nWave Pictures, a multinational company dedicated to producing and distributing immersive 3D/4D content worldwide, is celebrating the release of its newest feature, Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness. An engaging story for all with a message of self-acceptance, friendship, and family, the film follows the adventures of Chickenhare, a young half-chicken, half-hare hero adopted by famous hare adventurer King Peter.
nWave Digital is the production arm of nWave Pictures. It was created in 1994 and has more than 25 years of experience in creating animated content. The company is headquartered in a cutting-edge 3D animation studio in Brussels, Belgium.
The studio’s early success in producing ride simulation films allowed it to branch out into developing animated feature films. Now, it has more than 95 titles in its film catalogue, including Bigfoot Family (2020), Robinson Crusoe (2015), The House of Magic (2013), Sammy’s Adventures: Escape from Paradise (2012), Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret Passage (2010) and Fly Me To The Moon (2008).
Bigfoot Family was one of France’s highest-grossing films in 2020, and the latest production aims to build on that success.
Following the release of Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness, nWave’s 9th animated feature film, blooloop spoke to Matthieu Zeller, nWave CEO and co-producer and Caroline Van Iseghem, co-producer, as well as the band Puggy, who were responsible for the film’s soundtrack. Together, they explain the inspiration behind the film, why it has an important message, and what makes this project unique.
From attractions to feature films
nWave has been a pioneer from the start, says Zeller, as he tells us about the company’s journey so far.
“Our studio started producing ride simulation films that were tailor-made for attraction and theme parks. Their success enabled us to fund our first animated feature film, Fly Me To The Moon, back in 2008.”
This was the first CG feature film created as a 3D experience.
“Fly Me To The Moon‘s critical success paved the way for a multitude of projects, each fueled by our passion for animation,” adds Zeller. “Our previous release, Bigfoot Family, remained at the top of the Netflix charts for several weeks.
“We are proud of our film catalogue. This includes a string of animated feature films but also ride simulation films, attraction films and giant screen documentaries. This means that we can entertain families across the globe, from movie theatres to amusement parks, museums, planetariums and more.”
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
Set in a delightful and rich fantasy world, the film’s hero is Chickenhare, who was born half chicken and half hare and later adopted by the hare King Peter, a well-known adventurer. Despite his differences, Chickenhare is, like all of us, keen to fit in and to be loved.
The lovable, clumsy protagonist also has a passion for adventuring, wanting to follow in the footsteps of his adoptive father.
When the Kingdom’s most dastardly villain – Chickenhare’s uncle, Lapin – escapes from prison with a mission to overthrow the hare King, it is up to Chickenhare to save the day. Two sidekicks join him in his adventures: sarcastic turtle Abe and martial arts-loving skunk Meg.
The concept takes inspiration from the work of Chris Grine. It is based on the stories from a graphic novel series by the popular author, originally published by Dark Horse in the 2000s. It was directed by Ben Stassen and Benjamin Mousquet, adapted from a script by David Collard.
“Everything began in 2018 with a brilliant script thought up by Dave Collard and developed by Keith Goldberg,” says Zeller. “This follows the adventures of young Chickenhare, inspired by Chris Grine’s comic book character.
“Immediately excited about the unlikely, relatable hero, I saw the potential for an original franchise about a hybrid creature, a bit naïve and clumsy, who dreams of becoming a great explorer despite his difference and inhibitions.
“His epic quest to find the Hamster of Darkness turns out to be a real coming-of-age journey. Chickenhare gradually learns to open up to others and come to terms with his difference, thanks to two friends we’d all love to have: Abe and Meg.
A message that audiences can identify with
In taking on this unlikely hero, nWave has created an experience completely unlike any of its previous productions. The film also has a strong message that appeals to all, explains Zeller:
“Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness delivers a powerful, universal message of tolerance. It explores the importance of embracing differences, your own and those of others. The movie encourages people to accept who they are and behave according to King Peter’s word of advice to his adopted son Chickenhare; “What makes you different is what makes you special.”
“Anyone who has struggled to come to terms with their hang-ups or their differences will undoubtedly not be quite the same after watching Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness.
“Chickenhare is also unique, essentially because there’s never been, in any animated feature, any character looking directly or indirectly like our half-chicken, half-hare hero.”
The wide appeal of Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
This universal message means that the film appeals to a wider audience. It entertains younger viewers with fun characters while engaging the whole family thanks to its relatable, different hero.
“Ever since nWave’s inception, we have geared our films towards family audiences. Our first three features were intended for a rather young audience, with a core target of kids aged 3-7. Then, we did our best to widen our audience.
“With Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness, we are looking at greater attractiveness and we should reach a wider audience. It is a great challenge to make everyone happy and no one unhappy. With this film, we managed to combine a story and characters that young kids may relate to, as well as their big brothers and sisters, their parents and grandparents taking them to the movies.
