Updated with Trailer 2! Lucasfilm to Release ‘Strange Magic’ – an Animated Film With a Story by George Lucas.

strange-magic-lucasfilm-smFor some time now there were reports that George Lucas and prequel trilogy sound mixer George Rydstrom were collaborating on an untitled animated film. Now Lucasfilm officially announced that a new animated film called Strange Magic will be released by Touchstone Pictures on January 23, 2015…

 

 

From Lucasfilm:

Strange Magic is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic, which created the CGI animation for 2011’s Academy Award-winning film Rango, bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects.

 

With a story by George Lucas, Strange Magic is directed by Gary Rydstrom (Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation, Lifted).

 

Bog King (voice of Alan Cumming), Griselda (voice of Maya Rudolph) and Marianne (voice of Evan Rachel Wood) are part of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps in Strange Magic, a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Released by Touchstone Pictures, Strange Magic is in theaters Jan. 23, 2015.

 

Magic

 

UPDATE!

 

YahooMovies released new information and first trailer for the movie:

“[Lucas] really wanted to make a beautiful fairy tale with goblins and elves, and do it in a way that only this company can do,” Gary Rydstrom, a Lucasfilm employee since 1983 and the director of Strange Magic, tells Yahoo Movies. “He had been working on it for a long time.”

 

The plot, inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is split between two worlds: a kingdom that is home to “fairies, elves, imps and all sorts of creatures,” and then a dark forest, which houses “scary goblins and other nasty creatures.” The residents never venture out of their respective worlds…until forbidden love potions, made from flowers that grow along the border, are let loose.

 

At that point, “all heck breaks loose,” Rydstrom says, especially when the two main characters (voiced by Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood) meet. The director says Lucas often emphasized that the story should be about “finding beauty in strange places.”

 

UPDATE 2!

 

The Bryan Times have published a brief article about George Lucas. Be on the lookout for a new George Lucas interview to be featured on the show “A Night at the Movies: George Lucas & the World of Fantasy Cinema” for Turner Classic Movies. Lucas was interviewed by documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau, Bouzereau has directed behind the scenes docs for such Lucas-directed features as American Graffiti and the Indiana Jones films. Lucas obviously discusses his most famous production — Star Wars — but you’ll have to tune in to see if he talks about Episode VII or his new animated story Strange Magic.

 

You can watch the special this Tuesday, November 25th. Check local listings for time and channel number.

 

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Born on April 24, 1980.

Val Trichkov (Viral Hide)

Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

53 thoughts on “Updated with Trailer 2! Lucasfilm to Release ‘Strange Magic’ – an Animated Film With a Story by George Lucas.

  • November 11, 2014 at 10:41 pm
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    Not for me. With a late January release date the studio isn’t putting much stock into it either.

  • November 11, 2014 at 10:49 pm
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    Less than 3 months in theaters??
    So weird and strange, very strange…

  • November 11, 2014 at 10:58 pm
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    Looks perfect Disney fodder! Why touchstone?

    • November 12, 2014 at 12:15 am
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      Touchstone IS Disney

      • November 12, 2014 at 9:16 am
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        Finkle IS Einhorn! Yuck!

  • November 11, 2014 at 11:16 pm
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    Was hoping this was the sequel to Weird Science

  • November 11, 2014 at 11:16 pm
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    Well it’s not Star Wars so I kinda don’t care… But it’s from Lucas so MAYBE I will watch it but I’m ready that it is really a KIDS’ movie. Nothing bad about it.

    • November 11, 2014 at 11:41 pm
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      Hate to break it to you, but SW is for kids, first and foremost.

      • November 11, 2014 at 11:44 pm
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        Yes because kids love trade federations, politics, negotiations, and space taxes…

        • November 12, 2014 at 12:02 am
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          “Yes because kids love trade federations, politics, negotiations, and space taxes”

          What an original response! Congratulations!

          I mean nevermind the actual answer to that let’s pretend it’s true then the obvious answer is yes they do.

          http://www.gallup.com/poll/3757/public-gives-latest-star-wars-installment-positive-rave-reviews.aspx

          “According to parents, positive reaction is even more widespread among young people. When asked about their children’s reactions to the film, 90% of parents who said their children had seen The Phantom Menace indicated that their children thought it was “good,” “excellent” or “one of the greatest he or she had ever seen.”

