Germany’s Studio 100 Film, Australia’s POP Family Entertainment and Ireland’s Telegael have jointly announced their association for a whimsical and wacky animated comedy feature film Being Betty Flood. The announcement was made by Studio 100 Film director of business operation Thorsten Wegener, POP Family Entertainment executive producers Carmel Travers and Gerry Travers, along with Telegael head of production Cathy Ní Fhlaithearta.
The 87-minute feature film is set to release in Autumn 2023, it targets kids of age between eight-14. The movie introduces the character of Betty, a headstrong, smart 12-year-old girl torn between her over-protective mother and her desire to prove her magical and musical abilities. As she navigates the challenges of growing up and finding her place in the world, her relationships with her family and friends echo the experiences of young girls all over the world in this universal movie full of magic and mayhem.
The movie being rich in both visual content and texture content with 3D locations and characters will use the Amazon Nimble Studio for the first time. From concept sketch to final deliverable, Amazon Nimble Studio enables creative teams to develop visual effects, animation, and interactive content entirely in the cloud. Studio 100 Film will disseminate the truly global partnership and production internationally. The film is an official treaty co-production between Australia and Ireland, granting it full European marketing rights.
Being Betty Flood is adapted and written by Harry Cripps and Cleon Princess and is based on the 13-book series The Floods written and illustrated by award-winning Australian author Colin Thompson. The book has had a stellar performance in the Australian and New Zealand’s kids’ book market for the last 12 years.
Being Betty Flood is about a fantastic world where magic rules the land, a wild free-spirited, music-loving girl named Betty is about to celebrate her thirteenth birthday. But Betty and The Flood family are fugitives – on the run from a malicious King who has been hunting them from before Betty was even born. Betty’s world is turned upside down when the King discovers her whereabouts and deliberately misrepresents her family’s secret past. Betty’s actions put her family at great risk. To save them all, she and her friend Nat will embark on a journey to confront the King, to learn the truth about her family and along the way discover her one special gift will set them free.
POP Family Entertainment CEO Carmel Travers said, “POP Family is thrilled to bring to the screen the fantastical world of 12-year-old Betty Flood and her very ‘different’ family of witches, wizards and ghouls! In a thrilling adaptation of Colin Thompson’s books, and working with great international partners, Studio 100 Film Germany and Telegael Ireland, Being Betty Flood, is truly a universal story of a young girl’s passage from child to teenager, determined to pursue her love of magic and music, despite her hilariously challenging family circumstances.” She further added, “Ultimately this is a funny, warm-hearted film about a young girl finding out who she really is.”
“Telegael is excited to work with our colleagues POP and Studio 100 on such a wonderful and important story that not only follows Betty on her quest to uncover the family’s secret past but understands a teenager’s journey of self-discovery,” said Telegael producer Cathy Ní Fhlaithearta.
Studio 100 Film director business operations Thorsten Wegener said, “It’s a privilege to be working with POP Family and Telegael to bring this wild animated comedy film to the big screen. Apart from producing a movie with a strong female character, Betty represents so many teenagers and young adults who are still trying to figure out where they belong. We are sure that not only girls but whole families will identify with the characters and love this film.”
