Universal City, California, December 2, 2014 – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes in the family event movie The Boxtrolls. Starring, in voice performance, Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game of Thrones), and Elle Fanning (Maleficent), the new movie from animation studio LAIKA, the makers of the Academy Award®-nominated Coraline and ParaNorman, comes to Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD & DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet on January 20, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Boxtrolls will also be available on Digital HD December 23, 2014, just in time for the holidays.
The Boxtrolls leads with 13 nominations including Best Animated Film for the 42nd Annie Awards, which honor the year’s best achievements in animation and are presented by the International Animated Film Society. Nominations include: Best Animated Feature, Outstanding Achievement in Directing in an Animated Feature Production (Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable), Outstanding Achievement in Writing an Animated Feature Production (Irena Brignull, Adam Pava), Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production (Ben Kingsley; Dee Bradley Baker), Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation in a Feature Production (Travis Knight; Malcolm Lamont; Jason Stalman), Outstanding Achievement in Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production (Rick Sevy, Peter Vickery, Kent Estep, Peter Stuart, Ralph Procida); Outstanding Achievement in Character Design in an Animated Feature Production (Mike Smith); Outstanding Achievement in Production Design in an Animated Feature Production (Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure, August Hall); and Outstanding Achievement in Storyboarding in a Feature Production (Julian Narino; Emanuela Cozzi). The film has also received a Satellite Award nomination for Best Animated or Mixed Media Picture.
Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, the Boxtrolls are unique creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs in a fantastical charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when the evil Archibald Snatcher schemes to capture Eggs’ family, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty new friend Winnie to save the Boxtrolls!
Based upon the book Here Be Monsters! The Boxtrolls voice cast also includes Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette, Jared Harris (Mad Men), Nick Frost (The World’s End), Richard Ayoade (The Watch), Tracy Morgan (30 Rock), and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).
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Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack
o PRELIMINARY ANIMATIC SEQUENCES
o Play with Commentary by Directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable
o Baby In The Trash
o Eggs In The Underworld
o Man On A Horse
o Trubshaw’s Inventorium
o Cheese Shop
o Tea And Cheese
Bonus Features on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack and DVD
DARE TO BE SQUARE: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOXTROLLS
o VOICING THE BOXTROLLS
The tremendously talented cast members of The Boxtrolls discuss what it’s like to voice an animated puppet, what each actor brought to his/her role, whether their personalities were similar to their characters, and more.
o INSIDE THE BOX
The directors, producers, and creative supervisor of character fabrication Georgina Hayns share the challenges of crafting characters who are inside a box.
o THE BIG CHEESE: ALLERGY SNATCHER
The directors and producers are joined by Brian McLean, director of Rapid Prototyping, to discuss how the animation studio LAIKA creates the faces for their puppets. The big story here – literally! – is how Snatcher’s face changes shape due to his cheese allergy.
o DECONSTRUCTING THE DANCE
Discover how LAIKA combined traditional stop-motion animation with visual effects in order to create the beautiful ballroom dance sequence – and how costume designer Deborah Cook met the challenge of creating costumes that could flow during a dance scene.
o THINK BIG: THE MECHA DRILL
Standing 5 feet tall and weighing over 75 pounds, the Mecha-Drill is the largest stop motion puppet/prop ever created by LAIKA. Follow its creation from design to completion.
FEATURETTES
o THE NATURE OF CREATION
o TROLLS RIGHT OFF THE TONGUE
o ALLERGIC TO EASY
o LET’S DANCE
o ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTORS ANTHONY STACCHI AND GRAHAM ANNABLE
