LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cinedigm Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM) has acquired North American distribution rights to the animated feature, THE STEAM ENGINES OF OZ, and is planning a home entertainment release for the first quarter of 2018.
Arcana Studios has produced a steampunk re-imagining of the iconic land of Oz and its well-known inhabitants created by L. Frank Baum. The picture is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Sean Patrick O’Reilly and Erik W. Hendrix. O’Reilly, the founder and CEO of Arcana Studios, also serves as the picture’s writer, director, and executive producer. Dario Sanchez and Michelle O’Reilly are also producers on the film.
THE STEAM ENGINES OF OZ features the voice cast of Ron Perlman as Magnus, the son of the Cowardly Lion, with William Shatner as Oscar “Oz” Diggs and Julianne Hough as Locasta, the Witch of the North. Additional voice talent includes Ashleigh Ball, Scott McNeil, Matthew Clark, and Dan Payne.
Set a century after Dorothy Gale first clicked her heels together, the once utopic Emerald City is now heavily industrialized and ruled by the iron fist of the once-beloved Tin Man, who has seemingly lost all heart. Oz’s only hope rests with a young engineer, Victoria Wright. With her motley team of ill-mannered munchkins, mischievous flying monkeys, and rough-housing lions, Victoria discovers that even the smallest of heroes can change the world.
“Sean has created a truly fantastical world that is rich in detail and provides an inventive new dimension to the story of Oz,” said Yolanda Macias, Cinedigm’s Executive Vice-President of Acquisitions. “This imaginative retelling will appeal to young and old alike, and fans of Oz will not be disappointed.”
“Cinedigm immediately understood my vision for the picture and is a collaborative distribution partner,” said O’Reilly. “I am excited to work with them to bring this new version of the Emerald City to audiences.”
The deal was negotiated between O’Reilly, on behalf of Arcana Studios, and Melody Fowler, Vice-President of Acquisitions for Cinedigm.
About Arcana Studios
Arcana owns one of the world's largest libraries of graphic novels and comics, with over 300 original intellectual properties, hundreds of graphic novels and a treasure trove of thousands of characters. Arcana’s high quality branded entertainment is filled with characters and stories that transcend gender, age, cultural and geographic boundaries.
Arcana opened an animation studio in 2014 and since has completed production on the animated series Kagagi and the feature films Pixies and Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom. Taking a transmedia approach to brand building, all properties are created, produced and sold by Arcana allowing these stories to live successfully on traditional and new media platforms. Arcana Studio Inc. remains independent of major entertainment studio affiliation and is currently in production on Howard Lovecraft & the Undersea Kingdom, Howard Lovecraft & the Kingdom of Madness and Panda vs Aliens.
About Cinedigm
Cinedigm powers custom content solutions to the world’s largest retail, media and technology companies. We provide premium feature films and series to digital platforms including iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon, cable and satellite providers including Comcast, Dish Network and DirecTV, and major retailers including Walmart and Target. Leveraging Cinedigm’s unique capabilities, content and technology, the Company has emerged as a leader in the fast-growing over-the-top channel business, with four channels under management that reach hundreds of millions of devices while also providing premium content and service expertise to the entire OTT ecosystem. Learn more about Cinedigm at www.cinedigm.com
Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Corp. www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-E]