20/07/2009

This year’s Belgian national holiday promises to be particularly animated, as Kinepolis Film Distribution has chosen this date for the high-profile release of Luke and Lucy: The Texas Rangers on around 50 screens in Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders.

This true institution has been adapted for the big screen by co-directors Mark Mertens and Wim Bien. Luke and Lucy (Suske en Wiske in Flemish), are two emblematic Belgian comic strip heroes, who emerged from Willy Vandersteen’s imagination in 1945.

An extraordinary popular success (over 4m copies sold every year in Benelux), there are over 300 books following the adventures of the two accomplices and Aunt Sidonie, each crazier than the last, and involving travels in space and time.

In 2004, a live-action adaptation was released in Flemish theatres alone. In 2009, the linguistic communities have been united in this 3D animated version, boosted by a strong marketing campaign, including publicity on biscuit packaging and postal stamps.

Skyline Entertainment, Wat-Production (subsidiary of At-Production), LuxAnimation and Cotoon studios based the feature, costing over €9m, on the 37th book in the series.

Ruthless bandit Jim Parasite has the idea of reducing the world’s population to the size of swarming insects, in order to become the largest and strongest man on earth. But Luke and Lucy don’t intend to let him get away with it, and set off immediately for Texas to foil his plans.

The film offers viewers excitement, exoticism with an American western flavour, fantastic adventures, an attractive voice-over cast (Maurane and François Damiens in French, Filip Peeters and a host of dubbing professionals in Dutch), and a prestigious original soundtrack (featuring Arno and Beverly Jo Scott).

Competing for audiences alongside the sixth Harry Potter adventure (launched last Wednesday), Luke and Lucy could become a surprise summer hit in Belgium.

(Translated from French)