Yes you read it right. Deadline is reporting in a deal close to seven figures, Sony Pictures Animation has come out the winner in a three-studio auction for an animated movie pitch centering on the Emoji. You know those cute yellow round headed animations used in social media or text messages in place of actual words.
The project will be co-written by Eric Siegel and
Anthony Leondis (
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters), with Leondis tabbed to direct, and
Michelle Raimo Kouyate (
Hotel Transylvania 2) to produce. Reportedly Leondis a veteran of animated movies, pitched the project with storyboards revealing how the story would play out on screen.
While both
Warner Brothers and
Paramount were involved in the three studio bid, neither was as aggressive as Sony. SPA president
Kristine Belson was given the go ahead very quickly from studio chief
Tom Rothman to move aggressively in securing the project. On the downside there are rumors of another Emoji pitch being shopped soon. There are no underlying rights to purchase as The Emoji are public domain. Couple this with these cute characters being a social phenomenon that could lose their appeal, and you will understand Sony’s plan to move quickly on this project.
What do you think seven plus figures is a lot of coin for your daughter’s favorite form of communication. Leave your comments in the usual place.