Here’s our first look at the English-language trailer of El Americano: The Movie, a Mexico-U.S. co-production conceived by Ricardo Arnaiz, who runs Animex Producciones in Puebla, Mexico.
The film’s $4 million budget didn’t allow for typical CG extravagances like feathers on the birds, so the filmmakers had to opt for a more stylized textural approach to suggest feathers. It was animated primarily by Boxel Studios in Tijuana, with additional help from the Filipino studio Cutting Edge Productions.
El Americano follows the story of a young Mexican parrot Cuco whose family’s circus is threatened by bullies. To save the circus, he heads to the United States to enlist the help of El Americano, the superhero star of an American television show. Despite the silly trailer, the film attempts to address some heavy themes. “We wanted to tell a story about how borders are just a line on a map and when you are honest and you do things the right way there are a lot of possibilities out there for everybody,” Arnaiz told Animation Magazine.
