Ben Stassen

Last updated

Ben Stassen
Born1959 [1] (age 62-63)
NationalityBelgian
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer
Years active1988–present
Known for Fly Me to the Moon
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
A Turtle's Tale 2: Sammy's Escape from Paradise
The House of Magic
Robinson Crusoe
The Son of Bigfoot
The Queen's Corgi
Bigfoot Family

Ben Stassen is a Belgian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for directing and producing several computer-animated films such as A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (2010), Robinson Crusoe (2016), and The Queen's Corgi (2019).

Contents

Career

Stassen founded nWave Pictures in 1994, producing CG ride films including Devil's Mine. Starting in 1997, Stassen began focusing on large-format films, directing Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun and Alien Adventure . In the late 1990s, Stassen directed a succession of 3-D large-format films, including Encounter in the Third Dimension and Haunted Castle .

In 2005, Stassen produced and directed Wild Safari 3D, the first 3-D wildlife film for the giant screen.

Stassen's first feature-length animated film, Fly Me to the Moon, was released in North America on 15 August 2008 on both regular-size and IMAX screens, exclusively in 3-D. According to nWave, Fly Me to the Moon was the first animated film to be designed, created, and released solely in 3-D. The film was originally announced for the spring or summer of 2007.

On 7 May 2008, nWave announced that its next feature-length animated film would be called Around the World in 50 Years and that it too would be directed by Stassen. It was released in 2010 as A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures . Further animated features directed or co-directed by Stassen include A Turtle's Tale 2: Sammy's Escape from Paradise (2012), The House of Magic (2013), The Wild Life (2016) and The Son of Bigfoot (2017).

Stassen was also involved in the production of several films directed by Croatian film director Krsto Papić, most notably My Uncle's Legacy .

The Queen's Corgi , the 7th feature animated project from Stassen, was released in 2019.

Budgeted at more than $20 million, “Corgi” follows the adventure of Rex, the British monarch's most beloved dog, who is tricked into leaving his mistress in search for adventure. But soon his escapade takes an unexpected turn as he stumbles across a fight club with dogs of all kinds confronting each other. During his epic journey to return to Buckingham Palace, Rex falls in love and discovers his true self.

Stassen and nWave Pictures released Bigfoot Family on February 28/2021 on the streaming website Netflix (in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK). And it is the best watched European film on Netflix. And was on number one on Netflix as the best-watched film in that week.

Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP) is joining forces with Stassen and his producing partner Matthieu Zeller on “Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness,” an ambitious 3D-animated adventure film based on the Dark Horse comics (release date 2022).

Filmography

Short films

Feature films

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<i>Fly Me to the Moon</i> (2008 film) 2008 film

Fly Me to the Moon is a 2008 animated science fiction comedy film about three flies who stowaway aboard Apollo 11 and travel to the Moon. It was directed by Ben Stassen and written by Domonic Paris. The film was released in digital 3-D in Belgium on 30 January 2008, and in the US and Canada on 15 August 2008. The film was also released in IMAX 3-D in the US and Canada on 8 August 2008. The film serves as a fictionalized retelling of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission by incorporating a story of three young flies that stow away on the rocket to fulfil their dream of going up to the moon, while their families take on a group of Soviet flies who try to sabotage the mission.

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<i>A Turtles Tale: Sammys Adventures</i> 2010 Belgian film

A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures is a 2010 Belgian-French 3D computer-animated romantic adventure film co-produced and directed by Ben Stassen. The film was released on 12 June 2010 in California, and on 11 August 2010 in France. The British version features the voice talents of Dominic Cooper, Gemma Arterton, John Hurt, Kayvan Novak, and Robert Sheehan; the U.S. version features the voice talents of Yuri Lowenthal, Anthony Anderson, Tim Curry, Kathy Griffin, Melanie Griffith, and Jenny McCarthy.

<i>A Turtles Tale 2: Sammys Escape from Paradise</i> 2012 Belgian film

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<i>The Son of Bigfoot</i> 2017 animated fantasy comedy film

The Son of Bigfoot is a 2017 animated fantasy comedy film directed by Ben Stassen and Jeremy Degruson. Written by Bob Barlen and Cal Brunker, based on their own original screenplay Son of Bigfoot, the film follows a teen boy who, after beginning to erupt unusual changes, sets out to find his father, who happens to be Bigfoot and had gone into hiding from a corrupt CEO of a hair company.

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<i>The Queens Corgi</i> 2019 film by Ben Stassen

The Queen's Corgi is a 2019 English-language Belgian animated comedy film produced by nWave Pictures. The film was directed by Ben Stassen and Vincent Kesteloot and written by John R. Smith and Rob Sprackling. Inspired by Queen Elizabeth II and her pet corgis, the story follows a corgi named Rex, who gets lost and tries to find his way home.

<i>Bigfoot Family</i> 2020 Belgian animated film

Bigfoot Family is a 2020 Belgian animated comedy-drama film directed by Ben Stassen and Jeremy Degruson. It is the sequel to the 2017 film The Son of Bigfoot. Bigfoot has become famous after returning home and uses his fame to fight an oil company. When he disappears without a trace, it is up to Adam, his mother, and their animal friends to rescue him. The film was also released as Bigfoot Superstar.

<i>Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness</i> 2022 animated film by nWave Pictures

Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness is a 2022 animated adventure comedy film produced by nWave Pictures, written by David Collard and directed by Benjamin Mousquet and Ben Stassen; it is based on the graphic novel Chickenhare by Chris Grine. The film follows the adventures and coming-of-age journey of Chickenhare, a one-of-a-kind hero born half chicken and half hare, who is eager to fit in and become an adventurer despite his differences. It is one of Brad Venable's final film roles.

References

  1. ""La 3 D est une vraie révolution"". 30 January 2008.