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press release: ToonBox’s “The Nut Job” gets US release date

TOONBOX’S 3D ANIMATED FAMILY FILM “THE NUT JOB” WILL BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. JANUARY 17, 2014

FEATURING THE VOICES OF LIAM NEESON, KATHERINE HEIGL, WILL ARNETT & BRENDAN FRASER “THE NUT JOB” IS ACQUIRED BY OPEN ROAD FILMS FOR ALL U.S. DISTRIBUTION

TORONTO (24 April 2013)–Canada’s leading animation studio ToonBox Entertainment Ltd. has announced that its first feature film will be released in the U.S. on  January 17, 2014, marking an exciting new collaboration with distributor Open Road Films to distribute the 3D animated family film The Nut Job.

Open Road Films, headed by CEO Tom Ortenberg, acquired all U.S. distribution rights to The Nut Job, featuring the voice talents of Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Stephen Lang, Sarah Gadon and Jeff Dunham.

The Nut Job is an action-packed comedy set in fictional Oakton that follows the travails of Surly (voiced by Will Arnett), a mischievous squirrel, and his rat friend Buddy, who plan a nut store heist of outrageous proportions and unwittingly find themselves embroiled in a much more complicated and hilarious adventure that brings them face-to-face with some unsavory characters like Raccoon, King, Fingers, Lucky and Knuckles.

Directed by Peter Lepeniotis from a screenplay by Lorne Cameron and Lepeniotis,  The Nut Job is produced by Graham Moloy and WK Jung. Executive producers are Mike Karz and Bill Bindley of Gulfstream Pictures, Jay Ahn, Daniel Woo, Hong Kim and  Tom Yoon. The Nut Job is a collaboration among ToonBox Entertainment Ltd., Korean-based Redrover Co., Ltd. and U.S.-based Gulfstream Pictures. The film is based on director/co-writer Peter Lepeniotis’ 2005 short film Surly Squirrel.

The deal was made with Open Road Films by Hoe-jin Ha, CEO and president of Redrover Co., Ltd., ToonBox Entertainment Ltd.’s strategic partner, and Hong Kim, ToonBox Entertainment’s president and executive producer.

Jay Ahn, ToonBox Entertainment Ltd.’s adviser and executive producer, said: “It  was a long journey for an independent animation studio to secure a wide-release distribution in the U.S., but we have made it. This historic collaborative production between Korea and Canada marks the first such CGI movie in history to be released widely in the U.S. I am thrilled that The Nut Job will be distributed by Open Road Films, the fastest growing domestic distribution company in the U.S., a joint venture of AMC Entertainment Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group.”

Added Ortenberg: “The Nut Job is a smart, fresh and funny movie that family members of all ages will certainly enjoy. We are thrilled to add this clever family title to Open Road’s growing slate.”

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