Sounding like something out of a fanboy’s wet dream Aquarica is a sci fi fantasy of immeasurable proportions or at least that’s the way I see it in my minds eye (high midichlorian levels). It was announced recently that video game designer Benoit Sokal (Paradise) and film production designer Francois Schuiten (The Golden Compass) after 10 years in development will be bringing this aquatic fantasy to life.
Courtesy of Alta Plana
The film would have been a feature-length in synthetic images, produced by White Birds in collaboration with Duran Duboi. The projected budget was about 20 million euros according to White Birds marketing manager Michel Bams. But when White Birds closed down in 2010, there was little hope for this project to see the light of day.
After almost 10 years it looks the movie is finally moving forward. Martin Villeneuve, the man behind the highly anticipated scifier Mars et Avril is currently working on the script which Sokal and Schuiten started. The film will use CGI and motion capture technology similar to Steven Spielberg‘s Tintin.
No producers have yet been officially attached. Packaging and financing will take place in 2013.
Story summary
The inhabitants of Roodhaven, a once flourishing whaling port, one day see a curious boat wash up, assembled from various elements of great disappeared merchant ships. Aboard, a young woman, Mary, presents herself as the great-granddaughter of the captain of “Aquarica”, a schooner which once was the pride and joy of the port. In an antiquated language full of forgotten expressions she speaks of her people, who live on mysterious islands on the Ocean. Islands that, imperceptibly, have slowly started moving northward. As if they have become alive, responding to a strange and irrepressible call. What if the legend of the fabulous Mastodonwhales was a reality?
Sailors from all over the world heard stories of these mythic animals, but no one had ever seen them. Gigantic whales, floating in a quasi lethargy at the heart of warm seas, their back covered with soil. A luxurious vegetation develops there, even protecting savage wildlife, camouflaged as small archipelagos. But once every generation, the Mastodonwhales go on their last voyage towards the frozen waters which saw their birth, to reproduce and die there.
For the love of Mary, a young scientist, Greyford, will try to save the island people and above all preserve the Mastodonwhales from the murderous craze of a team led by the fierce Wil Baltimore, at the commands of the “Killer”, the greatest whaling ship ever created.
This really does sound absolutely amazing and if they can get the funding this might be the next AVATAR. M.I.T.N.G will keep you guys abreast of everything relating to this picture as they near production. Below are some concepts for the film/videogame.
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