‘Nimona’ Team Talk Quest To Complete Film Against The Odds & Surprise ‘Star Wars’ Villain Who Sparked The Original Character – Annecy
16.06.2023 - 05:25
/ deadline.com
The long-awaited animated feature adaptation of ND Stevenson’s cult graphic novel Nimona enjoyed a triumphant world premiere at the Annecy International Film Festival on Wednesday evening ahead of its launch on Netflix on June 30
Set in a futuristic medieval world, the story revolves around the titular Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous, shape-shifting teenager with a violent streak, and Ballister Blackheart (Riz Ahmed), an up and coming knight of humble origins.
When Blackheart is framed for a heinous crime and is forced to go on the run, Nimona becomes an unlikely saviour, initially because she believes he is guilty and thinks he is a kindred spirit.
Blackheart is determined to prove his innocence, especially in the eyes of his long-time soul mate, fellow knight Ambrosius Goldenloin.
The work is adapted from Stevenson’s award-winning graphic novel of the same name, which in turn was developed from a webcomic about a shape-shifting creature he first imagined as a child and developed further as a teenager to process feelings of not fitting in.
For Stevenson and the film’s co-directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, the Annecy kick-off marked the culmination of an seven-year journey to adapt the original work.
The rights for Nimona were originally acquired by 20th Century Fox Animation in 2015 and the plan was for its subsidiary Blue Sky Studios to produce an animated feauture adaptation with Patrick Osbourne at the helm.
The Walt Disney Company acquired Fox in 2019 and for a time the production continued as before, with Spies In Disguise duo Bruno and Quane joining the production team in 2020.
However, as the pandemic continued to bite, Disney announced it was closing Blue Sky Studios in 2021, effectively shutting