July 10th, 2023 
Jerry Beck 
Blue Fox Entertainment announced today its acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to the animated comedy adventure, The Inventor, which made its world premiere in competition at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival last month. The directorial debut of Oscar nominee Jim Capobianco (screenwriter of Ratatouille), The Inventor is a stop-motion film about the life of Leonardo da Vinci featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry. The imaginative and family-friendly feature is written and directed by Capobianco and co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon. Blue Fox will release The Inventor in the U.S. theatrically nationwide on August 25th, 2023.
The Inventor tells the story of the insatiably curious and headstrong inventor/artist Leonardo da Vinci (Stephen Fry) as he leaves Italy to join the French court where he can freely experiment, invent flying contraptions and incredible machines, and study the human body. Joined in his adventure by the audacious Princess Marguerite (Daisy Ridley), Leonardo attempts to uncover the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of life?”
Said James Huntsman of Blue Fox, “We applaud Jim and his talented team and artist and actors for jumping into the world of stop motion animation. It’s a route few filmmakers take but we are thrilled they did. The results are amazing and we are proud to take INVENTOR to theaters and audiences nationwide.”
Producers of The Inventor are Robert Rippberger (p.g.a.) of SIE Films, Jim Capobianco, Adrian Politowski, and Martin Metz. Music is scored by Alex Mandel (Brave). Director of Photography is Marijke Van Kets. Production Designer is Samuel Ribeyron. Editor is Nicolas Flory. The film is a co-production among the United States, France, and Ireland.
“I am thrilled that Blue Fox has leaped forward to bring ‘The Inventor’ to theaters where audiences can experience Leonardo da Vinci’s adventures on the big screen,” stated director Capobianco. “His legacy proves that through our actions, we can inspire those around us—girls, boys, women, and men—to be curious, to challenge the status quo, to think in new ways, and to be inventors in their own lives.”
The deal for The Inventor was negotiated between Blue Fox, The Exchange, Slated, and producer Robert Rippberger of SIE Films. International rights are handled by mk2. In France, the film will be released by KMBO in January 2024.
Hired at Disney in their story department, Jim Capobianco worked on various films at Disney including The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Fantasia 2000. In 1997, Jim left Disney to join Pixar. He worked as a story artist on A Bug’s Life and contributed story material to Toy Story 2. He continued to help shape the story of such films as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Up, Inside Out and Coco. He also directed the critically acclaimed end titles for WALL-E. In 2001, Jim helped craft the screenplay for Ratatouille and was a constant presence on the production, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Jim also wrote and directed Your Friend the Rat and the 2D animated sequence in Mary Poppins Returns, winning Annie Awards for both.
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