Cartoon Network Leaps into Next Live-Action Movie with Tiger’s Apprentice

[Racattack!Force]

http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=3943


Release Date: 10/9/2008

Cartoon Network Leaps into Next Live-Action Movie with Tiger’s Apprentice


Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter David Magee Adapts Bestselling Young-Adult Book

Cartoon Network announced its latest live-action/CGI movie based on the bestselling young adult Harper Collins book Tiger’s Apprentice by Lawrence Yep. Oscar-nominated screenwriter David Magee (Finding Neverland) adapted the award-winning book into a feature script optioned by Cartoon Network. Jane Startz (Tuck Everlasting, Indian in the Cupboard) will executive produce the project. Set to premiere in 2010, Tiger’s Apprentice is now in pre-production with staffing and casting currently underway at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif.


“Tiger's Apprentice is an award-winning property that represents our expansion into the high-quality original TV movie event business,” said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer at Cartoon Network. “We’re proud to bring together a package of powerful writing and talent to a project we know is a passion for everyone involved.”


Tiger’s Apprentice tells the unfolding mystery of teenager Tom Lee, who, orphaned by his grandmother, is put under the protection of Mr. Hu, a mystical tiger who can take human form. Tom discovers an astonishing magical world inside San Francisco’s Chinatown, full of spells and characters spun from the lore of the Chinese Zodiac, including a Tiger, Dragon, Rat and Monkey, who rise to the task of training him in order to save the world.


This latest original movie produced by Cartoon Network Studios, joins the network’s expanding development slate with the previously announced comic book titles Firebreather, The Vanishers, Mice Templar and the sequel to the network’s live-action hit movie, Ben 10. Image Comic’s Firebreather, created by Phil Hester, and Mice Templar, by Mike Avon Oeming and Bryan Glass, will be developed as animated original movies. IDW Publishing’s The Vanishers, created by Chuck Dixon, will be produced as a live-action original movie.


Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. From 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.


Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Well, it looks like Cartoon Network is going to be making a live-action/animation hybrid. Well, at least it has some animation, which is always good. Looks like this is premiering in 2010, with the previous three (based on comics) that were announced premiering in 2011. ;)

[chdr]

I'm not too stunned at CN producing live-action movies anymore. As long as it isn't series, it's fine with me.

I just hope the "animated" part isn't just CGI effects though :sad:

[Silverstar]

It already sounds better than Re-Animated. ;)

Though the motif of young heroes becoming being orphaned and alone is getting a tad cliched.

[Racattack!Force]

I just hope the "animated" part isn't just CGI effects though :sad:
You and me both. I'm actually hoping that the intro for the movie would involve a 2D Eastern-art style animation piece telling the background story of the whole thing before jumping straight into the movie. Anyway, this already sounds much better than Re-Animated, and I hope it looks better too. ;)

[Mickialla]

This sounds very iffy for me. It's done by Rob Sorcher, who's bringing us Cartoonstitute, but I'm hesitant to accept it.

Both this and the Vanishers could easily have been done animated. They both revolve around unrealistic situations and have colorful characters. I'd be really happy if those two films were done in live action, because the way Sorcher's making these original films sound is making them sound more mature with powerful and deep writing, more like a theatrical film, than a no deep emotion kiddy film. But since they're not animated, I can't say that I'm 100% happy. CN is drifting away from being a "bright-happy-fun-kiddy-wannabe-hip-but-fail-because-aren't-original-and-makes-it-look-like-a-Happy-Meal-commercial" network, which is good, but they're also drifting away from the "cartoon" part. Though they've gotten back on track with the rejection of stuff like OOJH and the Duchovny project and Kamen Rider, they're still not all the way back to being CARTOON Network with Goosebumps and these two movies (Vanisher's and Tiger's Apprentice) being live action when they could easily be done animated.

[Racattack!Force]

This sounds very iffy for me. It's done by Rob Sorcher, who's bringing us Cartoonstitute, but I'm hesitant to accept it.

Both this and the Vanishers could easily have been done animated. Though they've gotten back on track with the rejection of stuff like OOJH and the Duchovny project and Kamen Rider, they're still not all the way back to being CARTOON Network with Goosebumps and these two movies (Vanisher's and Tiger's Apprentice) being live action when they could easily be done animated.
I thought you were accepting of live-action/animation hybrids...:confused: Oh, and on The Vanishers it was the creator who wanted it live-action.

[Mickialla]

I thought you were accepting of live-action/animation hybrids...:confused: Oh, and on The Vanishers it was the creator who wanted it live-action.

I accept live-action/animation hybrids that are based on cartoons. This is an original concept that could easily be done animated, but it isn't. I'm still not totally against it because it will have animation in it, but I'm less in to it and The Vanishers than I am into Firebreather and Mice Templar. And I know that The Vanishers' creator wanted it in live action, so I can't argue with that, but I can say that if he wanted it in live-action, he shouldn't have brought it to Cartoon Network, or Cartoon Network simply shouldn't have picked it up.

I know some people are going to say "well all of those live-action/animated hybrids of cartoon adaptions could've easily been done animated too", but the reason those are done in live-action in the first place is to show the fans how their favorite characters would look in real life, and I like that idea.

I'm still going to check out both this and The Vanishers because 1) I want to judge it myself, and The Vanishers might end up having some animation, and 2) Sorcher has mentioned that both films will have "powerful writing", which I interpret as meaning that it'll be a lot deeper than something that's meant for kids and it'll have a lot more meaning in the writing and a lot more emotion too.

[Racattack!Force]

I'm still going to check out both this and The Vanishers because 1) I want to judge it myself, and The Vanishers might end up having some animation, and 2) Sorcher has mentioned that both films will have "powerful writing", which I interpret as meaning that it'll be a lot deeper than something that's meant for kids and it'll have a lot more meaning in the writing and a lot more emotion too.
Glad to see you're giving it a chance...but if this stuff ends up being cinema-quality, I'll have to question why it's a TV Movie. :shrug:

[RPG KING]

so is this movie supose to be like american dragon in live action.Is this suppose to turn in to an action t.v show later on or what. I'm completly lost:confused: :confused:

[Mickialla]

Glad to see you're giving it a chance...but if this stuff ends up being cinema-quality, I'll have to question why it's a TV Movie. :shrug:

Probably because they don't want to see another disappointment after the PPG movie, which I think they need to get over seeing as how it was 6 years ago. :shrug: Another reason could be that they simply don't have the money right now to producer a theatrical movie because that comes with a lot more complications and fees and stuff. They did spend a good deal of money on Clone Wars and they haven't been making too much money from their originals in the past few years, so that could explain why they're not taking the theatrical route.

[Racattack!Force]

so is this movie supose to be like american dragon in live action.Is this suppose to turn in to an action t.v show later on or what. I'm completly lost:confused: :confused:

It's not supposed to become a TV series, and it's based on a series of books. American Dragon ain't that original. :shrug:

[Dr.Pepper]

It doesn;t really sound like my kind of movie but it sounds better that Re-Animated.

[Light Lucario]

so is this movie supose to be like american dragon in live action.Is this suppose to turn in to an action t.v show later on or what. I'm completly lost:confused: :confused:

Outside of the boy being Chinese and involved with magical creatures, I don't think that it's anything like American Dragon. The fact that the boy is orphaned alone shows how different it is from American Dragon. Mr. Hu is the one who apparently can take human form instead of looking like a tiger. It's only going to be a movie with no TV series mentioned at all.

[Jayngfet]

Well I have a few copies of dragonwings so I'll check this out.