Luke and Lucy: The Texas Rangers | |
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![]() Belgian theatrical film poster | |
Directed by | Mark Mertens Wim Bien |
Written by | Dirk Nielandt Guy Mortier Eric Wirix |
Produced by | Eric Wirix |
Starring | Dutch version voices: Frank Lammers Jeroen van Koningsbrugge Pierre Bokma Kees Boot Raymonde de Kuyper Marijn Klaver Nanette Drazic |
Cinematography | Eric Wirix |
Edited by | Mark Mertens Wim Bien |
Music by | Ian Marien |
Production companies | Skyline Entertainment CoBo Fonds Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) Studio Vandersteen Standaard Uitgeverij Cotoon Studio Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) LuxAnimation Phase 4 Films (USA) |
Distributed by | Bridge Entertainment Group |
Release dates |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
Countries | Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg |
Languages | Dutch French English Flemish |
Budget | €9 million |
Box office | €237,500 |
Luke and Lucy: The Texas Rangers (original title Suske en Wiske: De Texas Rakkers, also released as Spike and Suzy: The Texas Rangers) is a 2009 animated western comedy adventure film released on 21 July 2009 as the first of it kind to be created in Belgium in a projected 13 animated films, at a rate of one per year. The film is based on the Belgian comic book characters Luke and Lucy (published in English as Spike and Suzy and Willy and Wanda). [3] [4] The film is directed by Mark Mertens and Wim Bien, and produced by Skyline Entertainment, in partnership with CoToon, LuxAnimation, BosBros, and WAT Productions. [3] [4] [5] [6] The film was first announced in a 1 July 2005 press release. The Flanders Audiovisual Fund announced on 20 April 2006 that it would provide €12,500 for script development, and a further €237,500 was announced in September 2007 for production of the film. [7] The total budget of the film is €9 million, [8] making it the most expensive Flemish-Belgian film to date.
Luke and Lucy find out that a masked villain called Jim Parasite has kidnapped and shrunk all the Texas Rangers. They leave for Dark City, Texas with their friends and settle in the Texas Rangers' HQ. It quickly becomes clear that they are not welcome. Parasite terrorizes the city and has spies everywhere. Saloon dancer Miss Missy decides to join Luke and Lucy, but Aunt Sybil doesn't trust her and suspects that she is secretly in cahoots with Parasite. Is she jealous of Ambrose and Wilbur's interest in Miss Missy. Luke and Lucy don't trust the Sheriff or the grocer, Theodore, who acts suspiciously. After a confrontation with Parasite, Luke and Lucy realize that the Sheriff's cast is fake, and they discover that a closet in Miss Missy's hotel room is filled with weapons. Who is the real culprit?
Actor | Character | English dub | Dutch dub |
---|---|---|---|
Staf Coppens | Suske | Guilherme Apollonio | Marijn Klaver |
Evelien Verhegge | Wiske | Chloe Dolandis | Nanette Drazic |
Lucas Van Den Eynde | Lambik | Gregg Weiner | Frank Lammers |
Sien Eggers | Tante Sidonia | Sally Bondi | Raymonde de Kuyper |
Filip Peeters | Jerom | Ken Clement | Kees Boot |
Alex Wilequet | Professor Barabas | Todd Durkin | Pierre Bokma |
Bruno Vanden Broecke | Sheriff Cooper | Billy Ray Cyrus | Jeroen van der Boom |
Lien Van de Kelder | Miss Missy | Aubrey Shavonn | Jennifer Mary Hoffman |
Peter Van Gucht | Bill Buster | Scott Genn | Dennis van der Geest |
Guy Mortier | Jules | Guy Mortier | Barry Tarallo |
Axel Daeseleire | Ranger Tom | James Keller | Xander de Buisonjé |
Chris Van den Durpel | Theofiel/Theodore Boemerang | Dave Dreisin | Jeroen van Koningsbrugge |
Peter Van Den Begin | Rik | Paul Homza | Daniël Boissevain |
Stany Crets | Manuel | Carlos Alayeto | Javier Guzman (actor) |
