“The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart”

By
on

Tim Burton, move over. Stephane Berla is co-directing a Burton-esque animated feature based on Mathias Malzieu’s novel The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (aka The Mechanics of the Heart), co-produced by Luc Besson. Writer Malzieu is the lead singer of French rock group Dionysos, and will provide the soundtrack for the film. A work-in-progress screening will be held on Friday at the Annecy Animation Festival (which opens today). Here’s an intriguing viral trailer created a few years ago by Berla and Malzieu to promote the original book:

Also in Cartoon Brew...

  • Scooby-Doo Performs
    on Fox News

    scoobyfox

  • Meet the First
    (Stone Age)
    Animators

    cave-animation

  • Academy to screen
    3D Digital
    Restoration of …

    uproarinheaven_200
  • http://dtoons.com/conroy Failing Art Student

    Huh, I saw this years ago. I didn’t know this was supposed to be a movie trailer.

    Looks neat!

  • Dana

    Heh, very interesting. I’m gonna have to watch the subbed version some other time. I like the character design and all, but I’m I the only one who’s starting to get sick of hearing ukulele in everything lately? Lol, just kidding. Very nice overall.

    • http://she-thing.blogspot.com Caty

      I don’t know of the ukelele, I’m more tired of the “thin arms/legs” design and trunk-like mood-thing and then say it’s “my creation” and “I like organic stuff”. Tim took advantage of that and made it fun to watch-now it’s just tiresome… come on people, let’s move on.. in a positive way.

  • http://mattjonezanimation.blogspot.com/ Matt Jones

    Another promo image available on Europacorp’s site here:

    http://www.europacorp.com/#/site/?&lg=fr&part=home&page=fiche&film=126

  • hitface

    aa i love this song! I’m happy that they’re making the movie, i thought the video for it was amazing.
    For those who are curious, the chorus basically is “Shut up my heart, I dont know you anymore”.. I cant quite figure out the rest, but I know there’s a subtitled version of this video somewhere.
    adfhhsjh i am ridiculously exited!

  • http://joelbrinkerhoff.blogspot.com/ Joel Brinkerhoff

    Hmmm, it appears to be c.g. made to look like stop-motion. Am I wrong?

    • hitface

      Yes, it’s CG, but as far as it being “made to look like stop motion” I dont think it is intended to look like stop motion, but maybe it is. I do know that the lead singer of Dionysus loves Tim Burton, and there’s another music video that is even more obviously inspired by him:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VZxxpFIwG8&feature=related

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9QtJERu_2E also heres the sub version of Tais Toi Mon coeur.

    • http://www.segaltoons.com Steve Segal

      I was thinking the exact same thing. At first I thought the faces were CG and the bodies puppets. The segmented arms and bodies look like an attempt at a puppet-esque look.

  • tgentry78

    Just throw gears on it and people go ga-ga. It’s so deep and stuff. The animation looks decent though.

  • Alissa

    Definitely moody enough, almost too monochrome. I did like the splash of color the parasol provided. Are the characters supposed to look like they’re made of wood? If so it works pretty well.

    Does the world need another movie with Tim Burton-esque sensibilities though?

  • jerome

    That’s not a trailer. Mathias Malzieu released a music album with the songs he’ll use in the film before actually producing the film so this is just a music video of one of the tracks. I think that the designs will change a great deal in the film.

  • http://www.webstercolcord.com Webster Colcord

    I wish the press in general would be cautious in their use of the phrase “Burton-esque”.

  • Spencer

    Burton can stay where he is. Like the art work but the animation feels like Animation Mentor or something.

    • http://www.segaltoons.com Steve Segal

      And that’s a bad thing?

  • http://woweh.com Kelly

    How cool! I’m looking forward to the film!

  • Moss

    It look pretty nice, lip sync are a bit shy though. I hope they will finish the movie soon. From what I heard the animation crew has stopped for the second time since it started.

  • Al

    It looks cool, but does Burton own this style? I feel that “Burton-esque” is a phrase used by someone who doesn’t have a deep understanding of animation and art history. Really, this style just is derivative in the same way that Burton’s style is.

  • http://www.animationmentor.com Sunny

    really good work , i liked the colors that are used in the whole act……….. good luck

  • Valentin Moretto

    I’m getting a sense of deja-entendu…

  • https://sharkskinsuit.wordpress.com/ Sean

    Dionysos is great! They also had a brilliant animated video (not entirely worksafe) by Joann “The Rabbi’s Cat’ Sfar and Kerascoet for Tes Lacets Sond Des Fées a few years ago http://youtu.be/-WPURqRGFag