Corona | Coming Attractions

When it was announced last October that Coraline director Henry Selick was leaving Laika, the Oregon-based animation house, fans of the art form and Selick's fantasy film were wondering if the writing was on the wall for the one picture company. Now we have our first evidence that there will be a future for Laika without Selick, and that the company has a new movie project in development.

The Hollywood Reporter is running a story today about Laika hiring writers Chris McCoy and Jan Pinkava to pen the script for Little White Lie, a new animated film for Laika. Pinkava, who cut his toon teeth by directing the Pixar short Geri's Game back in 1997, will also direct the Little White Lie. He also worked on several earlier films in Pixar's repetoire including Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life and Monsters Inc.

And Little White Lie isn't the only new Laika movie in development. The Reporter has also learned the titles of two other animated projects: Paranorman, about a 13-year-old that defends his small town from a zombie outbreak; and Here Be Monsters! based on the childrens book by Alan Snow. It looks like Laika is indeed here to stay.