New production house Unlimited Stories is set to make a splash with its first animation/live-action feature project Monky that will use similar cutting-edge animation techniques to Disney’s The Jungle Book.

The ground-breaking project supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond will be directed by Dalecarlians’ Maria Blom based on a script by Anders Weidemann (30°in February). Cast members include Frida Hallgren (As it is in Heaven), Johan Petersson (Partaj) and Julius Hugoson (from the Sune or Andersson family series).

Hollywood/Stockholm-based Henrik Tamm (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) has been hired as concept designer and creator for the CGI animated monkey, central character in the film.

Unlimited’s producer Patrick Ryborn (behind the Sune film series) told nordicfilmandtvnews.com: “The animation of the monkey in the film will be like in The Jungle Book where we animate and create a life-like gibbon ape. This has not been done in Scandinavia before and as far as I know, not in Europe either. We have prepared the film for three years, including one full year for the development of the conceptual images. It will take us at least as long for the post-production to achieve 100% realism on Monky."

Maria Blom said: “With Monky I want to invite audiences to a rich, swinging, breathtaking and thrilling ride with room for both laughter and tears. Everyone will want a Monky at home after watching this movie. I can promise that!”

The SEK 40 million project is produced by Unlimited Stories in co-production with Film Väst, SVT, Chimney Group and Nouvago Capital, with support from the Fund and the Swedish Film Institute.

Nordisk Film handles domestic distribution. Delivery date is set for Christmas 2017.