Zeller says that the studio is trying to produce movies that encourage co-viewing, allowing families to spend quality time together:
“Younger generations tend to spend time watching screens on their own in their rooms. But we’d like to make it possible for family members to enjoy some time together, whether in a movie theatre or at home. We’d like them to laugh at the same jokes and to keep talking about the movie after they watched it. We just want them to live through a shared experience.”
“The film speaks to younger children who secretly dream of becoming a hero like Chickenhare. And it also speaks to teenagers who face a coming-of-age experience.”
A unique soundtrack
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness features a soundtrack that was specially composed and recorded by Belgian music group Puggy. This was not the first time the group had collaborated with nWave, as the band members explain:
“We already had the opportunity to collaborate with nWave on the soundtrack of two animated features, Bigfoot Junior and Bigfoot Family. When producer Matthieu Zeller asked us to score Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness, we were excited about joining in.”
“The goal is still the same – translating the film’s emotions through music. The point was to write an orchestral score, inspired by the greatest soundtracks of classic adventures movies. We tried to reconnect with the magic of John Williams’ and Hans Zimmer’s scores.
“The role of the music in Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness is to help underline the characters’ various emotions. Every musical theme translates a feeling or a situation in the film. The music is ethereal and helps the audience embrace the soundscape.
“For Chickenhare, we broke away from Puggy’s signature style as we had to come up with an orchestral music score. That is really different from what we usually do.”
Creating during COVID
For nWave, embarking on such a large project pre-pandemic, and managing to stay on track for the film’s release could have been a challenge. However, the crisis brought some unexpected positives, as Van Iseghem explains:
“Concerning the pandemic, this has opened new doors for us. For instance, being able to collaborate with people from the other side of the planet.
“For example, thanks to COVID, we hired Magali Rigaudias, who lives in Australia, as animation director. It was our very first collaboration and we had to work across different time zones. She assumed her role without being able to travel and so without getting to know anyone on the team or any of their strengths or weaknesses.”
Early success for Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness opened to the public for the first time on 16 February 2022 in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. It has already proved to be popular with audiences and has seen good sales figures, despite the lingering effects of the pandemic. This shows that people are keen to get out and have fun experiences together once more:
“Ticket sales keep on rising. It’s great to see that the audience is connecting with our characters’ quest,” says Zeller.
“We can’t wait to share Chickenhare’s adventures with many more territories in the months to come. It’s good to see that people are going back to cinemas. They want to spend some quality time with their families and friends.”
What’s next for nWave?
With this success behind it, the nWave team still has plenty to keep it busy, says Zeller:
“We have many projects in the pipeline, there’s never a dull moment. In addition to releasing Chickenhare, we’ve also collaborated with the acclaimed artist Stromae.”
“He reached out to us to discuss an idea that he had for his upcoming tour. He wanted to have an avatar of himself accompanying him in his performance. So, we worked on several visuals and the result is mind-blowing. We are very grateful and honoured to have been entrusted with his vision.”
LBE content
As well as nWave’s feature films, it also creates content for location-based entertainment and institutional venues. Its productions feature in theme parks, attraction parks, FECs, science centres, museums, zoos, aquariums and more.
It is the studio behind a variety of popular titles including Robinson Crusoe 4D, The House of Magic 4D, Haunted Mansion 4D, Knights Quest 4D, The Lost World 4D, The Little Prince 4D, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 4D, Turtle Vision 4D, Pirate Story 3D, Snow Ride 3D and Haunted House 4D.
“As far as the attractions market goes, we have also completed a brand-new ride in partnership with Gameloft: Asphalt 4D: Rush Ride. Based on the famous Asphalt franchise, this is the ultimate car race experience. And we do it with style because it only features Porsche models,” says Zeller.
Racing fans across the globe have downloaded the award-winning Asphalt franchise by Gameloft one billion times. For this project, the leading video game developer provided its top-level gameplay expertise. Meanwhile, nWave provided 3D conversion of film images to match the industry standard.
As a result of the combination of both companies’ expertise, audiences are now able to enjoy the thrill of arcade races in 3D/4D theatres. Installations are currently available in over 100 markets served by nWave. They will experience special effects not found in classical gaming environments, for instance, moving seats, wind effects, and water splashes.
Underwater adventures
Finally, the nWave team is also putting the finishing touches on a 2D documentary on lemon sharks. Filming took place off the coast of Brazil.
“It features beautiful imagery and studies a female specimen and her unique hunting techniques,” says Zeller. “We teamed up with long-time collaborators Saint Thomas Productions for this giant screen film. They have a very poetic approach to themes dealing with the balance between flora and fauna. We can’t wait for educational venues to dive underwater with us.”
In conclusion, Zeller adds:
“There are lots of exciting projects we’d love to talk about. But we need to keep them secret…for now!”
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness is produced by nWave Pictures and Octopolis, in co-production with America’s Sony Pictures International Productions. It was released in theatres across Europe in 2022, in both 2D and 3D versions.
