‘Arcane’ Animation Studio Fortiche Production Preps Sci-Fi Feature ‘Penelope of Sparta,’ Inspired by Greek Mythology (EXCLUSIVE)
“Arcane” producer Fortiche Production revealed its next project at the Annecy Animation Festival today, a sci-fi animated feature titled “Penelope of Sparta” set in a world inspired by Greek mythology.
Currently in development, “Penelope of Sparta” is Fortiche’s first push into original feature film production. The film is being developed by studio co-founder and “Arcane” producer Jérôme Combe and Silvia Martelossi, an animator on “The Secret Life of Pets 2” and “The Grinch.” Raël Lyra is the film’s art director.
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According to Fortiche, “‘Penelope of Sparta’ will utilize the studio’s unique graphic signature – mixing 2D with a painted visual made in 3D – that has proven appeal among animation fans worldwide and garnered multiple critical acclaim.”
Further reinforcing the “Arcane” connection, “Penelope of Sparta” is being developed with screenwriter Amanda Overton, an executive story editor for nine episodes of the Emmy and Annie-winning Netflix series.
With today’s announcement, Combe told Variety, “We felt a strong desire to embark on an original project and to create a feature film specifically designed for the cinema, following the success of ‘Arcane.’ In an era where most projects are reboots or based on existing IPs, our challenge was to develop something original while staying on familiar ground for audiences. Thus, we decided to adapt one of the oldest ‘IPs’ in history – Homer’s “Odyssey” – a story known to all.”
“This allows us to leverage Fortiche’s unique expertise and talent. Our new project delves into the untold story of Penelope, exploring who she was before the image we have of her today,” he continued. “It’s a passion project that combines our love for coming-of-age narratives and sci-fi elements.”
Aimed at audiences 13 and older, the YA film is a sci-fi coming-of-age story Penelope, the heroine from Homer’s The Odyssey. Set in a world inspired by ancient Greece, it will follow the seventeen-year-old as she attends an elite high school with other famous characters of lore, including Achilles, Helen, Circe, Agamemnon and Odysseus.
Given the lofty social standing of the students, the atmosphere is highly competitive. While most of the kids are constantly trying to one-up each other, Penelope ignores the typical motivations of her peers and instead focuses on a mission given to her by her father, the King of Sparta, who has tasked the girl with freeing the people of Sparta from Athens’ imperial clutches.
Fortiche’s synopsis sums up the film’s narrative in short: “For Penelope, high school isn’t a party; it’s war.”
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