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Stars: Claire Forlani, Jamie Bamber, Riley Jackson, Isaac Rouse, Nigel Barber, Atanas Srebrev, Nathan Cooper, Lorina Kamburova, Delly Allen, J.R. Esposito | Written by Regina Luvitt, Phillip J. Roth | Directed by Eric Summer

Disaster strikes a downtown skyscraper when a gas leak causes a ferocious explosion setting ablaze the towering mass of metal and glass. On the 60th floor Brianna (Forlani) and Tom (Bamber) a couple in the middle of a divorce settlement are forced to work together to help save their two children, Anne and Ben, who are both trapped in the building’s elevator hovering 20 stories above ground. Together Brianna and Tom must fight to stay alive while teaming up to save their children and escape the towering inferno.

Hmmmm, Inferno: Skyscraper Escape? Sounds very much like a product of The Asylum, timed to cash in on That other big-budget Skyscraper movie releasing in July. It’s not though.

Exclusive: High Octane Pictures has picked up North American rights to thriller Skyscraper Escape (previously known as Crystal Inferno), starring Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black) and Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica).

After striking a deal with French seller Free Dolphin International, High Octane plans to release Skyscraper Escape later this summer. In the film, directed by Eric Summer (Leap!), disaster strikes a downtown high-rise when a gas leak causes a ferocious explosion, setting ablaze the towering mass of metal and glass. On the 20th floor, Brianna (Forlani) and Tom (Bamber), a couple in the middle of a divorce settlement, are forced to work together to help save their two children.

“High Octane Pictures is excited to bring this very exciting film to Us and Canadian audiences,” said Galen Christy, founder of High Octane Pictures. “This is a film that has it all – first-rate performances, terrific action, a thrilling, high-concept storyline and state-of-the-art visual effects.

The Weinstein Company is partnering with Lollipop Theater Network, an organization dedicated to bringing the magic of current movies to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, to kick off a multi-screening series of Leap! in hospitals across the Los Angeles area. The Éric Summer and Éric Warin-directed animated film, which follows 11-year-old orphan Félicie (Elle Fanning), who dreams of becoming a dancer in Paris, and her best friend Victor (Nat Wolff), who…...

Generations apart, but connected by chutzpah and talent, Mel Brooks and Kate McKinnon have two of the most signature voices in comedy. Now, try to identify their characters in “Leap!,” the latest mediocrity for children from the Weinstein Company.

Either they were both so ashamed by the humorless script that they masked their voices well, or it’s impossible to imagine either one in the movie’s shockingly lifeless version of 1880s Paris. Directed by Eric Summer and Éric Warin from a script by Summer, Laurent Zeitoun, and Carol Noble, this filmmaking-by-committee approach ensured “Leap!” got tugged in a million different directions — and none of them good. The movie is weighed down by too many secondary characters, which only serve to dissipate their flickering charms. No one in the film, even our heroine, gets more than a hint of backstory as the single-minded plot careens toward its predictable conclusion.

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Leap! (2017) Video Movie Review, a L’Atelier Animation movie directed by Eric Summer and Éric Warin and starring Elle Fanning as Felicie, Nat Wolff as Victor, Mel Brooks as Luteau, Carly Rae Jespen as Odette and Kate McKinnon as Regine. In this video review, I delve into Eric Summer and Éric Warin’s Leap! and discuss the film’s story, [...]

Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Leap! (2017): Graceful Animation, But Clumsy Acting...

Chicago – One of the rites of passage for most girls in the U.S.(and elsewhere, I presume) is ballet lessons. Usually it lasts for a very short time, but some girls-to-women keep pursuing it, and may even become prima ballerinas. A new animated film named “Leap!” is dedicated to that spirit.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

The headline is a lyric quote from “A Chorus Line” and their magnificent song “At the Ballet,” about the longing and destiny of dance. There is a bit of that in “Leap!,” but mostly it deals with the usual plucky-orphan-sticking-it-to-the-man and becoming a ballerina against all odds. And since it works at a kid’s level, the story is nothing to write home about. But the choreography is the thing in this one, as the animators used the exquisite movements of ballerinas and reproduced them in cartoon characters. For every little girl who has taken the dance stage,...

Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Cut to the Feeling” may be the song of this never-ending summer, but audiences in France and the UK have been grooving to this irresistible pop masterpiece since last December (about six months before it was available for digital download). Recorded during the creation of Jepsen’s monumental “E•Mo•Tion” LP, “Cut to the Feeling” was deemed “too cinematic” for inclusion on the record, and set aside for future use. For mere mortals, this euphoric jam would have been a career-defining milestone; for Jepsen, it was merely a B-side.

Fortunately, it wouldn’t be long before the song found a home, as its singer — one of post-Gretzky Canada’s finest cultural exports — offered it to a Montreal animation studio when she agreed to voice one of the characters in their animated feature, “Ballerina.”

Retitled “Leap!” for its impending U.S. release, the harmlessly inspirational kids...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Cheesy Euro ballerina-porn cartoon is full of dated animation, cringeworthy attempts at humor, bizarre anachronisms, and a terrible message for little kids. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for movies about girls and women

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Ballet. It’s not that difficult, Anyone can dance ballet — I’m talking world-class ballet, not gradeschoolers twirling in tutus — as long as they really really want to. Everyone knows this.

That’s why it’s so easy for Felicie (the voice of Elle Fanning: The Beguiled, Live by Night), a tween orphan in late 1880s France who runs away to a Disney-esque Parisland, to lie and cheat her way into a ballet school at the prestigious Paris Opera, get cast in a production of The Nutcracker, and perform without benefit of a single rehearsal.

First release will be Leap!, featuring Elle Fanning.

The Weinstein Company (TWC) is launching an animation-focused distribution label titled Mizchief.

The first release under the new banner will be Eric Summer and Éric Warin’s Leap! [pictured]. The animated feature has a voice cast including Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff, Maddie Ziegler, with Carly Rae Jepsen, Kate McKinnon, and Mel Brooks. Leap! has been given a Us release date of Aug 25.

Mizchief’s second release will be The Guardian Brothers, from director Gary Wang and Life Chaser Animation Studios. The film’s voice cast includes Meryl Streep, Mel brooks, Nicole Kidman, Edward Norton, Dan Fogler, and Bella Thorne.

The company, which has scaled back its theatrical operations in the past 18 months, said in a press release that it is planning to build its slate of animated films and that it has two projects in development – adaptations of Philip Pullman’s The Firework-Makers Daughter and George Selden’s The Cricket In Times Square.

TWC...

"What if she's good, mother?" The Weinstein Company has revealed a new trailer for animated film Leap!, also known as Ballerina, telling the story of a young ballerina in Paris. The film already opened in theaters in most of Europe, and was scheduled for release in the Us in March until TWC pushed it back to August. So this is another reminder that it's still not out yet, but will (finally) be soon. This is originally from France, but has been redubbed with English voices: Elle Fanning as Félicie Milliner, Dane DeHaan, Maddie Ziegler and Carly Rae Jepsen. The story is about an orphan girl who dreams of being a ballerina. She ends up in Paris where she tries her best to make her dreams come true. I'm tired of waiting for this already. Here's the second official Us trailer for Eric Summer & Éric Warin's Leap!, direct from YouTube:...

The Weinstein Company’s animated comedy “Leap!” will have a nationwide release Labor Day weekend, the company announced Tuesday. The movie was originally slated for an April 21 release. The film follows an 11-year-old orphan (Elle Fanning), who dreams of moving to Paris and becoming a dancer — but faces plenty of obstacles. “Leap!” also stars Nat Wolff and Maddie Ziegler, along with Carly Rae Jepsen, Kate McKinnon, and Mel Brooks. Jepsen, Demi Lovato and Sia provided original music for the movie. “Leap!” was directed by Eric Summer and Éric Warin and produced in partnership with Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou of Quad Productions,...

