Hair Love, the independent animated short that was acquired earlier this year by Sony Pictures Animation, will make its North American theatrical debut in front of The Angry Birds Movie 2, opening on August 14.
The film centers around the relationship between an African-American father, his daughter Zuri, and “the most daunting task a father could ever come across – doing his daughter’s hair.” Based on a story by former NFL player-turned-director Matthew A. Cherry, it was directed by Cherry, Everett Downing Jr. (animator, Up, WALL—E, Brave), and Bruce W. Smith (creator, The Proud Family, director, Bebe’s Kids).
Hair Love developed a strong base of support during its early production, thanks to a 2017 Kickstarter campaign that raised $300,000, which was at the time the largest amount a short film, animated or live action, had ever earned on the crowdfunding platform.