Leonardo da Vinci is being brought to life in a new stop-motion animated feature

Pixar story veteran Jim Capobianco (Ratatouille) is assembling an award-winning team of animators and filmmakers from around the world to bring Leonardo da Vinci to life in an inventive new way.

Using stop motion and 2D hand-drawn animation The Inventor will be crafted by the people behind the biggest stop motion and animation classics in recent years including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Isle of Dogs, Song of The Sea, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Lion King, and of course Ratatouille.

The Inventor follows the story of the insatiably curious and headstrong inventor Leonardo da Vinci when he leaves Italy to join the French court where he proposes to create the “Ideal City”. A city designed to benefit people not control them.

His new radical ideas do not please the King’s Mother nor do his endeavors serve the King’s ambitions for power. It is only in the enterprising princess, Marguerite (Daisy Ridley), that Leonardo sees hope for the future. It is with her help that he finds the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of it all?”

In the spirit of da Vinci himself the film will be a first of its kind.

Making the film completely independently the filmmakers are hoping to inspire a new generation of inventors and animators by opening access on Kickstarter to fans across the world to be part of how the film is made from the very beginning.

Smashing their initial Kickstarter goal in just a few hours, the film has already added star-studded names to the voice cast including Stephen Fry (Alice in Wonderland, V for Vendetta) as Leonardo and Star Wars hero Daisy Ridley (Star Wars sequel trilogy, Murder on the Orient Express) who will give life to enterprising French Princess Marguerite.

There’s still time for fans to gain access behind the scenes, take live virtual tours of the set or meet the award-winning team through a series of virtual animation masterclasses that will take place throughout the production by joining the crew on Kickstarter.

Writer and Director of The Inventor Jim, who most recently directed the animation sequence of Mary Poppins Returns, said “We hope to inspire the next generation of inventors, animators, and Leonardos of the 21st century. To empower people of all ages to see themselves as the innovators of tomorrow as well as today.”

THE INVENTOR is produced by Robert Rippberger and Jim Capobianco and is executive produced by Don Hahn, producer of some of the most successful animated films in recent history including The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. DoP Peter Sorg previously worked on cult stop-motion features Frankenweenie and Coraline. In addition to the stop motion, some hand-drawn sequences will be overseen by Academy Award nominee Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea). Music by Alex Mandel who composed for the academy award-winning Pixar film, “Brave.”

Executive production credits also include Ilan Urroz, Kat Alioshin, Stephan Roelants, Carmella Casinelli, Dave Lugo, Wes Hull, and Eleanor Coleman.