Brenda Chapman who is an Oscar-winning animation director and Kevin Lima of ‘Twas Entertainment have signed a first-look deal with Twentieth Century Fox to produce live-action, hybrid, and animated films. Chapman has written and directed Pixar’s Brave, a winner of the Oscar for best animated feature in 2013. She was the first female director of a feature animated film at a major studio. She has also worked upon The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Prince of Egypt, and The Lion King. Lima directed the live-action/animation hybrid Enchanted, A Goofy Movie, and Tarzan for Disney along with other works on 102 Dalmatians, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.
“For years, we have worked parallel paths creating films we’re each extremely proud of,” Chapman and Lima said in a statement. “Now, by combining our talents in ‘Twas Entertainment, we’re stepping into a new and thrilling phase of our careers and are looking forward to gathering old and new collaborators who share our goal: family films with big heart, infectious humour, and genuine intelligence.”
According to reports, the first title from the new studio partnership is The Cartoon Touch, which will be co-written by Chapman and Lima, and will be released by Twentieth Century Fox.