Columbus company sets date for release of ‘Sgt. Stubby’ hero dog film

Those who’ve been following news of the animated film, “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero,” know that it is being targeted for a 2018 release date in movie theaters across the United States.

Fun Academy Motion Pictures, the Columbus-based company that is pulling the project together, now has pinpointed the date of April 13, 2018, for when the true story about a World War I hero dog and its life-saving actions will hit the big screen.

“2018 marks the 100th anniversary of American involvement in WWI, leading up to the armistice in November. Our film will be part of the global conversation about the Great War and remembering those who served,” said Richard Lanni, the writer and executive producer working on the project.

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“Sgt. Stubby,” which is now under production at animation studios in Paris and Montreal, will face plenty of competition as it rolls out to the movie-going masses in less than 16 months. Releases in the first three months of 2018 include “Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes,” “Smallfoot,” “Larrikins,” “Wreck-It Ralph 2,” “Anubis” and “Peter Rabbit.”

The April-June cluster of films in 2018 includes “A Wrinkle in Time,” “The Invisible Man,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Bumblebee,” “The Incredibles 2,” and a “Jurassic World” sequel. The summer season that year closes out with “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” “Mission Impossible 6,” “S.C.O.O.B.” and “Hotel Transylvania 3.”

The fall lineup is major as well, with “Jungle Book,” “Mulan,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Gigantic,” “Animated Spider-Man,” “Avatar 2” and “Mary Poppins Returns” on the schedule.

Lanni has said he believes “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” will resonate with audiences because of its historical and educational approach, with animal lovers eating up the true story of a stray pooch being adopted off the streets of New Haven, Conn., by a group of soldiers training for World War I action. The dog, described as a Boston Terrier mix, is smuggled aboard a troop ship and ultimately saves lives by alerting people of incoming attacks, while also snaring an enemy spy. The decorated Stubby was the first dog to be promoted by the U.S. Army.

Voices in the animated film thus far are being provided by Helena Bonham Carter and Gerard Depardieu, with other names yet to be released. Patrick Doyle is composing the movie’s score, while production is being headed by Laurent Rodon and Lanni, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mike Stokey. Filmmaker Bibo Bergeron is the director, with Celine Desrumaux the production designer.

“Sgt. Stubby” is being produced by Labyrinth Media & Publishing, with Technicolor-owned Mikros Image handling the animation. Film Academy will make sure the film is distributed in as many theaters as possible across North America.

This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Columbus company sets date for release of ‘Sgt. Stubby’ hero dog film."