Oscar-nominated Shane Acker (9) will direct Reel FX‘s currently untitled CG animation, based on the Dark Horse Comics series by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson. Darren Lemke (Turbo, Shrek Forever After) is adapting the Beasts Of Burden project, about a team of fearless four-legged “Watch Dogs” who investigate parananormal activities in the neighborhood of Burden Hill and defend their humans from the supernatural. Reel FX President of Animation Aron Warner will produce alongside Mike Richardson for Dark Horse Entertainment and Andrew Adamson for Strange Weather. The Dallas- and Santa Monica-based Reel FX is also at work on the Guillermo del Toro-produced Day of the Dead-themed Book Of Life, to be released October 10, 2014 by Fox Animation, and the Jimmy Hayward-directed Turkeys, in theaters November 14, 2014 via Relativity Media.


The book is great, but the tone will be almost impossible to get right.
Seems like Reel FX is bucking the trend of cutting back their slate and laying off artists. Nice to see someone double down like this. Hope their gamble pays off.
But sadly, they’ve got a slate of middling to stale projects, with no particular audiences, and weak directors across the board. The good news is they’re looking to hire a new head of development. Smart move.
Hoo boy, October 2014. That’s a long ways away. Anyway, being a furry and all I’ll make sure to see this movie. I have a thing for talking animated canines and I loved Alpha And Omega.