CANADA’S MERCURY FILMWORKS AND GOODBYE PRODUCTIONS TO
CO-PRODUCE 2D ANIMATED FAMILY FEATURE, ONCE OUR LAND,
BASED ON GRAPHIC NOVEL BY PETER RICQ
Phil Ivanusic Vallée to Serve as Screenwriter
CO-PRODUCE 2D ANIMATED FAMILY FEATURE, ONCE OUR LAND,
BASED ON GRAPHIC NOVEL BY PETER RICQ
Phil Ivanusic Vallée to Serve as Screenwriter
Ontario and British Columbia – April 26, 2021 – Mercury Filmworks and Goodbye Productions will co-produce the animated feature Once Our Land, a fantasy/sci-fi period piece for family audiences based on the graphic novel by Peter Ricq. The announcement was made today by Chantal Ling, VP Original Series & Co-Productions and Amber Ripley, Founder, Goodbye Productions.
Set in 1830’s Europe, Once Our Land tells the story of 11-year-old Ingrid; a young girl forced to fend for herself in a ravaged city overrun by fearsome beasts from another world. It’s in this cruel “past-apocalyptic” world where trust is in short supply that Ingrid forges an unlikely friendship with Fritz, a grizzled, old, eye-patched warrior with an unexpectedly eccentric personality. Together, Fritz and Ingrid embark on a dangerous journey to rid the city they love of the cruel beasts, and to learn to trust again.
Part light survival horror, part action, with strong heart and a healthy dose of levity-bringing humor, Once Our Land is a touching tale of trust and friendship set against the backdrop of eldritch horror.
The film adaptation reunites artist/director Peter Ricq with screenwriter Phil Ivanusic Vallée. The duo were the creative force behind multiple animated series including The League of Super Evil as well as the live-action feature film Dead Shack.
Once Our Land marks Ricq and Ivanusic-Vallée’s second collaboration with prolific producer Amber Ripley (Entanglement, Dead Shack, Dreamland) and their first collaboration with Mercury Filmworks. The team recently received Telefilm and Harold Greenberg development funds for the feature adaptation.
“Once Our Land is an endearing tale of trust and friendship, family and community. It follows the old adage that it takes a village and at its core is about being united in the face of adversity. I think that’s a very powerful message to share with kids,” commented Ling. “We very much look forward to working with Peter Ricq, Phil Ivanusic Vallee and Goodbye Productions to bring this family animated feature to audiences around the globe.”
“It’s on the strength of this dynamic creative team that we believe in the commercial appeal of the film,” says Ripley. “We are excited to push the boundaries of the Canadian family entertainment into the exciting new frontier that is currently blossoming in our industry.”
Set in 1830’s Europe, Once Our Land tells the story of 11-year-old Ingrid; a young girl forced to fend for herself in a ravaged city overrun by fearsome beasts from another world. It’s in this cruel “past-apocalyptic” world where trust is in short supply that Ingrid forges an unlikely friendship with Fritz, a grizzled, old, eye-patched warrior with an unexpectedly eccentric personality. Together, Fritz and Ingrid embark on a dangerous journey to rid the city they love of the cruel beasts, and to learn to trust again.
Part light survival horror, part action, with strong heart and a healthy dose of levity-bringing humor, Once Our Land is a touching tale of trust and friendship set against the backdrop of eldritch horror.
The film adaptation reunites artist/director Peter Ricq with screenwriter Phil Ivanusic Vallée. The duo were the creative force behind multiple animated series including The League of Super Evil as well as the live-action feature film Dead Shack.
Once Our Land marks Ricq and Ivanusic-Vallée’s second collaboration with prolific producer Amber Ripley (Entanglement, Dead Shack, Dreamland) and their first collaboration with Mercury Filmworks. The team recently received Telefilm and Harold Greenberg development funds for the feature adaptation.
“Once Our Land is an endearing tale of trust and friendship, family and community. It follows the old adage that it takes a village and at its core is about being united in the face of adversity. I think that’s a very powerful message to share with kids,” commented Ling. “We very much look forward to working with Peter Ricq, Phil Ivanusic Vallee and Goodbye Productions to bring this family animated feature to audiences around the globe.”
“It’s on the strength of this dynamic creative team that we believe in the commercial appeal of the film,” says Ripley. “We are excited to push the boundaries of the Canadian family entertainment into the exciting new frontier that is currently blossoming in our industry.”
About Mercury Filmworks
Mercury Filmworks is one of Canada's most prolific independent studios and is internationally recognized as a leader in the animation industry for its benchmarks in quality, reliability, and innovation. Mercury has helped bring to life many of the most memorable, modern animated television and film properties including Hilda, Mickey Mouse, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, The Lion Guard, Wander Over Yonder, Team Hot Wheels, Jake & the Never Land Pirates, Fish Hooks, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Jimmy Two Shoes, Toot & Puddle, Ruby Gloom, Gerald McBoing Boing, Curious George: The Movie, The PowerPuff Girls Movie, and Looney Tunes: Back In Action. Mercury is proud to be associated with partners such as Disney, Netflix, Amazon, AppleTV+, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Universal, American Greetings, Entertainment One, Mattel, Technicolor, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Teletoon. www.mercuryfilmworks.com
About Goodbye Productions
Amber Ripley graduated from her years of work in development with two of the top independent film companies in the marketplace, INFINITY FEATURES and FOUNDATION FEATURES — and went on to launch GOODBYE PRODUCTIONS in 2012. GOODBYE is an independent production company that collaborates with both critically acclaimed and emerging talent to develop, finance and produce engaging features for a worldwide audience. Ripley is driven to continue to cultivate filmmakers with innovative visions and to build films from the ground up that will connect audiences through powerful storytelling.
www.goodbyeproductions.com
About Scout Comics & Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
The Once Our Land graphic novel is available through Scout Comics: www.scoutcomics.com. Scout Comics & Entertainment Holdings, Inc. launched in October 2015 to immediate critical acclaim. Over five years later, the comic book and multi-media company has over 190 titles published and scheduled for future release, spanning the gamut of genres. Additionally, Scout has multiple movie, TV and streaming adaptations in development, including projects at Amazon Studios and Freeform/Disney. For more information, please contact James Haick at store@scoutcomics.com
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