Is Simple Animation Coming Back?

If you miss those old-school animated films Walt Disney used to produce, look no further.

Judging by the trailer, the animation in Sony Pictures’ upcoming film, The Illusionist (PG) looks like a cross between anime and early 90’s Disney animation.

The Illusionist, scheduled for limited release Dec. 25, is written and directed by French animator Sylvain Chomet . The film is based on an unproduced script written by French actor Jacques Tati in 1956.

The story is about an aging French magician in the 1950s, a character meant to resemble Tati himself, who travels across countries looking for a place to perform. He ends up in an isolated community in Scotland where he meets a young girl, Alice who is amazed by the illusionist’s magic tricks. As they journey across countries their relationship grows into one of a father and daughter.

The film’s voice actors include Jean-Claude Dondu and Edith Rankin.