D3Publisher Announces Voice Talent for Video game Based on LAIKA and Focus Features’ Coraline

D3Publisher announced today that the Coraline videogame, based on LAIKA’s exciting new movie – the first-ever stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3-D – will feature the voice talents of Dakota Fanning, Keith David, and Robert Bailey Jr. All three actors will reprise their onscreen voiced roles of Coraline Jones (Fanning), Cat (David) and Wybie Lovat (Bailey Jr.). The Coraline videogame will ship to North American retail stores for the Wii™ system, Nintendo DS™ and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system on January 27, 2009 to coincide with Focus Features’ nationwide domestic release of the movie on February 6, 2009, in both 3-D and non-3-D theaters.

The only videogame based on the upcoming movie, the Coraline videogame will let players take on the role of the adventurous heroine Coraline and interact with the wondrous characters from the movie while navigating the scheming Other Mother’s web of deceit in a fantastical adventure through two distinct and interactive worlds. Coraline will allow players to explore and interact with such immersive 3-D environments from the movie as the Pink Palace, its nooks and crannies and apartments, and the unpredictable Other World. Players will engage in unique mini-games and adventures with Coraline’s faithful friends, Wybie and Cat, as they collect items that will unlock the mysteries of the Other World.

Coraline for Wii and the PlayStation 2 system is developed by Papaya Studios and is rated “E 10+” (Everyone 10 and up – Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB. Coraline for Nintendo DS is developed by Art Co. Ltd., and is rated “E” (Everyone – Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB.

For more information on the game, please visit: www.CoralineTheGame.com.

About Coraline (the movie)

Combining the visionary imaginations of two premier fantasists, director/screenwriter Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and author Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Coraline is a wondrous and thrilling, fun and suspenseful adventure that honors and redefines two moviemaking traditions. It is a stop-motion animated feature – and, as the first one to be conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3-D, unlike anything moviegoers have ever experienced before. The movie opens in theaters everywhere on February 6.

Coraline Jones is a girl of 11 who is feisty, curious, and adventurous beyond her years. She and her parents have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. She uncovers a secret door in the house. Walking through the door and then venturing through an eerie passageway, she discovers an alternate version of her life and existence. On the surface, this parallel reality is similar to her real life – only much better. But when her wondrously off-kilter, fantastical visit turns dangerous, Coraline musters all of her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family. For more information, please visit www.Coraline.com.

About Focus Features (Domestic Distributor)

Focus Features (www.filminfocus.com) exists to produce, acquire and distribute original and daring films that challenge the mainstream to embrace and enjoy voices and visions from around the world that deliver global commercial success. The company’s Oscar-winning films have included Brokeback Mountain, The Pianist, Lost in Translation, The Constant Gardener, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Motorcycle Diaries, and Atonement.

About Universal Pictures International (International Distributor)

Universal Pictures markets and distributes films internationally through Universal Pictures International (UPI), which officially began doing business on January 1, 2007. In the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, German-speaking Switzerland, Benelux, Russia, Australia, Mexico and France, UPI directly markets and distributes movies through our local offices, creating campaigns and release strategies that respond to the culture and market behavior of those territories. In other parts of the world, Universal distributes through Paramount’s local offices as it transitions out of formerly shared UIP model. In some smaller territories we continue to work through UIP on theatrical distribution.

About LAIKA, Inc.

LAIKA, Inc. (www.laika.com) is the Portland-based entertainment and media company specializing in animated feature films, television commercials, music videos, broadcast graphics and short films. It is a dynamic community of filmmakers, designers and animators fueled by the vision of its owner and Chairman, Philip H. Knight, co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc.

About Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group

Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (UPDPG) is responsible for global digital product development, production, licensing, distribution, and growth strategy for the extensive catalogue of Universal’s properties across new and emerging digital platforms, including mobile, video game consoles, personal computers, and other portable devices. With a worldwide mandate to help shape the digital future of Universal Pictures, the Group has offices in Universal City, California; London, England; and Tokyo, Japan.

Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group is a unit of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Universal Pictures is a division, and Focus Features is part, of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

About D3Publisher

D3Publisher, a subsidiary of D3, Inc., is a leading interactive entertainment publisher and distributor for licensed and original titles for personal computers, major console platforms and handheld systems. D3Publisher has operations in the U.S., U.K., and Japan. The company also owns development studio Vicious Cycle Software, Inc., and its technology platform, Vicious Engine. Recent releases have included Dark Sector®, Dead Head Fred®, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords®, and Ben 10™: Protector of Earth. For more information about D3Publisher, please visit: www.d3publisher.com.

Dark Sector® is a registered trademark of Digital Extremes. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. All rights reserved.

Source: BusinessWire.com

Image source CoralineTheGame.com