Apr 12, 2016

Fox acquires animation rights for "Eagle Huntless"

20th Century Fox Animation is picking up animation remake rights to the documentary The Eagle Huntress, a girl-empowerment film about a Kazakh girl learning the ancient (and traditionally male practice) of hunting with golden eagles.

The live-action documentary, which premiered at Sundance last January, was executive produced by documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley. Its North American theatrical distribution rights have already been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, but Fox thinks that it has potential for a CG-animated film, too. The animated version could potentially be headed to Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios, whose last film was The Peanuts Movie.

Ice Age helmer (and Blue Sky co-founder) Chris Wedge will produce the animated adaptation of The Eagle Huntress, and Darren Lemke (Turbo, Jack the Giant Slayer, Shrek Forever After) is attached to script the film, per a report in Variety. Fox Animation exec Darlene Caamano Loquet and division president Vanessa Morrison will oversee the project.

This is the synopsis of the documentary version: