This is some huge news, considering that I know or met everyone involved in this situation.
'Biker Mice From Mars' was developed by my great friend Philip J. Felix, the older brother of Disney's Paul Felix, back in the early 1990s.
Of the seven members of the Gang of Seven, I worked with Rich Arons and Bob Kline at Filmation, Dick Sebast at DIC, and have met the others face to face at one time or another except for Rik Maki, but I've communicated with him before. There's also Tom T from the union, whom I worked with at Filmation.
So there's some sort of connection with everyone involved with the deal, which makes it all the more exciting news.
Animation Magazine reports...
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Gang of Seven to use $100M China Fund for 'Biker Mice' Movie
July 28, 2011 by Thomas J. McLean
Gang of Seven Animation has announced a new $100 million Animation Film Fund in partnership with the Chinese Government.
One of the first films slated to be financed through the fund is a reboot of the 1990s popular animated television series Biker Mice from Mars, which ran from 1992-1996 and again in 2006-2007.
Gang of Seven is an artist-run studio whose members include such animation industry notables as Rich Arons, Dennis Venizelos, Bob Kline, Rik Maki, Bernie Wrightson and Dick Sebast.
The studio has completed recently pre-production on the CGI animated feature film The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, based on the classic book by L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz.
“The potential of feature animation in unexplored genres outside of the mainstream is an exciting prospect. As evidenced by the recent Comic-Con, the appetite is enormous and it is an expanding niche begging to be filled,” says studio head and animation veteran Tom Tataranowicz.
Gang of Seven also has developed a slate of widely anticipated animated horror properties with which a number of studios and live action horror directors are looking to become involved with. Two of the properties are the first CGI animated version of Frankenstein and a film based on the graphic novel Freak Show, for which Wrightson is expected to become involved with as production designer.
Wrightson is one of the world’s premier horror illustrators whose many famous accomplishments include Swamp Thing and illustrating Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. He is also renowned for his film production work on movies such as Ghostbusters and The Mist as well as for his numerous collaborations with Stephen King.
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