While working on his short film Mutt in 1999, TV writer/animation director Kirby Atkins (3-2-1 Penguins, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) conceived of a new idea about anthropomorphized cartoon animals. Over time, that idea evolved into the concept for his new feature Beast of Burden, which is currently in development at Huhu Studios in New Zealand.
Not to be confused with Beasts of Burden, the film adaptation of the Dark Horse Comic title of the same name, which is being developed at Reel FX, Atkins’ story centers on a fictional endangered animal called a thoriphant discovering a life-altering secret about his species.
Without the deep pockets of a major studio to bolster their efforts, the act of getting an animated feature into production has not been an easy one. Thus far, Huhu has produced a trailer (watch it here) that effectively showcases the film’s ambitions and emotional resonance.