On 14 January 2009, it was announced that Mark Mertens and Wim Bien would direct a 2009 Belgian-Luxembourgish-Dutch animated western comedy adventure theatrical released film titled Luke and Lucy: The Texas Rangers which would be released in cinemas on 21 July 2009 in Belgium and 23 July 2009 in the Netherlands. Eric Wirix would produce and write the movie with the budget of €9 million. Dirk Nielandt and Guy Mortier would also write the movie. It was also announced that Frank Lammers, Kees Boot, Jeroen van Koningsbrugge, Pierre Bokma, Raymonde de Kuyper, Marijn Klaver and Nanette Drazic would star in the movie. Bridge Entertainment Group acquired distribution rights to the film. Ian Marien would compose the music for the movie. Skyline Entertainment, CoBo Fonds, Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep (AVRO), Studio Vandersteen, Standaard Uitgeverij, Cotoon Studio, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) and LuxAnimation would also produce the movie. The movie's soundtrack contains "Land of Milk and Honey" performed by The Flying Carrots and Arno, "Yellow Rose" performed by Maurane & Beverly Jo Scott, "Bad Girl" performed by Beverly Jo Scott and "Dat Ben Jij" performed by Jim Bakkum.
The film was theatrically released on 21 July 2009 by Bridge Entertainment Group and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 22 February 2011 by Bridge Entertainment Group.
Ligne claire is a style of drawing created and pioneered by Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist and creator of The Adventures of Tintin. It uses clear strong lines sometimes of varied width and no hatching, while contrast is downplayed as well. Cast shadows are often illuminated, and the style often features strong colours and a combination of cartoonish characters against a realistic background. The name was coined by Joost Swarte in 1977.
Spike and Suzy, Willy and Wanda or Luke and Lucy is a Belgian comics series created by the comics author Willy Vandersteen.
Suske is one of the main characters in the popular Belgian comic strip Suske en Wiske by Willy Vandersteen. He is the boy of the duo.
Wiske is one of the main characters in the popular Belgian comic strip Suske en Wiske by Willy Vandersteen. She is the girl of the duo. Together with Lambik she is one of the most popular characters in the franchise.
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Willebrord Jan Frans Maria "Willy" Vandersteen was a Belgian creator of comic books. In a career spanning 50 years, he created a large studio and published more than 1,000 comic albums in over 25 series, selling more than 200 million copies worldwide.
Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history. While the comics in the two major language groups and regions of Belgium each have clearly distinct characteristics, they are constantly influencing one another, and meeting each other in Brussels and in the bilingual publication tradition of the major editors. As one of the few arts where Belgium has had an international and enduring impact in the 20th century, comics are known to be "an integral part of Belgian culture".
Cinema of Belgium refers to the film industry based in Belgium. Belgium is essentially a bi-lingual country divided into the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) north and the French-speaking south. There is also a small community of German speakers in the border region with Germany. Belgium is further a federal country made up of three regions and three language communities . Due to these linguistic and political divisions it is difficult to speak of a national, unified Cinema of Belgium. It would be more appropriate to talk about Flemish or Dutch-language cinema of Belgium and Walloon or French-language cinema of Belgium.
Jimmy Johannes Bakkum is a Dutch singer, actor, stage actor and television personality. Rising to nationwide fame after becoming runner-up in the first season of Dutch singing competition series Idols, he has released five albums and made a career in musicals and film. In television, he appeared in a Dutch version of Dancing with the Stars, which he won.
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Jerom is a Flemish comic book character and one of the main cast members in the Belgian comic strip, Suske en Wiske by Willy Vandersteen. He is the series' strongman and well known for his physically impossible powers that often make him the deus ex machina who solves every problem. Jerom's popularity with readers is so huge that he inspired at least two spin-off series: Jerom de Gouden Stuntman (1962–1991) and J. ROM - Force of Gold (2014).
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