          • November 12, 2014 at 1:46 am
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            Wow a nice troll… but he was responding to “Hate to break it to you, but SW is for kids, first and foremost.”… not exactly the most original thought.

            I will say this though… pretty much every sci fi director cites Star Wars as an inspiration, but not all were young when the OT came out. Just sayin’. The OT weren’t “kid’s movies”… they are movies that could be enjoyed by all generations.

            Well in any event I’m guessing “Strange Magic” is going to be awful.

          • November 12, 2014 at 6:05 am
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            No, my thought wasn’t the most original. But I certainly don’t come here to reinvent the wheel, and at least I do understand the literal meaning of “first and foremost”.

            I suggest you look it up, because no, it’s not synonyms with “exclusively”, in case you didn’t know.

          • November 12, 2014 at 6:18 am
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            I would say the Star Wars films are more for teens than little kids. It’s not like it’s Toy Story in space.

        • November 12, 2014 at 12:04 am
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          “Yes because kids love trade federations, politics, negotiations, and space taxes…”

          Probably not. But they do love their SW PT films, nonetheless.

      • November 12, 2014 at 12:52 am
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        How about just accepting that more than one age group can enjoy Star Wars and stop just telling everyone what you personally think. I like star wars, and I know tons of adults who do. Star Wars is for people who are interested and enjoy it. Plain and simple.

        • November 12, 2014 at 3:42 am
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          Yes….me too..BUT it is true I was 7 when A New Hope came out….so I was a kid for the OT. And you?

      • November 12, 2014 at 3:39 am
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        YAYYYYYYY!!!
        Someone FINALLY says it!
        I love how these dopes pontificate endlessly on
        Jedi/Sith subtleties like it’s a real thing! lol
        When all they’re doing is getting serious about a
        fracking KIDDIE MOVIE! Hey geniuses out there:
        your 7-year old isn’t taking it seriously.
        NEITHER SHOULD YOU! lol
        Dummies ….

        About “Strange Magic”: this looks like something my just turned five-year old’d like, so I’m in.
        But wait! Isn’t the grimoire warlock supposed to say “The Creed Of B’x’l’thporp” only when the silver moon is at 1/3 waning crescent?!?” Ha ha ….

      • November 12, 2014 at 7:18 am
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        Of course it’s for kids.

  • November 11, 2014 at 11:54 pm
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    Why do kids need plots that are dumbed down? The kids of Lucas’ generation loved the swashbuckling adventures of Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, even though the plot was heavy on politics.

    http://acertainpointofview.net/?p=1024

    • November 12, 2014 at 12:06 am
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      Hence why we still enjoy Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood and Star Wars as adults.

  • November 12, 2014 at 12:23 am
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    They should attach a trailer for SW:TFA. A separate trailer from the rumored upcoming first teaser, attached exclusively to this particular movie.

  • November 12, 2014 at 1:24 am
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    Now I’ve got that song by ELO in my head
    after reading the title..
    Good song for the movie I wonder if they will use it?

    Popular songs …got to be using that one then.

    • November 12, 2014 at 3:53 am
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      I bet that’s one of the songs they use.
      ELO was during George’s heyday, so ….

  • November 12, 2014 at 1:33 am
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    Is this connected to the Star Wars universe?
    is it in the same galaxy?
    Where’s the trailer?
    Why does that look like Groot?

    • November 12, 2014 at 1:58 am
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      No, no, not out yet, and because Disney.

  • November 12, 2014 at 4:35 am
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    Lucas’ biggest problem has been story. Lucas using Midsummer Night’s Dream as a basis? Yeah, I’ll check out this movie.
    Actually quite smart of him to go Touchstone, he has more connection to it, it’s Disney legally, but it’s not Disney. I don’t see why your criticizing his studio choice.
    As far as the animation being Lucasfilm Singapore, would normally be a bad sign for me, it says this project is a little under Dinsney’s radar/agenda. But then again my Favorite cartoon is actually animated in Korea, so I’m bearing with it.
    My single Biggest Hope is that Lucas doesn’t make it too epic. The Story has a lot of strange scenarios and weird charm, he should play to that. If he makes a story like MsND a generic action-adventure then he’s lost me.

  • November 12, 2014 at 4:50 am
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    Excellent , he gets to make a film without people shouting “this isnt the film i want you to make for me , just me , me me me” at him.

