It may be almost Easter 2009, but studios are battling it out to secure bunnytastic properties for Easter 2010. Set to go head to head, are Hip Hop, which has been picked up by Sony Animation, and I Hop, which is being touted by Illumination Entertainment, a branch of the Universal family.
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Hip Hop**, written by Greg Ostrin and Journey To The Center Of The Earth's Michael Weiss follows the Easter Bunny, who chooses to retire and lie low as a suburban pet, wreaking havoc on the family he lives with. That'll be filmed in a mix of CGI and live-action.
I Hop will be the first live-action movie for animation producers Illuminated, and tracks an Easter Bunny rendered unable to hop after being hit by a car driven by a slacker - who is then forced to take over his job to save Easter. It's written by the Despicable Me team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, which seems to be a good omen since their previous animated comedy effort pulled in hilarious voice talent from the likes of Steve Carell, Jason Segel and Kristen Wiig. The title is a nod to popular American fast-food chain IHOP, or International House of Pancakes, which will sadly be lost on viewers outside the US. Mmmm, pancakes.
So will this Easter phenomenon be as popular as the raft of Christmas films made every year? And can these bunnies match up to the likes of Frank or Harvey?