Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy, Including Wolfwalkers, Gets A Limited Edition Box Set
If you or someone you love is a fan of the Irish Folklore Trilogy from Cartoon Saloon, holiday shopping is about to get a whole lot easier. A new Blu-ray box set featuring the Academy Award nominated films "The Secret of Kells" and "Song of the Sea" will be available as part of a limited-edition release that also serves as the exclusive Blu-ray release of the best animated film of 2020, "Wolfwalkers"
The pre-order was announced today via Twitter and the box set is expected to ship out the week of December 14, 2021 through GKids.
What Are the Special Features?
The deluxe set will be contained in environmentally friendly packaging, made of at least 50% recycled or renewable materials that are safe and sustainable for both individuals and the environment. The soy-based inks printed on the packaging are non-toxic and 100% biodegradable. This was an intentional decision considering all three films in the Irish Folklore Trilogy are also love letters to the natural world.
Exclusive Bonus Features include a 40-page book with an essay from film critic Andy Crump and concept artwork, a folded mini poster, and a bonus disc featuring animatics of each film with filmmaker commentary, a reading of Pangur Bán by Mick Lally, behind-the-scenes footage, and lots of interviews.
What is The Irish Folklore Trilogy?
The Irish Folklore Trilogy started in 2009 with Cartoon Saloon's first feature film, "The Secret of Kells." The film tells the story of a man named Cellach (Brendan Gleeson) in the remote Irish woods preparing a fortress for an impending attack by a Viking war party. Unbeknown to Cellach, his pacifist young nephew Brendan (Evan McGuire) has been working secretly as an apprentice in the scriptorium of the local monastery, learning the ancient art of calligraphy. As the Vikings approach, a revered illuminator named Aidan (Mick Lally) arrives at the monastery and recruits Brendan to complete a series of dangerous, magical tasks. The film is a fantastical retelling of the making of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the 9th Century.
The second film, "Song of the Sea" came in 2014 and follows a young Irish boy named (David Rawle) who discovers that his mute sister is a selkie (a mythical creature that resembles a seal in the water but assumes human form on land) who must find her voice and free supernatural creatures from the spell of a Celtic goddess Macha (Fionnula Flanagan).
The final piece in the trilogy is 2020's "Wolfwalkers," the story of a young apprentice hunter named Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) who saves a wild girl named Mebh (Eva Whittaker) who, like the rest of her pack, has the power to transform into a wolf. Robyn is now thrown in the middle of the world of her new friend, and her father's hired duty to rid their Irish community of wolves.