Fed: George Miller gives sneak peek at Happy Feet

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2006
Fed: George Miller gives sneak peek at Happy Feet

By Jonathon Moran, National Entertainment Writer

SYDNEY, Aug 1 AAP - George Miller's new film is shaping as one of Australia's biggest
ever movie productions, using more technological power than the Pentagon.

Selected media and industry types were treated today to a 15-minute sneak peek of Miller's
new animated film, Happy Feet, about a bunch of singing and dancing Emperor penguins.

The multi-million dollar film is a co-production between Village Roadshow Productions
and Warner Bros Pictures and has been several years in the making.

"We are using more computer power than the Pentagon uses," Miller said of the animation
which will hit screens in Australia on Boxing Day.

"We decided a long time ago to make the film as photo-real as possible. We sent two
expeditions down to Antarctica to research and take photographs to capture the landscape
and light."

Happy Feet boasts a strong cast of Hollywood heavyweights, including Robin Williams,
Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, and Australians Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Other Australians voicing characters include Magda Szubanski and Hugo Weaving.

The film tells the story of a group of penguins who can all sing, except Mumble (Wood),
who can't sing a note but can tap dance.

"At the heart, it is a story about belonging," said Miller, whose other film credits
include Babe, Dead Calm and Mad Max.

"Happy Feet is a film unlike any other anyone has ever seen before."

Australian visual effects company Animal Logic has been working on the film at Sydney's
Fox Studios.

Roadshow managing director Joel Pearlman said Happy Feet would be one of the biggest
films to be released this Christmas.

"This is without a doubt one of the most important films we have ever released," said Pearlman.

Happy Feet, which also features the singing voices of Pink and KD Lang, will be released
in the US in November.

Miller said pop star Prince also was penning a song for the film.

"Prince saw the film the other day and was very excited to write something for us," he said.

AAP jwm/pe/nf

KEYWORD: HAPPY (FILE PIX AVAILABLE)

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