Let every minute on the screen count
If the adventures of Tadeo Jones (2012) was the highest-grossing Spanish animated film in history with a total collection of more than 45 million euros, it was expected that this recognition of the national and international public – the film came to be premiered in China, among many other territories of Asia, Latin America and Europe – will lead to the realization sooner rather than later of a second part. And here we have it: Tadeo Jones 2. The secret of King Midas.
The origin of this singular personage called Tadeo Jones, it is necessary to look for it in its director, in Enrique Cat, who before being directing, accumulated an experience of more than 7 years in the world of videojuego, almost always like responsible of animation and scenes cinematographic.
Enrique Gato makes a short film in 2003 where he honors a very Spanish superhero: Superlópez. And just as Superlópez parodies Superman, Tadeo Jones does the same with Indiana Jones.
Gato begins making shorts as Starship Trapers (1997) of 2’50 “in length, Pepe Pescador (1999) of 1 ‘and Bicho (2001), that with a duration of 6’ was exhibited in different festivals of animation and internet. Then, in 2003, he made a short film honoring a very Spanish superhero: Superlópez. And just as Superlópez parodies Superman, Tadeo Jones does the same with Indiana Jones.
“After Bicho I thought of another character. I’ve always liked Indiana Jones. And I thought it would be appetizing a character in which action and comedy would be joined in equal parts. In Spain usually like the parody of American characters. That’s how Thaddeus Jones came about … “explains Gato.
With the character of Tadeo in mind, profiled as a nice and peculiar construction worker, who in his spare time is devoted to archeology, Enrique Gato produces the short film Tadeo Jones (2004), which lasted 9 ‘and filmed in 35mm he won the Goya Award for Best Animated Short Film. Subsequently, with the aim of directing a feature film, in 2006 he began production of another short film titled Tadeo Jones and the damn cellar (2007), also in 35mm and with a duration of 18 ‘. This new work gets the backing of the film academy by winning the Goya Award for best animated short film in 2008.
All this path explained explains that in 2012, the feature film The Adventures of Tadeo Jones becomes a phenomenon inside and outside our borders. In 2015 the feature film Catch the Flag featured a worldwide distribution deal with Paramount Pictures, debuting in half the world, including the United States. In Spain Catch the flag touched the 2 million spectators.
Ingredients of a great adventure movie: a mystery hidden in a legend known to all, an odyssey around the world, picturesque locations, endearing characters and a hint of romance.
Enrique Gato tells about this new chapter of Tadeo that “you want to be completely sure that you will not let him down when plotting your new story. You want every minute on the screen to tell, that each character you cross is memorable, that each sentence weighs. From the first moment I wanted this second part not to feel like the most elementary inertia of the first, but as a great step. Anyone who knew Tadeo had to get the feeling that he had grown up on all levels, well beyond that first adventure. And anyone who did not know him should fall in love with him in the eighty minutes of the footage. ”
David Alonso, co-director of this second part of Tadeo Jones and explains that the goal was to make a great training film, “that surprised the viewer and surpassed in each of the artistic and technical sections his predecessor.” In addition, “the script germ of Tadeo Jones: the secret of King Midas had all the ingredients of a great adventure film: a mystery hidden in a legend known by all, an odyssey around the world, picturesque locations, pinch of romance. ”
The script of a sequel
Jordi Gasull, producer of the film and responsible for 4 Cats, explains this new film “has meant thousands of hours of work of hundreds of people and enthusiasm, much excitement.
Tadeo becomes more fun, entertaining and adventurous than ever, hoping to find new audiences and entertain those who already know him. ”
Jordi Gasull: “Writing a sequel is a double-edged sword. Although on the one hand you have some characters already made, on the other you know that the public has to give something different: novel but with sufficient continuity to maintain the essence.
So the fumbling mason had to put on his hat again and launch himself into new adventures. “And began the challenge of finding a story for our characters,” says Jordi Gasull. After a few months of doubts, the team of writers presented us with their particular look on the legend of Midas. Thousands of hours of work, hundreds of people and enthusiasm, much excitement have been put into this new adventure of Tadeo Jones.
An adventure that has taken members of the team from the famous Las Vegas Boulevard to the wonderful Alhambra in Granada. Now, Tadeo becomes more fun, entertaining and adventurous than ever. Hoping to find new audiences and entertain those who already know him. And we hope that the spectators enjoy it and Tadeo can put the hat back in the future.
Gasull, who is also a screenwriter, states that “writing a sequel is a double-edged sword. Although on the one hand you have some characters already made, on the other you know that the public has to give something different: novel but with sufficient continuity to maintain the essence. For the sequel to Tadeo Jones, the first thing we considered was an urban adventure. If the first had been a tour of the jungle, the desert and the interior of a pyramid, in the second the scriptwriters looked for something more urban. That’s why we chose locations like Las Vegas and Granada. ”
“But beyond the places,” continues Gasull, “we needed something that would serve as a target for Thaddeus. What would Thaddeus look for this time? And along with what, also why. And that led us to another question, where is Tadeo after his first adventure? And your relationship with Sara? We prepare a brief synopsis and present it to the directors and our producers. Bingo! They liked the concept. For us it was important that Tadeo sought the greatest source of wealth known but at the same time that was the least interest. That’s why we thought that what Thaddeus really needed was to know if he could make progress in his relationship with Sara or not. The movie was going to articulate around love. The fact that Midas had given up his wealth in order to recover his daughter was a wonderful mirror for Thaddeus. ”
Finally, “once marked the line of action that articulated the story, we began to develop other elements, such as the characters. We had to decide which ones to rescue and how they would be new. Writing for animation is a much more complicated job than it seems. It involves an exercise in humility for the writer, whose work is constantly rewritten by the story-board team, the animators, and the directors. You soon discover that one idea is a germ of another, and that what one has written on the page goes in a completely new direction and appears differently on the big screen. The essence remains despite the continuous changes that occur throughout the process.
The voices
In this second part of the saga, Óscar Barberán continues to give life to Tadeo Jones and Luis Posada, participates in the role of the talkative Mummy. For her part, Adriana Ugarte has made her debut as a dubbing actress in this film incarnating the young Tiffany archeology apprentice, Michelangelo Jenner gives voice to Rackham, while Michelle Jenner and José Corbacho have repeated experience putting their voices to the energetic and decided Sara Lavroff and a curious Spanish taxi driver who serves the Tadeo expedition in Granada, respectively.
With an omnipresent mummy, a crazy dog and a mute parrot that leave no room for boredom, Tadeo Jones returns theaters next August 25.
Tadeo Jones 2: the secret of King Midas has also had David Bisbal and Martina Stoessel – TINI who play the video of ‘Everything is possible’, the main theme of the soundtrack that has been composed exclusively for the film.
The Secret of King Midas is a great epic adventure told through the tenderness and simplicity of its protagonists. With an omnipresent mummy, a crazy dog and a mute parrot that leave no room for boredom, Tadeo Jones returns theaters next August 25.
Source: filasiete.com
