New Cartoon Saloon film My Father's Dragon in cinemas this week ahead of Netflix release

Following the success of their award-winning 2020 film, Wolfwalkers, Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon's new film, My Father's Dragon, is set to land in Irish cinemas this Friday, November 4, ahead of its Netflix release on November 11.

My Father's Dragon was directed by Nora Twomey, who previously earned an Academy Award nomination for her work as the director of 2017's The Breadwinner, also a Cartoon Saloon project.

The five-time Academy Award-nominated animation studio's other acclaimed films include The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014).

My Father's Dragon is inspired by the popular children's book by American author Ruth Stiles Gannett.

"Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued," the film's description reads. "Elmer's adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime."

The film's star-studded voice cast 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.

"Our actors, animators and artists at Cartoon Saloon & Mockingbird Pictures have worked together to craft this film, inspired by Ruth Stiles Gannett’s amazing book," says Nora Twomey. "We were drawn together by a desire to tell a very special tale of friendship, adventure, and true bravery. I fell in love with storytelling as a child and Netflix excels at celebrating all kinds of stories, through different styles and distinct voices. When Netflix came onboard with this film, before we even had a script, it was to encourage us to make the best film we possibly could. Our crew created a beautiful, animated lens to look through and I can't wait to share the view with audiences around the world."

Watch the trailer for My Father's Dragon below:

Revisit our interview with Cartoon Saloon's Tomm Moore – who serves as one of the executive producers of My Father's Dragon – here.