My Father's Dragon First Look: Netflix To Release The Magical New Animated Film From Wolfwalkers Studio Cartoon Saloon

Cartoon Saloon is one of the most exciting animation studios working today, one with an incredible track record of having every single one of their films get an Oscar nomination. It's easy to see why, too. Their films are all visually distinct but fresh and innovative, playing with the 2D and 3D formats in ways few other studios do.

The studio is following up what may very well be their masterpiece, "Wolfwalkers," with "My Father's Dragon," a film that seems to be their most accessible yet. Now, Netflix has released the first image from the film.

The film is an adaptation of Ruth Stiles Gannett book of the same name, which follows a young boy who rescues a baby dragon, and the two strike a friendship whole facing mysteries and beasts. Nora Twomey, who directed the Oscar-nominated film "The Breadwinner" will helm the project, with "Inside Out" scribe Meg LeFauve writing the screenplay.

Voice cast-wise, this is the biggest production for Cartoon Saloon, with an ensemble that includes Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O'Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, and Ian McShane.

The image does just enough to show that this movie will follow the studio's signature storybook look. Of course, the plot of a young boy becoming friends with a dragon brings to mind another Oscar-nominated animated feature based on a book, the "How to Train Your Dragon" trilogy. But given the track record of Cartoon Saloon, we can expect a wholly original and striking animated film, one that will probably get ignored at the oOcars yet again because the Academy always looks down upon the medium.

There is no release date yet for "My Father's Dragon," but you can watch the excellent "Wolfwalkers" on Apple TV+.

"From five-time Academy Award®-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award®-nominated director Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honoured children's book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer (Jacob Tremblay) runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon called Boris (Gaten Matarazzo) who waits to be rescued. Elmer's adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime."