Industry veterans Jay Ahn and Chris Henderson have started Astro-Nomical Entertainment to develop, finance, and produce independent mid-budget family CG features for the global market, with a “particular strategic focus” on the Chinese market.
Backed by China’s Characterplan, the Burbank-based company’s first feature will be an adaptation of Tor Seidler’s children’s book Mean Margaret. Astro-Nomical, which bills itself as a full-service development and production company, has an ambitious goal to generate revenue across all media platforms, including home entertainment, merchandising and licensing, TV, gaming, location-based entertainment, digital streaming, theme parks/stage shows, and music.
Astro-Nomical is in talks with Mulan co-director Barry Cook to helm Mean Margaret, about a cranky toddler who is adopted by two woodchucks. The project has been in development off and on for over a decade; Starz Animation signed Cook to develop the project back in 2006, and Carter Goodrich developed the characters.