LOS ANGELES — Academy Award-nominated animator Glen Keane is set to direct Pearl Studio’s Over the Moon as a world premiere animated film produced exclusively for Netflix. The animated musical adventure feature is about a girl who builds a rocket ship and blasts off to the moon in hopes of meeting a legendary goddess. The film will be released in 2020, theatrically in China, and to Netflix members around the world.
Keane most recently directed the Academy Award-nominated animated short Dear Basketball, which won Best Animated Short at the 45th Annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in Animation. He is a multi-award winning veteran of Walt Disney Feature Animation, who trained under Walt Disney’s legendary 9 Old Men. He is considered one of the most important creative forces in contemporary animation and was the lead animator who brought to life many of the most beloved modern classic Disney characters, such as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the title characters in Pocahontas, Aladdin, and Tarzan, as well as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, along with Rapunzel and countless others. His debut work as an animator was featured in The Rescuers for the characters of Bernard and Penny, alongside the famed Ollie Johnston. He animated Elliott the Dragon in Pete’s Dragon and was responsible for the climactic bear showdown in The Fox and the Hound. His career has been both profound and prestigious. In 2012, he left Disney to form Glen Keane Productions as a way to further his artistic explorations in animation, design and film.
Over the Moon will be a modern-day retelling of the classic Chinese myth. The film is written by Audrey Wells (Shall We Dance, Under the Tuscan Sky), produced by Gennie Rim (Dear Basketball, Duet) and executive produced by Janet Yang (Joy Luck Club, Peope Vs Larry Flint). Songs will be written by Christopher Curtis (Chaplin: The Musical), Marjorie Duffield, and Helen Park (KPOP).
“I am powerfully drawn to characters who believe the impossible is possible,” says Keane. “Over the Moon has just such a heroine as its centerpiece. The compelling script by Audrey Wells has tremendous heart and humor that called to me and I had to respond. I'm honored to bring this story to life alongside my producer Gennie Rim. We are both looking forward to creating a wonderful film and partnership with Melissa Cobb at Netflix and Peilin Chou at Pearl Studio.”