Star-Studded Stop-Motion Musical ‘The Inventor’ Gets Official Trailer Ahead Of August 25 Theatrical Debut

Distributor Blue Fox Entertainment has released the official trailer for The Inventor, the feature directorial debut of Oscar-nominated Ratatouille scribe Jim Capobianco. The film will begin screening in U.S. theaters on August 25.

This is one of the most exciting independent animated features set to come out in 2023 and feels like it could be a serious contender come awards season. In 2022 the film got an Annecy work-in-progress presentation and this year it played in the festival’s main competition.

Here’s some background information on the film.

• The Inventor is written and directed by Capobianco and co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon (Poppety in the Fall). Marijke van Kets served as director of photography and put together an all-women camera team.
• Using puppets that spark an instant nostalgia for classic Rankin/Bass holiday stop-motion fare, the feature unspools during Leonardo da Vinci’s time as part of the French court in the years following his departure from Italy. In France, the inventor finds greater freedom to experiment with his timeless inventions and the company of the audacious Princess Marguerite.
• Although most of the film is done using stop motion, there is a fair bit of fun 2d animation as well, as seen in the new trailer.
• The film features an all-star voice cast including Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry. What’s more, several of the stars do a bit of singing as The Inventor is a musical with songs from composer Alex Mandel.
• The Inventor is produced by Curiosity Studio, Foliascope, Aerial Contrivance Studios, and SIE Films. Producers are Robert Rippberger, Jim Capobianco, Adrian Politowski, Martin Metz, and Ilan Urroz. Executive producers are Don Hahn, Nadia Khamlichi, Nessa McGill, and Sierra Garcia.