TORONTO — Canadian animation director Cal Brunker says it took some dogged determination to pull off the “Paw Patrol” movie in the middle of a global pandemic.
The Toronto-based filmmaker says he relied on “team spirit” and an arsenal of “good snacks” to keep energy high as he led the massive production from the comfort of his home office.
“Paw Patrol: The Movie,” which is now playing in theatres across the country, brings the wildly successful toy franchise owned by Toronto-based Spin Master from televisions to the big screen.
Brunker says he did it with the help of a remote team of Montreal animators who crafted the cinematic world of Adventure City — the film’s sprawling metropolis that neighbours Adventure Bay, the familiar stomping grounds of the Paw Patrol team.
Several Hollywood actors, including Jimmy Kimmel and Kim Kardashian, lent their voices to a lineup of new characters created for the movie.
TV’s “Paw Patrol” follows a team of rescue dogs and their precocious boy leader Ryder as they save citizens from imminent danger.
In the film version, they’ve been called to Adventure City to stop Mayor Humdinger from unleashing pandemonium on the locals with his grandiose evil plan.
“Our goal from the very beginning was to go: ‘We want to do something for current fans but also expand the audience for this movie to kids who have grown out of Paw Patrol,’” Brunker said.
“We wanted to make sure this was a great family trip to the movies, not just something to put on for your kids.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24. 2021.