After a name switch, years of delay and several changes in the roster of creative talent, animated space opera "Titan A.E." is now shaping up to be a major merchandising player for summer 2000.
Toy giant Hasbro has signed on to produce action figures, model spaceships and other products aimed at exploiting the film's youth and science fiction appeal, entertainment daily Variety reported Wednesday. In addition, Dark Horse Comics and Penguin Books will publish print tie-ins, while Cranky Boy, Changes and Channel K all have "Titan"-branded clothing in the pipeline.
Originally called "Planet Ice," the film is set in the future -- the "A.E." of the new title refers to "After Earth" in homage to the destruction of the Earth by aliens several years previously. The loss of the mother planet forces the remnants of humankind into a nomadic existence aboard spacecraft scattered throughout the galaxy.
Only the recovery of the lost, now legendary starship Titan from the uncharted depths of space can re-kindle humanity's hope for the future and keep the species from slowly dying out in a hostile universe.
The film, a blend of traditional animation and computer-generated visuals, was originally slated for a late 1998 release, but was soon delayed by slow development and script rewrites. Production studio Fox Animation replaced original director Art Vitello in August 1998, at which time Gary Goldman and veteran film animator Don Bluth took over the project.
Likewise, extensive rewrites of the original story by "Titan A.E." creator Ben Edlund, who worked with Vitello on the cult cartoon "The Tick," kept pushing the target date back. The film is now tentatively set to hit theaters June 16.
Noteworthy celebrity voices appearing in "Titan A.E." include Matt Damon, who plays the 19-year-old protagonist; Bill Pullman, as an acerbic starship captain; John Leguizamo; Nathan Lane; Hank Azaria and the inimitable Drew Barrymore.
The "Titan" toy deal is Hasbro's first major tie-in merchandising push with Fox since "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace."
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