Two orphans with a dream give it their all in the latest trailer for The Weinstein Company's upcoming animated film Leap! Directed by Éric Summer and Éric Warin and written by Carol Noble, Eric Summer and Laurent Zeitoun, Leap! follows 11-year-old orphan Félicie (Elle Fanning), who dreams of becoming a dancer in Paris, and her best friend Victor (Nat Wolff), an imaginative, but exhausting boy with a passion for creating has a dream of his own, to become a famous inventor…...

"You're a weirdo." The Weinstein Company has debuted a new trailer for the animated movie titled Leap!, originally titled Ballerina. The film has already opened in theaters in most of Europe, and is scheduled to open in the Us in March. It's actually originally from France, but has been redubbed with English voices, including Elle Fanning as the voice of Félicie Milliner, as well as Dane DeHaan, Maddie Ziegler and Carly Rae Jepsen. The story is about an orphan girl who dreams of being a ballerina. She ends up in Paris where she tries her best to make her dreams come true. We posted the UK trailer for this movie previously, which I said reminds me of Frozen with all the twirling, but this new trailer seems to be better. Take a look. Here's the new Us trailer (+ UK poster) for Eric Summer & Éric Warin's Leap!, originally from The Playlist: Set in 1879 Paris.

“Follow your dreams” may not be the theme of every animated movie ever made, but it is a common message for a bunch of them, from Moana to Sing. And next year brings yet one more in the same mold, Leap! directed by Eric Summer and Éric Warin. Elle Fanning voices the lead, a plucky young orphan named Félicie in Belle […]

The post ‘Leap!’ Trailer: Elle Fanning’s Dreams Take Flight in 19th Century Paris appeared first on /Film.

The Weinstein Company will release the animated period picture Leap! on March 3 of next year, they said today. Directed by Eric Summer and Eric Warin, Leap! stars Elle Fanning and is set in Paris in 1884 and follows an orphaned girl who arrives in Paris. Only 11 years old, the girl has no money but does have a passion to become a ballet dancer. So she borrows someone else’s identity and enters the Opera Ballet School. Mentored by the tough and mysterious woman, she learns…...

Author: Stefan Pape

When Eric Summer and Éric Warin’s animation Ballerina begins, you wouldn’t be blamed for wanting to get up and leave after five minutes. A cheaply devised opening act that introduces what appears to be the most infuriatingly optimistic of protagonists should set the precedence for a film that continues in such an unbearable fashion, but as we progress the unwavering enthusiasm of the lead role becomes somewhat infectious, and as she grows on us, in turn so does the movie, and by the end it’s hard not to be caught up in the charm of this enchanting piece of cinema.

Set in 1879, the aforementioned character is Félicie Milliner (Elle Fanning), an orphan who wants nothing more than to escape to Paris and fulfil her dreams of becoming a ballerina. Alongside her best friend Victor (Dane DeHaan), the pair find themselves in the capital, and...

"We should never give up on our dreams." Gaumont and Entertainment One have debuted a full UK trailer for the French animated film Ballerina, about a young red-headed orphan girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina in Paris in the late 1800s. The English-language version of the film features Elle Fanning as the voice of Félicie Milliner, as well as Dane DeHaan, Maddie Ziegler and Carly Rae Jepsen providing other voices. This doesn't compare to Disney or Pixar, but it does have its charms and it does have a fiercely passionate inspirational side to it. If anything, this reminds me a bit of Frozen with all the dancing around and spinning. The story seems to be a bit cliched, but maybe there's something more to this hidden within. Here's the official UK trailer (+ poster) for Eric Summer & Éric Warin's Ballerina, found on YouTube: Set in 1879 Paris. An orphan girl...

The Weinstein Company has acquired Us rights to the upcoming animated film Ballerina.

In–demand Elle Fanning, who stars in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Competition entry The Neon Demon, features in the voice cast alongside Maggie Ziegler and Carly Rae Japsen.

Eric Summer and Eric Warin direct Ballerina, which Screen understands is a working title. The story takes place in 1884 as an ambitious orphan arrives in Paris and trains at the Opera Ballet School under someone else’s identity.

She learns from a tough mentor that talent alone is not enough and she must work hard to succeed. Finally she meets her soul mate, an inventor, and together they inspire each other to achieve their dream.

