Roth Kirschenbaum Films, Baobab Studios to Create First Hollywood Film Sourced from Original Virtual Reality Content
Feature-Length Film Based on Baobab's Award-Winning VR Story, INVASION!
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Roth Kirschenbaum Films (R/K), the producers who reimagined Alice's adventures in Wonderland, tamed Snow White's Huntsman, and introduced a softer Maleficent, will team with leading VR startup Baobab Studios to bring the characters and story of INVASION! to the big screen.
Joe Roth, renowned Hollywood producer known for twists to films from children's story classics, and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, former Universal co-president, will collaborate with Baobab's Eric Darnell (DreamWorks), Maureen Fan (Zynga, Pixar) and Kane Lee (Blue Sky Studios) based on award-winning INVASION!, written and directed by Darnell ($2.5B box office from work on Antz, Madagascar films).
"I want INVASION! to be the next Toy Story," says Joe Roth, former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, now co-founder, R/K Films. "It struck an emotional chord."
"The immersive beauty of INVASION! opened our eyes to fertile ground for new IP with amazing new characters," says Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, co-founder, R/K Films.
In INVASION!, bumbling aliens try to destroy earth but are thwarted by two bunnies, one of which is actually you in a 360-degree bunny body. Ethan Hawke narrated, critical acclaim has come from Tribeca, Cannes and more for this top VR download on Oculus, Samsung, Within, Hulu.
"VR has great storytelling power," says Eric Darnell, Baobab. "We're thrilled to work with top Hollywood creatives Joe and Jeffrey."
For INVASION! images: http://www.baobabstudios.com/press, and trailer:
http://www.baobabstudios.com/invasion/
Roth Kirschenbaum
R/K Films is an independent film production company formed by Joe Roth and Jeff "Kirsch" Kirschenbaum in 2015. Currently producing XxX: The Return of Xander Cage, starring Vin Diesel for Paramount.
Roth produced Alice in Wonderland, grossing over $1B, as well as The Huntsman: Winter's War, Alice: Through the Looking Glass, Miracles from Heaven, Maleficent, Heaven is for Real, Oz, The Great and Powerful, Snow White and the Huntsman.
As Universal Pictures production co-president, Kirsch shepherded the Fast and Furious franchise and films, The Mummy, Snow White and the Huntsman, Bourne Ultimatum and Wanted. Previously at CAA and Mace Neufeld Productions.
Baobab Studios
Baobab Studios, opened in 2015 by industry leaders Fan and Darnell, creating animated VR stories. INVASION! is the first; the second coming early 2017. Funding: Comcast Ventures, HTC, Samsung, Advancit Capital, The Chernin Group, Freelands Ventures, Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
SOURCE Baobab Studios
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