Vanguard Animation and IDT Entertainment have started productionon their CG-animated feature Space Chimps.

The comedy follows the galactic misadventures of a haplessdescendant of the first chimpanzees in space and will be distributeddomestically through IDT's multi-picture deal with Twentieth Century Fox.

Character design and storyboarding are currently underwayin Vancouver at IDT Entertainment and Vanguard's CG animation studio. OdysseyEntertainment is handling international sales and has already sold out all themajor territories.

Vanguard chief executive officer John H Williams is producing andVanguard's Eric Bennett and Neil Braun serve as executive producers along withIDT Entertainment chief executive officer Morris Berger and IDT executivesStephen R Brown, Janet Healy and Jerry Davis.

Norton Virgien and Donovan Cook direct from a screenplay by KirkDeMicco. Jason Venokur, Dave Goetsch and Ross Venokur also worked on the screenplay.

IDTEntertainment owns approximately 23% of Vanguard Animation.