Fernando Trueba And Javier Mariscal’s ‘They Shot The Piano Player’ Gets A Toe-Tapping Trailer

They Shot the Piano Player, the latest animated feature from Chico & Rita directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, got its first trailer today along with the news that it will begin its Spanish domestic theatrical run on October 6.

Sony Pictures Classic recently picked up U.S. rights for the film, but has not announced a release date yet. Although a fall theatrical run seems likely as the film is a clear awards season contender.

They Shot the Piano Player has been building buzz for several years now, and the new trailer offers many their first look at what to expect when it hits theaters this fall. It’s also our first chance to hear Jeff Goldblum’s narration.

During the film’s present-day scenes, the art is clean and colored with everyday hues, while flashback Rio de Janeiro-set scenes feature more explosive colors. The film has long been billed as a celebration of the bossa nova movement and the vibrant, energetic clips seem to confirm that assertion.

Film details:

• They Shot the Piano Player tells the story of a New York music journalist who sets out to find the truth behind the tragic disappearance of young Brazilian piano virtuoso Tenorio Jr.
• The film features the work and voices of numerous important 20th-century musicians including Vinicius de Moraes, Caetano Veloso, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Donato, Toquinho, Bill Evans, Bebo Valdés, Tamba Trío, and Ella Fitzgerald
• Trueba and Mariscal’s previous film Chico & Rita was nominated for the best animated feature Oscar and Annie in 2012 and won a European Film Award, New York Film Critics Award, Spanish Academy Goya Award, and the Annecy FNAC Award, among many others.
• They Shot the Piano Player is produced by Cristina Huete at Spain’s Trueba PC, Serge Lalou at France’s Les Films d’Ici, Janneke van de Kerkhof at Dutch company Submarine, Portugal’s Humberto Santana, Miguel Valladeres at Peru’s Producciones Tondero, Animanostra in Portugal, and Gao Shan Pictures on Reunion Island, which handled the majority of the film’s 2d animation. Executive producers are Nano Arrieta, Fabien Westerhoff, Ulrik Frémont, and Juan Carlos Concha. London’s Film Constellation helped finance the film and handles world sales.
• They Shot the Piano Player will release on October 6 in Spain (Bteam Pictures) and in the U.S. (Sony Pictures Classics).