Mar 5, 2014

"Jack and Cuckoo Watch Heart" English trailer debut

Shout! Factory, the L.A.-based home video distribution company, has acquired the North American rights to the Franco-Belgian CG-animated film Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (Jack et la Mecanique du Coeur), co-produced by Europacorp, France 3, Ile de France, Canal+, CinéCinéma, Walking The Dog and Ufilm.

This is the second Shout! pick-up of an animated feature from Luc Besson's EuropaCorp; Shout! also handled U.S. distribution of Bibo Bergeron's A Monster in Paris. Shout! plans to do a 'strategic rollout' (industry parlance for very limited release) of Jack into U.S. theaters. They plan to also make the film available through video-on-demand, digital download and home video.

An English trailer was released today:

The offbeat romantic period piece was directed by Mathias Malzieu and Stephane Berla. Malzieu, who is the frontman of the French band Dionysos, adapted it from his children's novel La Mécanique du coeur and concept album of the same name. The Hollywood Reporter calls the film version a “peculiarly Gallic mash-up of Georges Méliès, Tod Browning's Freaks (1932), Kurt Weill, Edward Gorey, and Tim Burton-esque animation,” that is “not very suitable for kids and not coherently made enough for grown-ups.”

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart received a mild reception when it was released in French cinemas last month. The film will also screen at the New York International Children's Film Festival on March 22nd.