SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Animal Logic (www.animallogic.com) CEO Zareh Nalbandian says the visual effects and design company has launched a new new production company called Truant Pictures, which will develop and produce live-action genre films in Australia. The Animal Logic subsidiary will primarily develop and produce the films in collaboration with emerging and established Australian talent. Wherever possible, the films will be produced in Australia for a worldwide market.
Animal Logic is known for its work on The Lego Ninjago Movie, ALien: Covenant, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. For the new initiative, Nalbandian will serve as producer, while Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt will act as VPs of development and production.
“Animal Logic has had great success developing and producing four quadrant, major studio films in Australia,” says Nalbandian. “I am excited about expanding our focus through Truant Pictures to a new slate of genre projects with an incredibly talented pool of filmmakers down under.”
“Truant was born from our passion to cultivate, nurture and promote Australian talent internationally,” adds Toby Nalbandian. “Working in this space allows us to engage with a diverse range of talent that will represent some unique and often times underrepresented points of view.”
“Some of the most important and relevant stories today are being told through genre,” notes Schmidt. “We’re thrilled to be producing thought-provoking genre films out of Australia that have commercial appeal in the global marketplace.”
Truant Pictures will be headquartered at Animal Logic’s (al.com.au) Sydney-based studios and will also operate out of its Los Angeles offices alongside sister company Animal Logic Entertainment. The Truant Pictures team are actively seeking stories and material to build out their slate of feature projects. Current projects in development include The Haunting of Mary Todd with Zak Hilditch and Justin Monjo, Biohackers with Stephen McCallum and Michael Kratochvil, The Galvanist with Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause, and The Gooynboon with Jub Clerc.