EXCLUSIVE: New UK and Ireland kids and family animated feature distributor Kazoo Films has picked up HitPig!, starring Jason Sudeikis, from GFM Animation. Kazoo will release the film in the UK and Ireland.
Kazoo Films, launched by The Amazing Maurice producers Cantilever Media, has also appointed a new head of marketing, Michael Guerrero. The new hire has been made with the support of the UK Global Screen Fund’s Business Development Fund.
Guerrero was most recently SVP global creative marketing at Studiocanal, and previously worked as head of marketing at Pathe UK. He has also worked at Altitude and eOne.
HitPig! follows a clever bounty hunting pig (Sudeikis) who catches escaped animals and returns them to their owners. The next job for HitPig is his biggest yet: returning a dancing elephant named Pickles (Lilly Singh) to a maniacal Vegas showman (Rainn Wilson), for a million bucks.
The film is produced by Adam Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum of Aniventure, alongside CG animation by Cinesite.
Kazoo Films plans to release up to four films annually in the UK and Ireland, including both Cantilever Media productions and collaborations with international producers and sales agents.
Guerrero will work with Kazoo CEO Andrew Baker on the theatrical release and marketing campaigns for the company’s slate of titles, starting with its first release Night At The Zoopocalyse, which premieres in the UK later this year.
He will also liaise with Kazoo’s strategic partner Viva Pictures in the US with the two companies collaborating on marketing and promotions for select joint titles to maximise reach in both territories.
Viva Pictures released HitPig! in the US in November 2024 across 2,107 screens.
Baker said: “Not only does Michael have a huge amount of industry experience, he also has the passion and enthusiasm for the business model we have put in place at Kazoo for the release of animated family features in the UK and Ireland. We are so grateful to the BFI for their support which has enabled us to bring on board someone of Michael’s calibre. We’re excited to get started on the campaigns for our first release Night At The Zooplocalyse as well as our newly acquired HitPig!.”
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