EXCLUSIVE: SC Films International has started production on Gnome Alone: Game of Gnomes, the sequel to its animated family movie from 2017.
Peter Lepeniotis (The Nut Job) is returning to write and direct. SC Films is producing and will launch worldwide sales at the American Film Market next month.
The film marks the first collaboration under a multi-picture, multi-year deal between SC Films International, SiXiTZ Studios and Magieva.
In the sequel, “Chloe and Liam travel back in time to save mankind from warring families and the dreaded Troggs, with their gnome allies Quicksilver, Zook and Zamfeer at their side”.
Simon Crowe and Matthew Joynes produce for SC Films alongside Lepeniotis, Kevin Hicks, Nathaniel Hunter and Euan Macdonald. Production is being split between California and Toronto. Animation is being produced by SiXiTZ Studios, the animation and media studio founded and led by Macdonald, using workflows and technologies built in partnership with Magieva. Hunter and Macdonald have built film and animation pipelines for Disney, Lucasfilm and Apple, and won an Emmy together in 2022 for the animation studio they co-founded.
The original Gnome Alone played theatrically worldwide, with Netflix taking North America. The Nut Job grossed $120M worldwide.
“Gnome Alone is one of our most successful titles, and we’ve always wanted a sequel,” said Crowe. “Peter has built a whole new world full of great characters, fun and action.”
“This time we’re sending Chloe and the gnomes back in time,” said Lepeniotis. “It’s the biggest canvas this world has had.”
SC Films’ AFM slate also includes the animated features Girl in the Clouds and Zsazsa Zaturnnah, and the live-action features Breeder (IFC) and Cotton Eye Joe (in post).