After Focus Features and the Laika animation group teamed on the dark children’s film Coraline, they are together again for Paranorman. From directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler (also writer here), who have worked on Corpse Bride, The Tale of Despereaux and Flushed Away, this zombie “comedy” looks superb. The stop-motion animation is as insanely detailed as we’ve come to expect from this group.
The creepy factor is here as well, as we see bugs crawling out of noses and many other grim settings. The voice cast is also stellar with Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin and John Goodman. It has shot up to my most anticipated animated film of next year, even after Pixar’s Brave. Check out the teaser below via Yahoo, which makes excellent use out of Donovan‘s Season of the Witch.
Synopsis:
When a small town comes under siege by zombies, who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.
Paranorm hits theaters August 17th, 2012.
What do you think of the first trailer? Were you a Coraline fan?