CATSAWAY, the animated feature film I was hired to develop, is finally a GO now that Image Nation Abu Dhabi has joined the team!
“The story is perfectly constructed, with compelling characterizations and appealing plot. My idea for 'Catsaway' would NEVER have happened without the assistance of Phil. I am very grateful to work with him and still continue to do so. Thank you for running such a fine business. Great work!”
- director Fadel AlMehiri (Tent Pictures Productions)
Image Nation Abu Dhabi - a stellar track record
It took the director and producers of CATSAWAY a few years to get here, with starts and stops along the way, but that is par for the course in the film industry. The difference now is that the people who hired me to write the CATSAWAY animation treatment have sold the project to Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the production company behind the Netflix war thriller MOSUL, the Academy Award-winning documentary FREE SOLO, and many more!
Image Nation Abu Dhabi is investing additional funds into the project and will co-produce CATSAWAY with Tent Pictures. There's no stopping the train on this one now!
As usual in the movie business, others worked on the story after me, but I was the first to develop the concept. The director has promised that only he and I will receive a 'Story by' credit in the film. Let's hope Image Nation Abu Dhabi honors that agreement.
Where it began - animation writer hired for CATSAWAY
In the beginning, Fadel brought me a basic three-page concept about cats living on the streets of Abu Dhabi, showed me rough character sketches, and asked me to turn it into a story for a film.
I wrote a 30-page treatment that he loved, he decided on the name CATSAWAY, and the project took off from there.
"I am beyond thrilled with Phil's screenwriting work on my animated feature film CATSAWAY. A special shout out to him for helping shepherd me through the maze of perfecting the story. Way to go! The animated TV pilot script we hired him to write is also excellent. Well done!"
- director Fadel AlMehiri (Tent Pictures Productions)
My treatment excited the director so much that he created posters, clay models, CATSAWAY merchandise, displays at exhibitions, commissioned animated teasers, and more!
The project took on a life of its own and attracted a lot of attention in Abu Dhabi. The director was interviewed on TV, newspaper articles were written about the project, and Fadel was invited to speak at conventions. It was exciting to watch all this happening! Hats off to Fadel for working tirelessly to make his dream of an animated film a reality.
What's next for CATSAWAY?
Now, CATSAWAY moves to the next phase. Image Nation Abu Dhabi is casting voice-over talent for the animated characters, and the animated frames are being collated. If all goes well, the Arabic version of the film will be be released in Abu Dhabi and surrounding regions in early 2022, followed by an English version with a wider release.
Animation writer for hire
Need a screenwriter for your next animation project? Please feel free to contact me for a chat anytime. Click this link for a short sample of my animation treatment for CATSAWAY.
About screenwriter Phil Parker
Phil is a dual-citizen American/Aussie screenwriter based in Sydney, Australia. After graduating with an MA in film production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Phil worked for the BBC, The History Channel, and several major networks as a Creative Producer. He now writes assignments for producers and directors in the US, Australia, the UK, India, and Italy. CATSAWAY, the animated adventure he was hired to develop, was recently sold and is in pre-production. His current writing assignment is a WWII action/adventure inspired by true events.
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