More animated projects in the works

Sony Pictures Animation says its slate through 2018 will include five theatrical features, three television series and one direct-to-video movie.

“Our goal is to enlarge our presence in the animation landscape with a uniquely diverse slate, and our strategy to get there is to let artists drive the movies creatively,” Kristine Belson, president of Sony Pictures Animation, said in a statement.

The studio’s big-screen lineup includes Smurfs: The Lost Village, which is scheduled to open April 7, 2017. Set for release in August 2017, Emojimovie: Express Yourself “will offer a surprising and comic take on the secret world of our phones and the beloved characters that have become daily necessities in global interpersonal communication,” a press release explained.

Sony’s vampire-comedy franchise continues with Hotel Transylvania 3, geared up for September 2018. Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg return as the voices of Dracula, his daughter Mavis, and her human husband Johnny. From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the brains behind The Lego Movie, comes an animated Spider-Man, slated for December 2018.

Jim Carrey to star in a comic book horror flick

Jim Carrey is about to step into a different kind of role, starring in the new horror flick Aleister Arcane. He is also the executive producer of the film and Eli Roth, who will direct the movie.

Aleister Arcane was first developed for a comic book by Steve Niles in 2004. The story follows a group of children who befriend an old man. The old guy dies, leaving a curse on the town and the kids with the burden of saving their families. The movie will focus more on local Oklahoma horror television host Aleister Arcane, disliked by parents in the town. Terrifying and supernatural events begin to plague the small town when Arcane is forced off the air.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 9th, 2016