“ChikaBOOM!” is coming.
Asteria Film Co. has teamed with The Gotham Group, Everyday Mischief and Thai animation studio The Monk Studios, for “ChikaBOOM!,” a new animated short film written and directed by c. Craig Patterson. The voice cast for the short film includes Yara Shahidi, Natasha Lyonne, Daveed Diggs, Roy Wood Jr. and Tika Sumpter.
According to the official synopsis, the 10-minute short “follows Chika Batstone (Shahidi), an aspiring young magician whose curiosity accidentally unleashes Kaboom (Lyonne), a chaotic magical creature, into the heart of New York City. With her world-famous magician father, The Amazin’ Arnie (Diggs), performing nearby, Chika must contain the mayhem before it’s too late.”
What makes the short interesting is that it, according to the release, utilizes “Asteria and Moonvalley’s proprietary generative technology to reimagine traditional animation.”
“From the outset, we knew telling this story would mean exploring new technology and developing new approaches—but that’s not why you make a film,” said director Patterson in an official statement. “What brought so many incredible artists and filmmakers together was the chance to give audiences 10 minutes of joy through the lens of an awesome little animated girl named Chika. She’s what brought this team together—and the reason we poured so much love into every frame.”
The creative team for the short also includes production designer Hanna Beachler and costume designer Ruth E. Carter, both Academy Award winners.
“We have a rare opportunity to shape how this technology is used—and it must remain in the hands of artists and animators,” added Benjamin Michel, Head of Creative R&D for Asteria, said in an official statement. “By blending hand-drawn 2D, CG animation, and generative workflows, we’ve built a hybrid pipeline to extend our animators’ capabilities. It’s driving monumental breakthroughs and helping us create something audiences have never experienced before.”
The Gotham Group packaged the project alongside Patterson, Erik Weaver and Kacie Lehner. Producers on the project include Patterson, Kacie Lehner, Alyssa Katalyna, Benjamin Michel, and Ben Lock. Executive Producers are Erik Weaver, Tom Thudiyanplackal, Miles Perkins, Lyonne, Wood Jr., Shahidi, Diggs, Ryan Stafford, Bryn Mooser, Matthew Cherchio, Justin Lacob, Eric Day, Nick Confalone, and The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Matt Shichtman and Ross Siegel. Marisa X. Castro is co-Producer.
The short is currently in production and will debut this fall.
