ParaNorman is an original story from Laika, the same animation studio behind 2009’s Coraline, and the film looks to be in the same offbeat, creepy vein as its predecessor. Kodi Smit-McPhee voices Norman Babcock, a young, fright-haired boy misunderstood and dismissed by everyone around him, including his own family. Norman has a special secret ability though – he can speak to dead people. And this makes him a vital figure when a centuries-old witch’s curse triggers a zombie invasion of his home town. John Goodman, Casey Affleck and Anna Kendrick also provide voices.
Much like Coraline, ParaNorman is probably not going to be appropriate for very young children, but older audiences who appreciate a little kookiness should be in for a real treat. Plus, the family-friendly horror comedy should tide us over while we wait for a film version of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book – which also deals with a boy who has stronger relationships with the dead than the living.
ParaNorman opens in North America on 17 August. South African audiences will have to wait until 9 November, though, to watch the film.
Last Updated: March 5, 2012
James Francis
March 5, 2012 at 10:20
It’s the same studio, but I suspect several Coraline similarities end there. Henry Selick is nowhere to be seen on this, being at Pixar working on something else. The only link I can spot is that the director was the storyboard supervisor on Coraline. More interesting is that the co-director made Flushed Away and The Tale of Despereaux. This has interesting pedigree, but it might be overlooked by the mainstream animation audience.