Variety is reportingthat Oscar-winning directorMatthew A. Cherrywill make his animated debut feature withTut, from Sony Pictures Animation. Described as “an Afro-futuristic, coming-of-age story of the boy king Tutankhamun,” the project sprang from an idea by Cherry andMonica A. Young. It sounds very, very cool.
The project marks a natural extension between Cherry and Sony Pictures Animation. “Hair Love,” which Cherry directed with the brilliantBruce W. SmithandEverett Downing, Jr.began life as a Kickstarter project but rose to prominence after Sony Pictures Animation got onboard, playing the short beforeAngry Birds 2and spearheading its Academy Awards campaign. (The animation for the short was largely produced by Lion Forge Animation.) Then earlier this year it was announced that Cherry was developing (and would show-run) a spin-off of “Hair Love” calledYoung Lovethatwill eventually air on HBO Max, with animation by Sony Pictures Animation. (Also, earlier this year,Made by Maddie, a Nickelodeon show that was accused of plagiarizing “Hair Love,” was pulled by the network before it even aired.) So it makes sense that Cherry would stick around his Sony Pictures Animation team.
Cherry told Variety that he was “beyond excited to explore the magical world of ancient Egypt through the eyes of its youngest ruler, King Tut. I’ve always wanted to dive deeper into the legend of the boy king and we can’t think of better partners to embark upon this journey with thanKristine Belson,Karen Toliverand the great people at Sony Pictures Animation.”
For her part, SPA president Kristine Belson called Cherry “one of today’s most exceptional creative voices. We had the privilege of collaborating with him on his first animated short, which has since evolved into his first animated series – and we’re so proud to team up again on his first animated feature,Tut. Matthew has a bold and modern take on this story rarely told, filled with magic, music, and powerful themes – and we’re thrilled that we get to go on this adventure together.”
Currently, Tut fits in with a growing list of wonderful-sounding Sony Pictures Animation projects, including the recently wrappedConnected(release date TBD);Vivo, a former DreamWorks Animation project that migrated to SPA, with songs byLin-Manuel Miranda; and new entries in theHotel TransylvaniaandSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versefranchises.
