The Tales from Sanctuary City
| The Tales from Sanctuary City | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Kristen Souvlis Nadine Bates |
| Original work | The Wishmas Tree (2020) |
| Owner | Like a Photon Creative |
| Years | 2020–present |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Sanctuary World (2020) |
The Tales from Sanctuary City is a media franchise created and managed by Australian children's production company Like a Photon Creative co-founders Kristen Souvlis and Nadine Bates.[1][2] The franchise revolves around the anthropomorphic animals who reside in Sanctuary City, which was inspired by the fauna and landscape of Australia.[3] As of 2024, the franchise consists of five overall feature films; a mobile app, titled Sanctuary World, was discontinued in 2020 shortly after its release.[4]
All five films were directed by Ricard Cussó (who also wrote the first film), and produced by Kristen Souvlis and Nadine Bates (the owners of Like a Photon Creative). The first film was distributed by R & R Films, and the next two were distributed by Odin's Eye Entertainment; however, as of 2024, the company's films were distributed by Maslow Entertainment. The first film received generally negative reviews from critics, and the following three received mixed to positive reviews.
Films
[edit]| Film | Release date (Australia) | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Story by | Producer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wishmas Tree | 27 February 2020 | Ricard Cussó | Ricard Cussó | Peter Ivan | Nadine Bates and Kristen Souvlis | |
| Combat Wombat | 15 October 2020 | Matthew James Kinmonth | ||||
| Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal | 4 February 2021 | Ryan Greaves | ||||
| Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back | 29 February 2024 | Dominic Morris | ||||
| The Sloth Lane | 25 July 2024 | Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent | Tania Vincent, Ryan Greaves, and Kristen Souvlis | Erica Harrison | Nadine Bates, Ryan Greaves, and Kristen Souvlis | |
| The Lost Tiger | TBA | Chantelle Murray | Chantelle Murray and Philip Denson | |||
Like a Photon Creative launched the franchise with four animated feature films.[1][5] They were backed and funded by Screen Queensland and Screen Australia.[1][6] The films were directed by Ricard Cussó and produced by Like a Photon's Kristen Souvlis and Nadine Bates.
The Wishmas Tree (2020)
[edit]A young possum's misguided wish for a white Wishmas unintentionally freezes her entire hometown of Sanctuary City and threatens the lives of all who live there. Before the magical Wishmas Tree dies, she must undertake a journey into The Wild in order to reverse the damage she caused and save the city.[7]
Pre-production started in September 2018 and animation in January 2019.[3] It had its world premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival on 5 October 2019,[8] and was released in Australian theatres on 27 February 2020.
Combat Wombat (2020)
[edit]Lazy wombat Maggie Diggins becomes Combat Wombat, Sanctuary City's new superhero after she begrudgingly saves a citizen from falling to his death, but her rising stardom displeases local superhero Flightless Feather, who hatches a plan for Maggie's demise. Maggie uncovers a conspiracy that could put the city in grave danger, and it is up to her to expose it.[9]
Combat Wombat was released in Australian theatres on 15 October 2020. It had a limited release to 42 screens.[9]
Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal (2021)
[edit]The unbearably adorable, eternally optimistic Quokka named Daisy has an impossible dream – to win the World's Scariest Animal competition of Sanctuary City.[10]
The film had its world premiere at the Children's International Film Festival (CHIFF) in Australia on 28 November 2020,[11] and opened in theatres with a limited release in Australia on 4 February 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinemas.[12] The film received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics.[10][13]
Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back (2024)
[edit]A sequel to the 2020 original, titled Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back, was released in Australian theatres on 29 February 2024.
The Sloth Lane (2024)
[edit]The film had its world premiere at the Annecy Animation Film Festival in France on 10 June 2024, and opened in theatres in Australia on 25 July.[14]
Reception
[edit]Box office performance
[edit]| Film | Release date (Australia) | Box office gross |
|---|---|---|
| The Wishmas Tree | 27 February 2020 | $1,793,562[15] |
| Combat Wombat | 15 October 2020 | $612,666[16] |
| Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal | 4 February 2021 | $384,753[17] |
| Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back | 29 February 2024 | — |
| The Sloth Lane | 25 July 2024 | $63,082[18] |
Critical reception
[edit]| Film | Rotten Tomatoes |
|---|---|
| The Wishmas Tree | 50% (6 reviews)[19] |
| Combat Wombat | |
| Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal | |
| Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back | |
| The Sloth Lane |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Ritman, Alex (2 November 2018) Odin's Eye to Build 'Sanctuary City' Animated Franchise. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (24 February 2021) Odin's Eye scores US, UK deals on animation franchise 'Tales From Sanctuary City' (exclusive). Screen Daily. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ a b Whyte, Alexandra (16 December 2019) How to create an Australian animal multiverse. Kids Screen. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Hub. VisitSanctuaryCity.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Croot, James (5 November 2020) Combat Wombat: An entertaining and surprisingly adult animated adventure. Stuff. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Production funding announced for 12 new projects, 19 September 2018. Screen Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Staff (6 December 2019) Trailer arrives for new children's animated film The Wishmas Tree. Cinema Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ The Wishmas Tree. Brisbane International Film Festival – biff.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ a b Groves, Don (19 October 2020) 'The Tales From Sanctuary City' franchise continues with 'Combat Wombat'. IF Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ a b Croot, James (10 February 2021) Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal: Sam Neill's crocodile steals the show. Stuff. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Daisy Quokka. Children's International Film Festival – chiff.com.au. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ "Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal". The Vore. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (29 June 2021) Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal review – too cute for the competition. The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (28 May 2024). "Australian Animated Adventure 'The Sloth Lane' Drops Official Trailer". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ The Wishmas Tree at Box Office Mojo – an IMDb company. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Combat Wombat at Box Office Mojo – an IMDb company. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal at Box Office Mojo – an IMDb company. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ The Sloth Lane at Box Office Mojo – an IMDb company. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ The Wishmas Tree at Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 18 May 2021.