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It’s not all black and white for this zebra… he’s going to have to earn his stripes! Now, tell me that isn't just about the cutest line for an animated character! The amazing and deeply creative guys from
Triggerfish, the brilliant masterminds of animation from the studio also known as South African Pixar, are ready to bring us another animated adventure after the brilliant success they've scored with their previous film
ZAMBEZIA (the highest grossing South African film in last 30 years) which followed a delightful bunch of African birds. This time the talented
Triggerfishteam is bringing us
KHUMBA a half-striped zebra who, rejected by his superstitious herd, embarks on a
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daring quest to earn his stripes; but when he discovers a tyrannical leopard on his trail, he must find the courage and self-acceptance to save all the animals of the Great Karoo.
THE STORY OF KHUMBA
A ZEBRA ADVENTURE
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A half-striped zebra is born into an insular, isolated herd obsessed with stripes. Rumours that the strange foal is cursed spread and, before long, he is blamed for the drought that
sets into the Great Karoo. Life is not all black and white for Khumba, a young zebra born with only half his stripes so he teams up with a sassy wildebeest and a flamboyant ostrich to find the legendary waterhole where the first zebras got their stripes. On his daring quest across the Great Karoo desert, Khumba
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meets a host of quirky characters and comes face-to-face with a tyrannical leopard in an epic battle to earn his stripes. THE CAST OF KHUMBA
LIAM NEESON & LAURENCE FISHBURNE
Directed by brilliant
Anthony Silverston, whom we know as the man who wrote and produced
Triggerfish's
ZAMBEZIA, animated adventure
KHUMBA has quite a stellar voice cast. Included in the star
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studded gallery are
Liam Neeson as the villainous leopard Phango,
Anna Sophia Robb as Tombi Khumba's female friend,
Steve Buscemi as colourful vagabond Skalk,
Laurence Fishburne as Seko Khumba's father, British comedian
Catherine Tate as Nora,
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E. Grant as the charming ostrich,
Loretta Devine as Mama V, and Disney Channel's superstar
Jake T. Austin who lends his voice to the title character, the brave zebra! The $20 million film is being presented
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at Cannes and will hit the big screens around the world later during the year.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
ANTHONY SILVERSTON THE 'KHUMBA' DIRECTOR
Before he flew over to Cannes earlier this week, talented director and an ever so kind and deeply charming gent, Anthony Silverston shared a chat with your HOLLYWOOD SPY.
DEZZ: ANTHONY, TELL US WHERE DID YOU FIND THE IDEA FOR KHUMBA.
ANTHONY: The project begun at a script competition which we won, and then we continued working on it off and on while working on
ZAMBEZIA. Pre-production started end of October 2009 and I haven't stopped since. The inspiration
for the story came from a combination of places, one being the fact there is actually a half-striped zebra known as a Quagga and it is being bred back from extinction in Cape Town. Maybe it was the scientist in me, but the idea fascinated me. It raised a theme of identity - what makes a zebra a zebra? Or as one character in the movie asks, how many stripes make a zebra? I think anyone can relate to a feeling of being different or at least wanting to fit in. There are many themes which the film touches on – all inspired by growing up in South Africa, but ultimately it’s a personal journey about learning to be comfortable in one’s own skin.
DEZZ: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOVELY MESSAGE FOR THE VIEWERS OF THE FILM. WAS IT DIFFICULT MAKING THE FILM?
ANTHONY: Being a quest movie, there were many different sets and with over 40 characters (17 different species) so it was quite a challenge, but it's been an incredible journey of growth making this film and the talented team at Triggerfish all stepped up and surpassed their work on Zambezia.
DEZZ: I HEAR YOU ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING AS A NEW PROJECT, ANTHONY! CAN YOU GIVE SOME SCOOP TO THE SPY?
ANTHONY: We are exploring a number of options for our next feature including a sequel for
Zambezia, but we have also been
developing our most ambitious story yet! It is set in a fishing village on the coast of Southern Africa and it features a sea monster.
DEZZ: THAT SOUNDS INTRIGUING, ANTHONY! THANKS FOR THE INTERVIEW AND BEST OF![]()
LUCK WITH ALL OF THE AMAZING PROJECTS DOWN AT THE TRIGGERFISH WONDERLAND!
SIGURD DRAGON SLAYER
Britain in 871 AD, and brings a visceral, intense tale set in a world whose only language is violence. A young Viking warrior, Steinar (Charlie Bewley), is sent by his father the king on a quest to find his estranged brother, who was banished from the kingdom many years before. Steinar's epic journey across terrifyingly hostile territory gradually sees him emerge as the man his father wants him to be - the ruthless and unforgiving successor to his throne. The cast also includes two gents known to us from epic shows - always brilliant Elliot Cowan from DA VINCI'S DEMONS and Clive Standen from VIKINGS. Big thanks to both of them for tweeting about HOLLYWOOD SPY! 
and weapons used in the fight scenes, this action epic follows an elite crime-fighting unit in the court of the Chinese emperor which relies on flying swords to defeat their enemies! During the Manchurian ruled Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yong Zheng established a secret assassination squad known as the Guillotines to eliminate all who opposed him. Once heavily favoured by the Emperor, the Guillotines are deemed expendable once Emperor Qian Long ascends to the throne and adopts Western ideas and technology. To consolidate his power under a new regime, the Emperor continues to use the Guillotines to persecute the conquered Han Chinese in a reign of terror and oppression.
