Rodriguez Is Cool With "Fire And Ice"

Robert Rodriguez, who produced "Predators" has reportedly acquired rights to the Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta, 1983 animated feature "Fire and Ice", with a new version of the film to be set up at Rodriguez' Troublemaker Studios.

Originally budgeted at $1.2 million, the 1983, PG-rated animated feature currently available on Blu-ray, was a unique collaboration between director Bakshi ("Fritz The Cat", "New Adventures Of Mighty Mouse") and fantasy artist Frazetta. Based on characters Bakshi and Frazetta co-created, the film made use of 'rotoscoping', shooting live action traced onto animation cels, embellished by the unmistakable style of Frazetta, regarded as the finest fantasy illustrator in the field.The original screenplay was by Marvel Comics' "Conan" writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, with backgrounds by James Gurney, author/artist of the "Dinotopia" novels, and illustrator Thomas Kinkade.


"...From their stronghold in 'Icepeak', the evil 'Queen Juliana' and her son 'Nekron' send forth a wave of glaciers, forcing humanity to retreat south towards the equator. Nekron sends a delegation to 'King Jarol' in 'Firekeep' to request his surrender, but this is a ruse orchestrated by Queen Juliana for Nekron’s sub-humans to kidnap Jarol’s daughter, 'Princess Teegra'...."


Producer Frazetta was heavily involved in the film's live-action sequences, from casting sessions to the final shoot, ensuring that the depictions of women, heroes, villains and fantasy creatures stayed faithful to his style.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Fire And Ice"....