  • November 12, 2014 at 5:16 am
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    So the supposedly teaser trailer of The Force Awakens will most likely be attached to this new movie by Lucasfilm, I guess?

  • November 12, 2014 at 5:38 am
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    This makes me happy. If anyone deserves to have fun making whatever whimsical movies he likes it’s George Lucas.

  • November 12, 2014 at 6:42 am
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    I see your Strange Magic and raise you a Howard the Duck.

    • November 12, 2014 at 7:59 am
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      Howard the Duck wasn’t written by Lucas.

      • November 12, 2014 at 12:15 pm
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        No but the people who did write it scripted the original Star Wars.

  • November 12, 2014 at 8:01 am
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    I’m looking forward to seeing this movie.

  • November 12, 2014 at 12:27 pm
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    I’m glad this has come to fruition, Lucas said to reporters after ROTS that he would be working on a “musical with fairies” I figured this as a way of backing them off.
    This will be his Third attempt at a Fairy Musical. First Holiday special, 2nd Revenge of the Sith Playhouse scene. Now this.
    I won’t count Willow or its Sequal.
    I just hope Lucas actually makes those Esoteric films he has mentioned in the past, but those he claimed would be private.

    • November 12, 2014 at 11:19 pm
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      Willow wasn’t a musical, and didn’t have a sequel. But you could mention “Labyrinth,” that had some Lucas involvement. He was an executive producer on that, and wrote one of the early drafts.

      • November 13, 2014 at 11:06 am
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        That is why I did not count it, but a sequel to Willow did get a story treatment by Lucas and was turned into a novel.
        As for Labyrinth, good call.

  • November 12, 2014 at 4:48 pm
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    Nobody cares.

    • November 12, 2014 at 5:41 pm
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      says the kat who made it to the bottom of the comments section.

  • November 12, 2014 at 5:51 pm
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    My guess would be that the first TFA teaser trailer will be released with this, and then the full trailer during the Super Bowl.

  • November 12, 2014 at 5:58 pm
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    i could have sworn i was on a star wars 7 news site.

  • November 13, 2014 at 12:15 am
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    Soooooo happy Disney is releasing this theatrically 🙂 The last George Lucas produced Lucasfilm movie. Can’t wait. The rendering is really good, looks like it will be a visually stunning movie.

  • November 21, 2014 at 10:05 pm
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    Looks… Old… Everything’s so not new and too classic. Could be bad. Maybe

  • November 21, 2014 at 10:17 pm
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    Looks like a mixture between Fern Gully and Ralph Bakshi’s “Wizards.”
    Not to be mistaken as the non-existent sequel to “Weird Science.”

  • November 21, 2014 at 11:31 pm
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    Its like saying classic Disney movies were made for kids just because they were drawn and colorful. In truth they’ve been watched by hardened war heros and it made them weep. Saying its for children is more often the ugly truth of saying it sucks. In reality movies for children should work for any age. Not just kids. While movies for adults should only work for adults.

    • November 22, 2014 at 5:53 am
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      My 5 year old just loves Pulp Fiction.

  • November 21, 2014 at 11:31 pm
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    Not relevant to blood Star Wars! Remove this story at once

  • November 21, 2014 at 11:37 pm
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    Pixar and Dreamworks have told this story plenty of times already. Pass.

  • November 21, 2014 at 11:49 pm
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    Am guessing they’ll attach an exclusive SatrWars trailer to this to park peoples ass’s in seats.
    Looks awful!

  • November 22, 2014 at 8:16 am
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    Shrek without the pop culture references

  • November 22, 2014 at 8:56 am
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    I don’t understand why he said this is inspired by Midsummer Night’s Dream, (because unless there’s more to this movie than the trailer mentions) it is not.
    This to me looks more like Epic without the humans, which I guess couldn’t be worse than Epic. Still, George says it’s psuedo-Shakespeare inspired, the trailer says it’s epic/rise of the guardians/arthur and the elfgoblinwhatevers/we’ve been here before.
    My takeaway, George is bored and made a movie that HE enjoyed, this film may have some key plotline in the 2nd half that makes it unexpectedly brilliant and has more elements from the “source”(?) material that the trailer skipping over for spoiler’s sake, but don’t hold your breathe

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