Thursday January 10 01:08 AM EST
Gellar, Prinze, Weaver voices in 'N'Ever' land
By Zorianna Kit
LOS
ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie
Prinze Jr. and Sigourney Weaver will lend their voices to the
animated comedy feature "Happily N'Ever After" for Vanguard
Films' John H. Williams ("Shrek") and Berlin-based Greenlight
Media.
The project, fully funded by Greenlight, is out to studios for
a tentpole summer 2003 release. It will be the inaugural feature
from Williams' partnership with Greenlight, which signed the producer
to a multipicture production and development deal in June.
"N'Ever" is inspired by classic Brothers Grimm fairy
tales and is based on Greenlight's European animated television
series "SimsalaGrimm." Set in the fairy tale land of
Simsala, the project explores what happens when the balance of
good and evil is out of whack. Against this backdrop is an emotional
love triangle among Ella (Gellar), her ideal prince and her unknown
true love, who turns out to be Rick, the palace dishwasher (Prinze).
Weaver plays the evil, sexy stepmother Frida.
Gerhard Hahn ("Asterix in Amerika") is directing the
project from a script by Rob Moreland. Greenlight International,
headquartered in Hilversum, the Netherlands, is handling worldwide
sales for "N'Ever."
"This is a highly creative and entertaining project and a
wonderful way for Greenlight Media and myself to start our relationship,"
Williams said. "Greenlight has already done a terrific job
with the brothers Grimm fairy tales for television, and I'm looking
forward to transferring these stories to the big screen with some
of the same type of elements that made 'Shrek' a success."
Added Heath McLaughlin, president of U.S. operations at Greenlight
Media: "The purpose of our relationship with John Williams
and his Vanguard Films is to create exciting, high-concept family
entertainment which can include animation, live action or both,
to blend U.S. studio and distribution sensibilities with worldwide
interest to create lasting international brands. This project
is truly a global production and the first of what we hope will
be a number of highly successful productions with John Williams."
"N'Ever" reunites real-life couple Prinze and Gellar,
both of whom star in the upcoming Warner Bros. live-action feature
"Scooby-Doo." The project also reunites Williams with
Gellar; the actress is executive producing an animated TV series,
"Scout," based on a Keith Graves children's book, which
Vanguard is producing for the WB Network.
Williams, who has a first-look deal at DreamWorks, recently wrapped
production on the studio's "The Tuxedo," starring Jackie
Chan.
Gellar, Prinze and Williams are represented by Artists Management
Group. Gellar is additionally repped by ICM. Weaver is repped
by ICM and WMA. Greenlight Media is represented by Steve Saltzman
and Steve Fayne of Akin Gump.
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