Carole Noble and Laurent Zeitoun wrote the screenplay, and the producers are Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, and Laurent Zeitoun of Quad Productions, Main Journey and Andre Rouleau and Valerie D’Auteuil of Caramel Film.

Klaus Badelt composes...

The Weinstein Company has acquired Us rights from Gaumont to the upcoming animated film.

In–demand Elle Fanning, who stars in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Competition entry The Neon Demon, features in the voice cast alongside Maggie Ziegler and Carly Rae Japsen.

Eric Summer and Eric Warin direct Ballerina, which Screen understands is a working title. The story takes place in 1884 as an ambitious orphan arrives in Paris and trains at the Opera Ballet School under someone else’s identity.

She learns from a tough mentor that talent alone is not enough and she must work hard to succeed. Finally she meets her soul mate, an inventor, and together they inspire each other to achieve their dream.

Carole Noble and Laurent Zeitoun wrote the screenplay, and the producers are Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, and Laurent Zeitoun of Quad Productions, Main Journey and Andre Rouleau and Valerie D’Auteuil of Caramel Film.

Klaus Badelt composes...

The Weinstein Company has picked up U.S. rights to the upcoming animated film Ballerina, starring Elle Fanning, Maddie Ziegler and Carly Rae Jepsen. Directed by Eric Summer and Eric Warin, the historical drama is set in 1884 Paris and follows Félicie Milliner (Fanning), an orphaned girl with no money but one big, passionate dream: to become a dancer. With nothing left to lose, she takes a huge risk, stealing the identity of a spoiled brat and entering the prestigious…...

The Weinstein Co. has picked up U.S. rights to directors Eric Summer and Eric Warin’s French animated movie “Ballerina,” TheWrap has learned. Elle Fanning, pop star Carly Rae Jepsen and Maggie Ziegler are attached to voice the lead characters in the English-lanuage version of the film, which is currently in production in Montreal, Canada. The music composer is Klaus Badelt (“Room”) and songs will be written and produced by Chris Braide, known for his collaboration with Sia, Selena Gomez and Beyoncé Fanning will voice Felicie Milliner, an 11-year-old orphan in 1880s France who aspires to become a professional...

Exclusive: Violin prodigy Alix Vaillot [pictured] stars as a musician battling blindness.

Gaumont has been pulling in sales on Michel Boujenah’s touching drama Heartstrings, starring French violin prodigy Alix Vaillot as a young musician battling blindness, ahead of its official roll-out at the Afm. Other cast include Charles Berling and Pascal Elbe.

The film has sold to Japan (Kino Films), Canada (Az Films) and Korea (Woo Sung). A deal to Germany and Switzerland (Ascot Elite) was announced over the summer. “It’s rare to get a Japanese pre-sale on a script for a French film,” comments Gaumont’s deputy head of international sales Yohann Comte.

The comedy-drama – based on Pascal Ruter’s best-seller Le Coeur en Braille – is in the vein of this year’s French box-office hit La Famille Bélier, adds Comte. Vaillot plays a young girl with musical aspirations, battling her parents’ plans to put her in an institution for the blind. Such a move...

Exclusive: Violin prodigy Alix Vaillot [pictured] stars as a musician battling blindness.

Gaumont has been pulling in sales on Michel Boujenah’s touching drama Heartstrings, starring French violin prodigy Alix Vaillot as a young musician battling blindness, ahead of its official roll-out at the Afm. Other cast include Charles Berling and Pascal Elbe.

The film has sold to Japan (Kino Films), Canada (Az Films) and Korea (Woo Sung). A deal to Germany and Switzerland (Ascot Elite) was announced over the summer. “It’s rare to get a Japanese pre-sale on a script for a French film,” comments Gaumont’s deputy head of international sales Yohann Comte.

The comedy-drama – based on Pascal Ruter’s best-seller Le Coeur en Braille – is in the vein of this year’s French box-office hit La Famille Bélier, adds Comte. Vaillot plays a young girl with musical aspirations, battling her parents’ plans to put her in an institution for the blind. Such a move...