Netflix attempts Escape from Hat animation

US streamer Netflix is producing a new animated feature film based on a forthcoming novel by Adam Kline.

Mark Osborne

Escape from Hat is set in a fantasy universe where black cats are bad and magic rabbits are good, and follows the story of one rabbit who is cast into a world of danger and shadows. From here he has to band together with an unlikely group of allies to escape from inside a magician’s hat and return to the human boy he loves dearly.

The screenplay is written by Kline and director Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda, The Little Prince) and is drawn from Kline’s HarperCollins-published middle-grade (8-12 years) book due out in 2020. Osborne will direct and produce with Jinko Gotoh – who worked with him on The Little Prince.

“Netflix is shaking up the animated feature world in highly inventive ways, including offering filmmakers the rare opportunity to turn their dream project into a reality,” said Osborne. “I’m thrilled that Escape From Hat is now one of them.”

Escape from Hat goes into production this month and is expected to be released in 2022.

In related news, Netflix has renewed original adult animation Big Mouth for a third season.

The 10-part comedy series, from real-life best friends Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, follows a group of juveniles going through the pain of puberty. Kroll serves as co-creator and executive producer along with Goldberg. Screenwriter-directors Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett are also creators and executive producers.