Melwood Pictures and Exodus Film Group have optioned the rights to magician and illusionist Nicholas Night’s computer animated/live action feature film Pavlov’s Dog. The synopsis for the film revolves around, “Pavlov, an uptight flea from out-of-town that catches a greyhound to the big city in order to claim his inheritance… a canine ‘property’. Once there, Pavlov finds himself waging a suburban war against the rambunctious, untidy and comical misfits who plague his life and mess up his neighborhood. Although Pavlov eventually succeeds in his quest to create an orderly Utopia, along the way he discovers that as a parasite in paradise what gave his life richness and diversity was the very thing he destroyed.” Veteran Disney animator Leon Joosen is set to direct Pavlov’s Dog, working with a script from Nicholas Night and former Seinfeld writer Pat Hazell. Click the “More” button to read the official press release on the announcement.

Let Flea-dom Ring!
Exodus And Melwood To Co-Produce CG-Animated/Live Action Feature “Pavlov’s Dog.”

VENICE, CA – Melwood Pictures and Exodus Film Group announced that they have optioned the rights to world-famous magician and illusionist Nicholas Night’s CG-animated/live action feature film Pavlov’s Dog. Billed as “One flea’s struggle to rid himself of pests,” the story follows Pavlov, an uptight flea from out-of-town that catches a greyhound to the big city in order to claim his inheritance… a canine ‘property.’ Once there, Pavlov finds himself waging a suburban war against the rambunctious, untidy and comical misfits who plague his life and mess up his neighborhood. Although Pavlov eventually succeeds in his quest to create an orderly Utopia, along the way he discovers that as a parasite in paradise what gave his life richness and diversity was the very thing he destroyed.

Night is best known for his artist-themed illusion show which has been presented in more than 30 countries over the past 15 years and featured on ABC-TV’s Champions of Magic. For Pavlov, he has teamed with celebrated comic and former “Seinfeld” scribe Pat Hazell to write the screenplay. The movie will mark the second collaboration between Exodus, led by John D. Eraklis, and Melwood’s Max Howard, who is also producing Exodus’ CG-animated feature, Igor. Howard has been involved in such animated hits as Disney’s Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?; Warner Bros.’ Space Jam and The Iron Giant; and DreamWorks’ Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron.

“Nicholas is a new and exciting talent in the world of animation,” said Howard, “a fact he demonstrates in this story, with its originality, wit and charm. His extraordinary skill as a world class illusionist has helped him create a different type of magic, which will be brought to life on the screen.”

”We’ve enjoyed our collaboration with Max Howard on Igor and look forward to working on another project together,” added Eraklis. Pavlov’s Dog contains exactly the right mix of comedy, character and adventure to fit our film slate.”

On today’s announcement Night said, “This film is very special to me and I am thrilled to be working with Exodus and Melwood. Max has been instrumental in my transition from a life in illusion to, as legendary Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston put it, ‘The Illusion of Life’.”

Veteran Disney animator Leon Joosen is attached to direct. He most recently was animation director on both hit Scooby Doo films and at the pioneering CGI studio, Rhythm and Hues. Joosen has also been involved in storyboard and design for DreamWorks and developed projects with renowned director Ivan Reitman.

“Pavlov’s Dog is one of the most innovative ideas for utilizing live-action and animation that has come around in years,” said Joosen. “On the surface, this is a great comedy, but at its core, is a universal story of struggle to blend into a world that doesn’t quite fit – a theme that rings true because it mirrors our own.”

Pat Hazell has written for NBC’s Seinfeld, ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Showtime’s Aspen Comedy Festival, CBS’ Love and War, and for Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures. While at NBC, he also created and produced the American Pie series in which he also starred. His critically acclaimed comedy, Bunk Bed Brothers, written with Matt Goldman, played theaters in Minneapolis, Omaha, New Orleans and Los Angeles to rave reviews and sold-out houses. Hazell is currently touring US theaters in his hilarious one-man show The Wonder Bread Years, a fresh and funny salute to America’s collective youth.

ABOUT EXODUS FILM GROUP
Led by President & CEO John D. Eraklis, Exodus Film Group was founded in 2001 in an effort to create a one-stop entertainment company capable of producing content equal in quality to the studios and networks on a realistic budget. Exodus acquires, develops and finances intellectual properties, taking them from inception to distribution.

In addition to Igor, Exodus is in pre-production on the live action feature film Bunyan and Babe, which is being directed by renowned visual effects director and three-time Academy Award winner Jim Rygiel (The Lord of the Rings films, 102 Dalmatians, Anna and the King, Star Trek: Insurrection, The Parent Trap). Set in modern times, Bunyan and Babe is a live-action family adventure film adaptation of the legend of Paul Bunyan, featuring the voice of Eddie Griffin (DysFunktional Family, Scary Movie 3, Pinocchio, Undercover Brother) as the CGI-animated Babe the Blue Ox. Bunyan and Babe tells the story of Bunyan’s attempts, with the help of a couple of kids, to rescue his ox from the evil clutches of a demented circus owner. The team also includes Executive Producer Tarquin Gotch (Home Alone, Dutch, Curly Sue) and award-winning Composer Basil Poledouris (Blue Lagoon, Les Miserables, The Jungle Book, Free Willy films).

ABOUT MELWOOD PICTURES
Melwood Pictures was formed by seasoned entertainment executives Max Howard and John McKenna to develop and produce high-quality live action and animated films for theatrical release. Max Howard is a veteran executive and producer in the animation film industry. He spent twelve years at the Walt Disney Company as one of the highest level architects of that company’s animation renaissance. He was involved at a senior level in the making of a number of Disney’s animation successes, including The Little Mermaid, The Prince and the Pauper, Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Fantasia 2000. In the mid-90’s he became President of Feature Animation at Warner Bros., overseeing the award-winning animated feature The Iron Giant and the international hit Space Jam. Recently he was a producer at DreamWorks, until he left to set up Melwood Pictures. John McKenna had originally worked in live theater and joined the Walt Disney Company in 1989 to head up their London animation studio. After Disney he went to Warner Bros Feature Animation as Vice President of their London studio. He then joined 20th Century Fox’s Feature Animation Division where, as Senior Vice President of their Phoenix studio, he was responsible for overseeing Titan AE and Bartok the Magnificent.