ParaNorman! Video Interview with Directors Sam Fell & Chris Butler
A new film hits cinemas this week and it has been long awaited by fans of stop motion animation. The film is ParaNorman produced by the Oregon based studio Laika, the creators of 2009’s Coraline.
ParaNorman tells the story of outsider Norman, a boy who can communicate with the dead who is assigned to protect his town from a witches curse that unleashes a horde of vengeful zombies upon the sleepy hamlet. Norman must rise to the challenge and stop the zombies before it too late.
What sets this film apart from others in it field is its mature approach. It does not mistake the category of PG rated entertainment for one that requires childish gimmicks to be enjoyed and as a result entertains all ages without also having to resort to adding parent pleasing ‘in’ jokes. The films directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell, both drew inspiration from films of the 1980s such as ‘The Goonies’ to give the film its all American sense of adventure people will be familiar with, not bad going considering they both hail from the UK.
We caught up for a brief chat with the duo to discuss the film as well as the influences and craft that went into creating Normans world.
ParaNorman is out in cinemas throughout the UK now. You can read Skwiglys review of the film here