Mark Andrews, the acclaimed director of Pixar’s Oscar-winning film “Brave” and a writer for Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Primal” and “Samurai Jack,” is taking on a new challenge. He has been named the showrunner for the animated series “Kyōryū,” which features samurai dinosaurs in a postapocalyptic Japan.
“Kyōryū” is being developed by Floating Rock, an animation and VFX studio based in Wellington, New Zealand. The series is set in a future Japan where dinosaurs, genetically engineered to be more intelligent than their prehistoric ancestors, have outlasted humanity. Despite their advanced intelligence, these dinosaurs still experience primal instincts, leading to tribal conflicts.
The proof-of-concept trailer for “Kyōryū” was unveiled last September and quickly went viral, amassing 1 million views in its first 10 days. It has now reached 2.1 million views on YouTube, with an estimated reach of over a million people.
The trailer caught the attention of Andrews. “Dinosaurs in postapocalyptic Japan? I want to see that show without even knowing what the story’s about! We’re going to give the audience way more than they bargained for,” Andrews said.
Andrews was drawn to Floating Rock because of their synergy. “We totally synced up right from the start… this is a fantastic group. They’re a startup, but they’ve got a ton of experience, energy, and great ideas. They’re rebels, and I love that. So yes, let’s take the hill… they established the field and I immediately wanted to do battle. Let’s do this!”
Floating Rock co-founders Lukas Niklaus, Garrick Rawlingson, and Stephanie Parker will attend the Annecy Animation Festival in France to connect with potential producing partners and financiers. In September, Andrews will join them in Los Angeles to formally pitch the series to buyers.
A clip shared exclusively with Variety shows Niklaus, Floating Rock’s CEO, and ‘Kyōryū’ creator Benjamin Mulot, an animator at Floating Rock, considering candidates like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Dennis Villeneuve. “More ‘Brave,’” says Mulot. “How about Mark Andrews?” someone shouts, who happens to be Mark Andrews, who happens to be on a video call with them. “But would you do it?” Niklaus asks. “Abso — — lutely,” Andrews replies, his Oscar speech and accolades appearing on the screen.
Andrews has an impressive list of accolades, including a 1999 Annie Award for outstanding individual achievement in storyboarding for “The Iron Giant,” a 2004 Emmy Award for outstanding animated program for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and a Bafta for best animated feature, in addition to his Oscar for “Brave.”
Niklaus and Mulot were looking for someone with a strong sense of story, action, and character development to attach to the project. “Andrew’s involvement in ‘Brave,’ ‘Primal,’ and ‘Samurai Jack’ made him the perfect match,” they said.
“Kyōryū” is now in deep development. “Story sessions with Mark have been incredible… I come out of every session thinking, ‘holy ****, this is amazing!’ We’re making so much progress,” Niklaus enthuses.
