in the animation sector with this ambitious project. As financing progresses, the team is eager to engage with international partners who share their vision for bold, adult-oriented animated narratives.
