Quest for Camelot

Outstanding animation artists from all over the world have joined forces to bring "Quest for Camelot" to life, creating vivid characters in a uniquely beautiful setting. Classic animation techniques, combined with the latest possibilities in CGI (computer-generated imagery), bring physical presence and storytelling power to the action in the film.

Says producer Dalisa Cooper Cohen, "We've created intriguing, unconventional characters who prove that they, the unlikeliest of heroes, can win the day through intelligence, courage and humor. Kayley, our female lead, is a strong-willed, agile and principled young woman who's not afraid to plunge into a haunted forest or take a swing at a villain if the situation requires it. She wants to be a knight, something unheard of in her era, but she's not so single-minded that she's immune to the charms of a handsome young man who comes to her assistance, either.

"Garrett, her male counterpart, is someone who changes a great deal during the story. He's bright, talented and strong, but he's turned away from the world because of an accident that changed his life. Kayley, and her quest to find the lost sword Excalibur, are Garrett's first reasons in years to consider rejoining the kingdom of Camelot. The transformation in him is inspiring, touching and sometimes very funny."

Comments director Frederik Du Chau, "We also created a terrific villain in Ruber -- someone's who's genuinely evil -- and completely nuts! Animation allows you to visually express so much emotion in your characters -- Ruber is almost literally deformed by his own wickedness. And we were very fortunate to get Gary Oldman as the voice of Ruber -- he brings tremendous drama and humor to the role."

Among the most entertaining supporting players is Devon & Cornwall, a two-headed dragon voiced by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, and Don Rickles, whose insult-laden humor has made him a comedic institution. Devon is a snooty and cultivated dragon; the other, Cornwall, is earthy and crude. Each despises the fact that he and his opposite are ruled by one body from which both of their heads sprout.

Their constant arguing has made it impossible for them to enjoy any of the "perks" that other dragons are allowed, such as breathing fire and flying -- too much of their energy is consumed in hilarious bickering. But when Devon & Cornwall come to the aid of Kayley and Garrett, they learn an important lesson about overcoming obstacles -- and, all the while, provide a comic underpinning to the adventure story.

"Quest for Camelot" boasts songs from David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager, two of the music world's most talented and successful songwriters. Says director Du Chau, "Our songs are not directed or staged like musical theater. We've got some great song and dance numbers, but, thanks to the choreography of Kenny Ortega and the insight of our creative consultant, Broadway's Mike Ockrent, we've been able to handle them differently. I think that some of the best parts of the movie are the way songs are staged and how they bring this world to life. They keep moving; they don't stop the story."

Artists working on the scenic backdrop for "Quest for Camelot" traveled to England and visited ancient Celtic sites to incorporate images from thousand-year-old stone carvings into the visual themes of the movie. The goal of this exhaustive research and attention to detail is to combine the best of Warner Bros.' world-renowned reputation in animation with its ambitious new horizons in making animated feature films.

States Max Howard, President of Warner Bros. Feature Animation, "I think one of the things Warner Bros. is doing is taking something from our heritage of the Looney Tunes, which we're very fortunate to have. We've enjoyed a reputation for really pioneering work and a tradition of making the greatest animated shorts. And one of the reasons I think they were so successful and why millions of kids and adults have so enjoyed them is that there was a special nature, an irreverence in them. Now our goal is to bring that irreverence to our filmmaking, to try new things in storytelling as well as in graphic arts, and to share the world we've created in our minds -- the world of enchantment and challenging adventure in Camelot -- with our audiences."