GFM Animation, Larry Kasanoff‘s Threshold Entertainment and Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment have teamed to produce animated feature film “X Factor in the Jungle.”
The movie is based on Cowell’s singing competition TV show “The X Factor,” which has run for 20 years with 178 international adaptations.
In the movie, a karaoke machine is tossed overboard from a sinking boat and lands in a jungle. It is seized by a mouse, who is then challenged by both a jaguar and rhino, who each want it. A sing-off ensues to determine who will have it, and this attracts a huge audience of animals and creatures who demand a song contest open to all.
The film is written by Emmy Award winning writer Sean Catherine Derek (“Batman” animated series, “Tarzan Jane,” “Smurfs,” “Pac-Man”), and directed by long-time Disney director Kirk Wise (“Beauty & The Beast,” “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”).
It is produced by Kasanoff, whose credits include 200-plus movies including “Dirty Dancing,” “Terminator 2,” “Platoon,” “Mortal Kombat” and “True Lies.”
Threshold partner Jimmy Ienner, who has 85 golden and platinum albums, multiple Grammys and two Oscars, will manage the music collaboration together with Cowell.
GFM Animation chairman, Guy Collins, said: “It’s a great opportunity for GFM Animation to work with such an iconic IP that is known literally worldwide and with Larry, Jimmy and Simon. It promises and will deliver a great cinematic experience for all age groups who love music and fun. The budget will enable top level voice casting and music collaboration fitting for this movie.”
Kasanoff said: “Our team is looking forward to creating this great musical blast based on this great TV show that is a true universal hit and working closely with Simon — a true legend.”
Cowell said: “I have loved this idea since I first was approached by Larry and the team at Threshold, and I’m delighted GFM Animation love it too. We all share the same vision for this fun, positive, family-friendly movie, and of course I’m equally really excited for the soundtrack too. I’ve always wanted to make animated movies and I plan for this to be the first of many!”
Pre-production will start this year with CG animation starting 2024 for distribution in 2026.
Current titles on the GFM Animation slate include “10 Lives,” featuring the voices of Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Zayn Malik, Bill Nighy, Jeremy Swift and Dylan Lewellyn, and directed by Chris Jenkins; “Stitch Head,” based on the best-selling books by Guy Bass; and “Sneaks,” an animated adventure featuring the voices of Laurence Fishburne, Martin Lawrence, Anthony Mackie, Roddy Ricch, Ella Mai, Macy Gray, Swae Lee and Chris Paul.
