Open Season (2006)

The partnership between Sony Pictures Animation and Imageworks really enabled the team to locate — and define — its own style for Open Season,” says co-producer Jupiter. “‘Anything is possible’ became the team’s philosophy and this resulted in a visually stunning film.”

For all of its beautiful visuals, it is ultimately the enduring friendship between the two lead characters — Boog and Elliot — that filmmakers believe will remain with the audience. “I hope that when kids see this movie they will see the value of true friendship,” says Allers. “I think the movie shows that someone can be strange and a little quirky, but that that can be part of what you like about them. That’s what gives them personality. If there is one message in this movie, to me, it is about the value of friendship. It is through friendship that Boog makes an enormous leap to maturity and Elliot finds acceptance. These are pretty profound gifts that friends can give each other.”

Adds Culton: “I love the idea of buddy comedies and Boog and Elliot are a great buddy pairing. These two characters have a sandpaper relationship and they are forced to figure things out together. Finally, when they are able to work together and change each other, they also get to change the entire forest and make it safe from hunters forever.”

Stacchi closes on a wry note, citing one of cartoonist Steve Moore’s recurring themes: “One of the original things that drew me to this project was that I was really intrigued by the idea of seeing the secret life of animals. It’s always great at the beginning of a project to have that big sort of global thing — the messages, the visuals — but for me on this project it was, ‘What are animals doing behind our backs? When you go to work in the morning, what does your animal do all day? You know, does he sit around, watch TV? Does he open the refrigerator? In a fundamental way, what do they really think of us?’ Makes you think, doesn’t it?”

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