Ketchup Entertainment has secured the North American distribution rights for the animated feature “Ozi, Voice of the Forest.” This film, produced by Appian Way Productions, Mike Medavoy, and GCI Film, boasts a star-studded voice cast led by Amandla Stenberg.
“Ozi, Voice of the Forest” made its world premiere at the Annecy Animation Film Festival last year. The film is set for a wide theatrical release later this year, promising to captivate audiences with its timely and important message.
Directed by Tim Harper, the story centers on Ozi, an orphaned orangutan who leverages her influencer skills to combat deforestation and save her home. The film aims to raise awareness about the critical issues facing the planet’s rainforests, including the impact of deforestation on ecosystems and climate change. The voice cast also includes Dean Charles Chapman, Djimon Hounsou, Donald Sutherland, Laura Dern, RuPaul Charles, and Urzila Carlson. This film is intended to be the first in a climate-themed franchise, with a follow-up film titled “Ocean” already in development. The title song for “Ozi, Voice of the Forest” was written by Honorary Oscar winner Diane Warren.
Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment, expressed his excitement about the acquisition, stating, “OZI, VOICE OF THE FOREST is a film the whole family can enjoy. We are thrilled to be working with Appian Way, GCI, and Mike Medavoy and sharing this timely story with audiences in North America.”
Adam Stanhope, Director of GCI Film, added, “Ketchup is an exciting distributor; their ambitious commitment to theatrical is a key step in introducing Ozi and the Voices Franchise to US audiences.”
Ketchup Entertainment has been making waves in the industry with recent projects like Michel Franco’s “Memory,” starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. Sarsgaard won the Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role in “Memory,” and Chastain received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Other notable projects include Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” distributed alongside Neon, and the Ben Affleck starrer “Hypnotic.” Upcoming releases from Ketchup Entertainment include Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s comedy “Goodrich,” starring Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis; Brian Taylor’s “Hellboy: The Crooked Man,” starring Jack Kesy; and George Huang’s “Weekend in Taipei,” starring Luke Evans and Gwei Lun-mei.
The deal for “Ozi, Voice of the Forest” was brokered by Fred Hedman at GFM.
In other news, Ketchup Entertainment has also acquired North American rights to the action film “Weekend in Taipei,” produced by EuropaCorp’s Luc Besson and Virginie Besson-Silla. The film stars Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-Mei, and Sung Kang and is directed by George Huang. “Weekend in Taipei” is slated for a wide theatrical release this year, with further details on the worldwide rollout to be announced by EuropaCorp.
Co-written by Huang and Besson, “Weekend in Taipei” follows John Lawlor, a pit-bull DEA agent married to his job, and Joey Kwang, a top “Transporter” in Taipei. The two characters, who were not supposed to fall in love, are brought together by fate before being torn apart by crime and corruption. Fifteen years later, they are set on a collision course during a weekend in Taipei, discovering that rekindling their love is even harder than falling in love the first time.
Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment, commented, “Weekend in Taipei is an exciting movie that George Huang has masterfully directed and features a great cast that includes Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-Mei, and Sung Kang. We look forward to working with Luc, Virginie, and EuropaCorp and bringing this film to North American audiences this summer.”
Jean-Marc Lacarrère, CEO of EuropaCorp, added, “We are very proud of Weekend in Taipei, which perfectly captures EuropaCorp’s DNA by bundling action, romance, and comedy together. We are also pleased to partner with Gareth and Ketchup’s team in sharing this thrilling film with audiences throughout North America.”
Founded in 2008, Ketchup Entertainment is coming off the release of Michel Franco’s “Memory,” starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. The company also produced Michael Mann’s Neon title “Ferrari” and released Robert Rodriguez’s “Hypnotic,” starring Ben Affleck. Upcoming theatrical releases include Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s comedy “Goodrich,” starring Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis, and Brian Taylor’s “Hellboy: The Crooked Man,” starring Jack Kesy.
Negotiations for the sale of “Weekend in Taipei” were led by David Spiegelman, Gregoire Melin, Kinology, and Brieuc Jonnet of EuropaCorp.
