Indigenous Film Distribution has announced that Headspace, the exciting new animation sci-fi feature from Johannesburg’s Luma Animation, will be released at cinemas on 15 September.
Written by Ronald Henry, Daniel Buckland, Paul Meyer, and Gerhard Painter, the film is co-directed by Gerhard Painter and Paul Meyer of Luma Animation (Shaka iLembe, CGI and VFX, and Kings of Joburg season 2, CGi and VFX) and produced by The Ergo Company’s Dumi Gumbi (Mrs Right Guy, The Fragile King) and Catharina Weinek (Mrs Right Guy, Pou) with Luma Animation. Headspace marks the first animation feature film for both companies.
The film starts with a freak accident that has Max, Sophie, and Gus of the Space Protection Force, and their microscopic spaceship The SPF50, take up residence inside 14-year-old Norman’s brain. They can see what he sees and hear what he hears. The nanosized crime-fighting aliens must enlist Norman’s help to save Earth from Zolthard, an evil intergalactic villain who has taken control of Principal Witherington.
Norman and the aliens, together with his friends from school, must go to great lengths to conceal the presence of alien life at their high school, all the while fighting the galactic struggle between good and evil. After all, Zolthard still has a school to run, and Norman still has a life to live and homework to hand in!
Headspace introduces a host of interesting and colourful characters, both human and alien, who are sure to resonate with audiences globally and become firm favourites. The camaraderie between humans and aliens in this classic story of the triumph of good over evil produces the most unlikely of heroes who ultimately save the day.
“At the heart of our vision for Luma Animation and for Headspace, is the notion that everyone deserves to be the hero of their own story, not forgetting that ultimately, we rely on the support of friends and collaborators to triumph,” commented Paul Meyer and Gerhard Painter.
Having been exposed to the very best animation available from Pixar and Disney – films like The Lion King, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo – the filmmakers were inspired to create films of the same quality in South Africa thereby, adding their fresh voices to the global animation marketplace. Like the films that inspired it, Headspace is perfect family fare.
“It was our dream to make an action-packed, delightful, funny, and family-orientated 3-D animation film celebrating South African talent,” says the filmmakers.
The characters in Headspace are voiced by some of the country’s finest talents including Bonko Khoza (The Wife), Zak Henrikz (An Act of Defiance), Nelisa Ngcobo (The Queen), Chris van Rensburg (Huis van Liefde), Michelle du Plessis (Koelpixels), Jana Louw (Shrek: The Musical), Sparky Xulu, and 11-year-old Dineo du Toit (Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes).
Watch the trailer here: