CHICKEN LITTLE & CHICKEN LITTLE 3D

Year: 2005
USA: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
UK: Buena Vista International UK
Cast (voices of): Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, Amy Sedaris, Don Knotts, Harry Shearer, Patrick Stewart, Wallace Shawn, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Adam West, Patrick Warburton, Mark Walton, Mark Dindal, Dan Molina, Joe Whyte, Sean Elmore, Evan Dunn, Matthew Josten, Kellie Hoover, Will Finn, Dara McGarry, Mark Kennedy, Brad Abrell, Tom Amundsen, Steve Bencich, Greg Berg, Julianne Buescher, David Cowgill, Terri Douglas, Chris Edgerly, Amanda Fein, Caitlin Fein, Patrick Fraley, Eddie Frierson, Jackie Gonneau, Archie Hahn, Jason Harris, Brittney Lee Harvey, Brian Herskowitz, Amanda Kaplan, Nathan Kress, Anne Lockhart, Connor Matheus, Mona Marshall, Scott Menville, Rene Mujica, Jonathan Nichols, Paul Pape, Aaron Spann, Pepper Sweeney
Director: Mark Dindal
Country: USA
USA: 77 mins
UK: 80 mins
USA Rated: G
UK Certificate: U contains mild scary scenes and violence
USA Release Date: 4 November 2005
UK Release Date: 10 February 2006
UK Release Date: 27 January 2006 (Limited Release - London, West End Vue cinema: Digital 3D exclusive release)


UK Distributor
Synopsis

Walt Disney Feature Animation adds a whole new dimension to its legacy for memorable characters, great storytelling, and technical innovation with CHICKEN LITTLE, the Studio's first fully computer-animated feature film. A pioneer in using computers in animation since the early 1980s, Disney brings its distinct filmmaking style and approach to this exciting medium, along with a host of technical innovations. The result is a film that captures the very best qualities of Disney animation with a look and feel that audiences have never seen before. Adding to the excitement, CHICKEN LITTLE is being presented in select theatres across the country in Disney Digital 3D ™, a revolutionary new true three-dimensional digital experience. Disney teamed with effects powerhouse Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to render the movie in 3D, and the film will be shown using specially installed Dolby® Digital Cinema systems.

The sky's the limit in Walt Disney Pictures' CHICKEN LITTLE, a delightful comedy-adventure that gives a sophisticated and satirical twist to the classic fable. It is now one year after the "unfortunate acorn incident" when Chicken Little caused big-time havoc in his hometown of Oakey Oaks by proclaiming that the sky was falling after being conked on the head by what appeared to be an acorn. Down but not out, the plucky chicken joins the local baseball team in the hopes of reviving his reputation and winning the respect of his father, Buck Cluck. When he leads the town to an upset victory, he becomes the toast of the town. But no sooner has the champion chicken redeemed himself when he is hit on the head one more time. And this time the sky really is falling! Fearful of once again being labeled crazy, he is reluctant to tell anyone what has happened. Instead, he enlists the help of his closest pals - Runt of the Litter, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling, and Fish Out of Water - in an attempt to save the day without sending the town into a whole new panic.

CHICKEN LITTLE is directed by Mark Dindal and produced by Randy Fullmer, the same talented filmmakers responsible for Disney's zany 2000 animated comedy, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE. The story is by Dindal and Mark Kennedy, and the screenplay was written by Steve Bencich & Ron J Friedman, and Ron Anderson. Peter Del Vecho served as the film's associate producer. John Debney, a 2004 Oscar® nominee for his score for "The Passion of the Christ" and a collaborator on "Groove," composed and conducted the original score. The film's soundtrack boasts new performances by such popular recording artists as Barenaked Ladies, John Ondrasik, Patti LaBelle and Joss Stone, and the Cheetah Girls.

A stellar cast of talented actors and actresses lend voice to the animated stars of CHICKEN LITTLE. Zach Braff, star of the hit NBC series SCRUBS and the director of last year's critically acclaimed feature, GARDEN STATE, brings offbeat humor, a sense of determination, and lots of explosive energy to the likeable little title character. Veteran director and all-around funnyman Garry Marshall (PRETTY WOMAN, THE PRINCESS DIARIES) provides the distinctive voice of Buck Cluck, frustrated father of Chicken Little and a former baseball star. Actress Joan Cusack adds warmth and comedy to the vocal performance of Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), a beautiful friend who has no shortage of advice to share. Steve Zahn (SAHARA) takes on the big role of Runt of the Litter, a skittish 900-pound porker who is the smallest in his family. Dan Molina, the film's editor, creates the non-verbal sounds for Fish Out of Water, aided and abetted by a five-gallon bottle of water and a drinking straw. Chicken Little's nemesis, Foxy Loxy, is voiced by Amy Sedaris, the popular star of such programs as SEX AND THE CITY and STRANGERS WITH CANDY.

