An English-subbed trailer has been released for The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (Le grand mechant renard et autres contes), the new feature from Benjamin Renner, the co-director of the Oscar-nominated feature Ernest & Celestine.

It’s based on a graphic novel that Renner published in 2015 (and which was recently released in a translated English version). Renner co-directed the film with Patrick Imbert, who was the animation director of Ernest & Celestine.

The 80-minute Big Bad Fox stays faithful to Renner’s loose and playful cartooning style, with a watercolor universe that looks like a refreshing counterpoint to the ultra-polished sheen of contemporary cg-animated children’s films. The logline:

Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it’s a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place…

Folivari, the new production outfit of seasoned French producer Didier Brunner, handled the production with Panique. After premiering in Annecy last month, Studiocanal launched Big Bad Fox in French cinemas on June 21, grossing $774K in its first weekend, good for 7th place. The film has been well received by audiences, young and old alike, and in its second weekend, it grew its box office to over $1 million, again holding onto the 7th spot. Big Bad Fox has grossed over $2 million in France to date, and it’s still early in its run.

No American distributor has been announced yet, but with its solid reception in France and the background of its creator, it looks like only a matter of time until we see this fox pop up in U.S. theaters.

"The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales."
“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales.”
"The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales."
“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales.”
"The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales."
“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales.”
"The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales."
“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales.”
"The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales."
“The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales.”

Latest News from Cartoon Brew