UK-based Odyssey Entertainment will handle international sales anddistribution on Starz Animation's $45m CG family animated comedy Sheepish.

Starz Animation is a division of Starz Media, the newly configuredmedia company run by John Malone's Liberty Media Corporation and based aroundits Starz US pay-TV network. Starz recently bought IDT Entertainment and indoing so assumed control of Film Roman, Anchor Bay Entertainment and MangaEntertainment. Starz also inherited a pact between IDT and Fox whereby CG-animatedfilms are distributed by Fox in the domestic market until 2008. Fox recentlyreleased Everyone's Heroand plans to open Sheepish in the first quarter of 2008.

Sheepish centreson Harley, the brazen leader of a pack of macho wolves who undergoes karmicretribution when he is transformed into a sheep.

Daniel St Pierre and Kevin Johnson will direct and MarciaGwendolyn Jones is producing. Starz animation president Janet Healy and chiefcreative officer Jerry Davis will oversee the creative team and are serving asexecutive producers alongside Odyssey's Ralph Kamp and Louise Goodsill.

Voice casting is currently underway and physical production is setto take place in Toronto.

Odyssey Entertainment and Starz Animation are also workingalongside producer John H Williams' Vanguard Animation (part owned by Starz) onthe upcoming Space Chimps, which will also be released domestically by Twentieth CenturyFox in summer 2008.

Odyssey and Vanguard have previously collaborated on the animatedtitles Valiant starringthe voices of Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais and John Cleese, and HappilyN'Ever After, whichstars Sigourney Weaver, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr, and willbe released by Lionsgate on Jan 5, 2007.

"Knowing the calibre of talent and depth of creativityinvolved in this project, it was a perfect match to partner with StarzAnimation to tell such a universal and endearing story," Kamp and Goodsillsaid.

"We're thrilled to entrust Sheepish to the experts at Odyssey Entertainmentwho are certain to represent this project with the same enthusiasm we have asproducers," Neil Braun, president of distribution and marketing, for StarzMedia said. "In Odyssey's capable hands, we will ensure success in theinternational marketplace."