Indie Sales Unveils Animation Sequel Richard the Stork 2, Seals Major Deals (EXCLUSIVE)

Paris-based company Indie Sales (My Life as a Zucchini) has scored a raft of pre-sales on Richard the Stork 2, the sequel of the hit animated feature about a daring little sparrow that traveled to 155 countries.

Paris-based company Indie Sales (“My Life as a Zucchini”) has scored a raft of pre-sales on “Richard the Stork 2,” the sequel of the hit animated feature about a daring little sparrow that traveled to 155 countries.

The company is introducing the project to buyers at the AFM with an exclusive promo reel. Directed by Mette Rank Tange and Benjamin Quabeck, “Richard the Stork 2” has already pre-sold to a flurry of territories, including Finland and Scandinavia (SF Studios), France (Paradis/Orange Studio), Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Wild Bunch Germany), Israel (Five Stars), Turkey (Filmarti), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), ex-Yugoslavia (Karantanija), as well as CIS (Nashe Kino) and the Baltics (Garsu Pasaulio Irasai).

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The first film, “Richard the Stork,” was released in North America as “A Stork’s Journey” and grossed over $20 million worldwide.

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The sequel follows Richard, a sparrow who was adopted by a stork family and is wintering at the Great Lake in Northern Africa when he realizes that he won’t be the one to lead the flock back North. Richard decides to fly away to travel on his own and crosses paths with Samia and her sparrow flock who are being held captive by evil marabous under the control of the greedy peacock Zamano.

“Richard the Stork 2” reteams Kristine M.I. Knudsen and Lan Rommel at Berlin-based Knudsen Pictures, Eric Goossens and Anton Roebben at Walking the Dog in Belgium, and Bergen-based Den Siste Skilling.

Set to premiere during the first half of 2023, the sequel boasts a score composed by Eric Neveux, whose credits include “Poly,” “Samsam” and “Nicholas on Holiday.”

Indie Sales’ track record in animation includes “My Life as a Zucchini,” which earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and traveled to more than 80 territories.

The company is looking to continue acquiring big-budget animated features along with prestigious arthouse animated films. Recent pickups include Alain Ughetto’s critically acclaimed stop-motion feature “No Dogs or Italians Allowed,” which received two awards at Annecy, including the Jury Prize.

Several animation studios were tapped to produce the feature, including Walking the Dog, as well as Mideu Films in Germany, Apparat Animasion in Bergen and ShortCut Nordisk Film in Norway.

More pics of “Richard the Stork 2”:

Co-producers on “Richard the Stork 2” are Mia Wallace Prods., BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, Mediefondet Zefyr and Norddeutscher Rundfunk, in collaboration with Short Cut Nordisk Film. The feature is supported by Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Filmförderungsanstalt, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Kuratorium junger deutscher Film, Belgian Tax Shelter system of the Belgian Federal Government, Screen Flanders, Screen Brussels, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Norsk Filminstitutt, Mediefondet Zefyr and Creative Europe.

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