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OPEN ROAD FILMS ACQUIRES DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS TO ANIMATED FEATURE FILM “SPARK”

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THE ACTION-FILLED SPACE ODYSSEY INCLUDES VOICE TALENT FROM HILARY SWANK, SUSAN SARANDON, JESSICA BIEL, PATRICK STEWART, AND INTRODUCES JACE NORMAN

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 2, 2016) – Open Road Films announced today that it has acquired domestic distribution rights to SPARK starring voice talent from Academy Award®-winning actresses Hilary Swank and Susan Sarandon, Golden Globe®-nominee Patrick Stewart, Jessica Biel, and introducing Jace Norman. The animated film is directed by Canadian filmmaker Aaron Woodley. Open Road Films plans to release SPARK in theatres on April 14, 2017.

The animated space adventure is a co-production with ToonBox Entertainment, Redrover Co., Ltd, Shanghai Hoongman Technology Co., Ltd. and Gulfstream Pictures. Open Road Films will distribute SPARK in theatres in the US with Double Dutch International handling worldwide sales except for China and Korea.  

From a screenplay by Doug Hadders, Adam Rotstein and Woodley, SPARK contains elements of and inspiration from the 16th-century Chinese novel JOURNEY TO THE WEST. The animated feature film is an action-packed, comedy and vibrant space odyssey adventures of a teenage monkey, Spark (Jace Norman, the star of one of Nickelodeon’s top shows “Henry Danger"), and his friends as they embark on a mission to save their planet from the dictatorship of a tyrannical General, who took over the Kingdom of Bana.

Executive producers are Hoe Jin Ha, Hong Kim, Jay HJ Ahn and Daniel Woo, and Gulfstream Pictures’ Mike Karz and Bill Bindley.

About ToonBox Entertainment, Ltd.

Established in 2008, ToonBox Entertainment produces global, award-winning quality family entertainment content seen in theatres and in home entertainment. With the national and international theatrical success of THE NUT JOB with Open Road Films, and The Weinstein Company, ToonBox Entertainment is an industry leading creator and producer of visually dynamic animated television shows and films for family audiences worldwide. ToonBox Entertainment collaborates with international partners to produce and distribute fun and creative content, most notably works with Korean-based Company, Redrover, Chinese-based Hoongman and Gulfstream Pictures based in Los Angeles. In a team of highly skilled and leading talent within cutting edge facilities, ToonBox Entertainment has released top Hollywood-quality productions such as THE NUT JOB (2014), BOLTS & BLIP (2010), THE BEET PARTY  (2012), and has upcoming SPARK (2017) and THE NUT JOB 2 (2017).

About Redrover Co., Ltd.

Specializing in 3D stereoscopic technology, Redrover has maintained a close partnership with the Canadian animation studio ToonBox Entertainment to produce various animated features and television series over the last eight years, including the world’s first 3D stereoscopic TV series BOLTS & BLIP, followed by the musical interstitial, THE BEET PARTY. On January 17, 2014, THE NUT JOB, was released in North America, and had the biggest opening for an independent animated film of all time in the U.S, garnering over $25 million in its opening weekend. Redrover continues to combine creative inspiration, direction, animation expertise, and the latest 3D stereoscopic technology to fulfill its mission of providing quality entertainment to audiences worldwide, producing new content for both the big and small screen, including a second feature film, SPARK, and the much-anticipated THE NUT JOB 2, both slated for release in 2017.

About Gulfstream Pictures

Gulfstream Pictures is a Warner Bros.-based development, financing and production company focused on making tentpole films. Headed by Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, the company was formed in 2012, and is funded by Korea-based 3D stereoscopic leader Redrover Co., Ltd., and a consortium of U.S. private equity funds. Gulfstream produced BLENDED (2014) with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore for Warner Bros., MOTHER’S DAY starring Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson, and the record-breaking, hit animated feature THE NUT JOB with the sequel THE NUT JOB 2 in production.

 
About Open Road Films

Open Road Films is a leading, independent, theatrical motion picture company, releasing a diverse slate of star-driven films, which has included multiple #1 releases and enormous critical response. The company was founded in 2011 by AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMC) and Regal Entertainment Group (Regal), the two largest theatrical exhibition companies in the United States. The uniquely formed company is widely known as a filmmaker-focused distributor that supports both box office hits and top prestige titles.

Open Road Films led the 2016 critically acclaimed film, Spotlight, to win the Oscar® for Best Picture, becoming the youngest studio in history win the big prize. The film, which earned almost $45 million at the U.S. box-office, stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Brian d’Arcy James, Stanley Tucci and Billy Crudup was directed by Tom McCarthy, who also won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay, with his co-writer (and executive producer) Josh Singer. Spotlight has won numerous high profile critics and guild awards, including the Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Award and the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature Film. Spotlight also appeared on over 250 critics’ Top Ten lists for 2016.

Other notable Open Road Films releases include: Nightcrawler, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which took the #1 spot at the box-office during its opening week and received an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Screenplay, along with a Golden Globe nomination – it was named one of the best films of 2014 by the AFI and National Board of Review and top critics nationwide; the hit film Chef, written by, directed by and starring Jon Favreau along with Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey, Jr.; The Nut Job, which opened to over $25 million at the box office as the highest ever opening for an independent animated film; The Grey, directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Liam Neeson, which opened #1 at the box office; End Of Watch, directed by David Ayer and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, which opened #1 at the box office; Rosewater, written and directed by Jon Stewart; A Haunted House starring Marlon Wayans; and Side Effects, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum.

Upcoming Open Road Films releases include: Bleed For This (11/18/16), starring Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Katey Sagal and directed by Ben Younger; Sleepless (1/13/17), starring Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan; The Nut Job 2 (5/19/17), the sequel to the 2014 hit animated film, featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Dunham, Bobby Moynihan, Bobby Cannavale, Isabela Moner, Gabriel Iglesias, Sebastian Maniscalco and Peter Stormare; Blazing Samurai (8/25/2017), the animated family film featuring the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Mel Brooks, Michael Cera, George Takei, Gabriel Iglesias, Aasif Mandvi, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh and more; and Show Dogs (11/10/17), a live action family comedy from the director of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Scooby Doo and The Smurfs.

The company, led by industry veteran CEO Tom Ortenberg, is based in Los Angeles.

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