Imagine Entertainment, the Brian Grazer-headed evil empire that previously tarnished some beloved children's stories with worst-film-of-all-time candidates The Grinch and the Cat in the Hat, now looks to the future.
Not satisfied with simply sullying the memory of Dr. Seuss, Grazer and Co. have now moved on to the simpler picture stories of Curious George, based on a series of books by Margaret Rey and H.A. Rey.
Like The Cat and the Hat and The Grinch before it, Curious George will make use of one of the hottest comedians working in the movies today. Will Ferrell will play the role of The Man in the Yellow Hat, a guy who accidentally adopts a -- wait for it -- curious chimpanzee named George. Anyone who has read the books knows that George is totally adorable -- most of the time. When The Man in the Yellow hat is watching, the chimp puts on his best cute face, but any time his master turns his back, look out! The little dude gets into all kinds of scrapes and *ahem* monkeyshines when left to his own devices.
The real saving grace for this particular project is that it is planned to be done completely in 2-D animation rather than forcing a live-action flick with a trained chimpanzee (no, I'm not talking about Ferrell here). The charm of the books is in their pictures; the illustrations are memorable and readily identified with the characters. Traditional animation is a strong step toward indicating that the movie's creators are intent on staying true to the spirit of the kid's tales.
Naturally, this project is rife with opportunities for promotional tie-ins. Not only will there be new, updated Curious George toys all over the place, but we'll also probably see the little chimp as a spokesperson for some sort of product, whether it be McDonalds, Sprint or Coca-Cola. It should be a strong test to see if the adage that "traditional animation is dead" holds true. If the story captivates kids and nostalgic parents, it really should dash that notion. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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