The film's supporting cast includes performances from some top comic talents. Don Knotts, the intrepid deputy sheriff Barney Fife from THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, gets a promotion to Mayor Turkey Lurkey in CHICKEN LITTLE. Comic actor Harry Shearer (THE SIMPSONS, THIS IS SPINAL TAP) reports for vocal duty as the play-by-play canine commentator at the big baseball game. Patrick Stewart gives a sheepish performance as the humorless high school teacher, Mr. Woolensworth. Wallace Shawn is heard as the high-strung high school Principal Fetchitt. Fred Williard and Catherine O'Hara team up for laughs as concerned alien parents, Melvin and Tina, on a mission to find their missing kid, Kirby. Adam West turns in a commanding performance as the voice of Ace, Hollywood's version of Chicken Little in the movie version of his life. Patrick Warburton, who delighted audiences as the dim-witted Kronk in EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, provides a memorable cameo here as the alien cop.

3D Presentation - UK

London's Vue West End Cinema will offer moviegoers a glimpse into the future of theatrical exhibition from January 27th with the debut of Walt Disney Pictures' CHICKEN LITTLE in Disney Digital 3DTM, a brand new state-of-the-art technology providing the first true three-dimensional digital experience in movie theatres.

CHICKEN LITTLE was a massive hit in the US where it has already taken more than $130m at the box office. Following its exclusive West End presentation in 3D, the film will go on general release in 35mm around the UK on February 10th. It will play in 3D in 3 other theatres across the country: Wimbledon, Manchester and Bath. Visual effects giant Industrial Light & Magic (a Lucasfilm Ltd. company) rendered the movie in 3D, and digital 3D pioneer, REAL D, applied several of its patented technologies (screens, projectors, software and glasses) to make the CHICKEN LITTLE 3D experience possible. This joint effort has resulted in the next leap forward in the evolution of motion picture entertainment, bringing animation to life.

Commenting on the 3D announcement, Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios, said, "Disney Digital 3D is a truly groundbreaking technology that combines the latest innovations of science and art, and we are proud to be a part of filmmaking history. Walt Disney pioneered many technological breakthroughs and set an uncompromising goal for his studio to constantly push the envelope to offer a superior movie going experience. We are very proud to add this animation milestone to the long list of technological breakthroughs for the studio and we are proud to have the wizards at Industrial Light & Magic to help deliver the movie in 3D, and the experts at REAL D on board to make it all possible."

Academy Award®-winning director James Cameron (TITANIC), a long-time supporter of 3D, added, "I think digital 3D offers an opportunity to do something as profound for today's moviegoing audiences as the introduction of colour and sound. This is the next big thing, and I think people are going to respond to these really high quality 3D images. CHICKEN LITTLE is going to go a long way towards getting people really excited about 3D again. I call it the 3D renaissance. Disney is a leader in showmanship and animation, and animation and 3D go together like peas and carrots. Animated films and fantasy films really benefit from 3D. You get a heightened sense of being personally present in the space of the movie. You're drawn into it. It's like the movie wraps around you and takes you into its reality. That's a very exciting thing for a filmmaker. I'm really proud of Disney for grabbing the flag and running out in front to make this happen."

CHICKEN LITTLE really lent itself to 3D because of the way the filmmakers composed their shots and told their story," said Colum Slevin, senior director of computer graphics at ILM Slevin. "The design is gorgeous, simple and stylized, and your eye is always drawn to a particular character or detail with the lighting. The 3D enriches that design and makes it pop, without ever slapping you in the face. You just feel like you're looking at a really deep, rich image."

Joel Aron, ILM's digital production supervisor, observed, "What's amazing about the 3D in CHICKEN LITTLE is that you're able to look around and see everything in the frame. You can see things behind the characters. You can look out the window of Chicken Little's home and see the stars in the sky. This level of detail has never been done before in 3D and this is the latest evolution of the technology."

Joshua Greer, co-founder and CEO for REAL D, added, "With our system, left and right frame images are projected sequentially on the screen at a very high frame rate (144 frames per second!). As each frame alternates between the left and right eye image, our system changes the orientation of the light to match the orientation of the glasses. The glasses that decode the images are lightweight, polarized and extremely comfortable. You can tilt your head and move around, making for a much more enjoyable movie-going experience. The final component for showing digital 3D is having the appropriate screen that allows you to keep the polarization coherent. We've worked for years and done a lot of engineering to come up with a new kind of silver movie screen that works great for both digital 2D and 3D films. This complete system allows for the most comfortable high quality 3D experience ever produced. One we think audiences will come back to again and again.

"We've dreamed for years that a studio like Disney would commit these resources and create an extraordinary 3D film for audiences everywhere," noted Greer. "We're binocular beings, and we use two eyes to see with depth. It makes perfect sense to get our media the same way. Digital projection has finally made it possible to have a perfect 3D picture every time. 3D has finally arrived."

According to CHICKEN LITTLE director Mark Dindal, "What I like about the process is that it's very comfortable to watch. It feels like the screen becomes a window instead of a wall, and you're looking behind it into this universe that really exists. It has the warmth and charm of a View-Master®. As I would watch the dailies come back in 3D, I literally cheered and laughed and clapped my hands. It was a fantastic collaborative experience."