The award-winning animation studio Fortiche Production, which created the hit Netflix series Arcane (which recently released a teaser for Season 2), revealed today that it is currently working on a brand-new project called Penelope of Sparta, which will be the company’s first original production and first-ever feature film.

Penelope of Sparta
Penelope of Sparta (Credits: Fortiche)

Jérôme Combe, Co-Founder & President, made the announcement during the first Studio Focus session of Fortiche Production at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Silvia Martelossi, an animator on The Secret Life of Pets 2 and The Grinch, and Combe are working on the project. The art director of the movie is Raël Lyra.

Delving Deeper Into The Greek Mythology-Inspired Project

Penelope Awakened by Eurycleia
Penelope Awakened by Eurycleia (Credits: Angelica Kauffman)

Penelope of Sparta is a science fiction coming-of-age tale aimed at an adult audience, covering the unknown backstory of the Odyssey’s heroine. With an emphasis on adult and young adult viewers, Fortiche’s strategy shift from creative service studio to original content development is being initiated with this project. Fortiche states:

Penelope of Sparta will utilize the studio’s unique graphic signature – mixing 2D with a painted visual made in 3D – that has proven appeal among animation fans worldwide and garnered multiple critical acclaim.

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Penelope of Sparta is being produced alongside screenwriter Amanda Overton, an executive story editor for nine episodes of the Emmy and Annie-winning Netflix series, further solidifying the “Arcane” association. Following the announcement, Combe told Variety:

We felt a strong desire to embark on an original project and to create a feature film specifically designed for the cinema, following the success of ‘Arcane.’ In an era where most projects are reboots or based on existing IPs, our challenge was to develop something original while staying on familiar ground for audiences. Thus, we decided to adapt one of the oldest ‘IPs’ in history – Homer’s “Odyssey” – a story known to all.

He continued to say that this would allow them to leverage Fortiche’s unique expertise and talent. Their new project delves into the untold story of Penelope, exploring who she was before the image we have of her today. According to Combe, Penelope of Sparta is a passion project that combines their love for coming-of-age narratives and sci-fi elements.

Fans Showcase Their Excitement Following The Announcement Of Penelope of Sparta

Arcane
Arcane (Credits: Netflix)

Following the announcement of Combe, fans took to X to show their appreciation and excitement for the sci-fi feature. Most of the audience finds the concept of blending ancient mythology with modern sci-fi elements interesting and their reactions are very telling. However, some fans are disappointed that Arcane will end with Season 2. Nevertheless, the audience seems intrigued by Penelope of Sparta.

https://twitter.com/licebitu/status/1800497161018499477

The YA movie, which is geared toward viewers 13 and older, tells the sci-fi tale of Penelope, the Odyssey heroine from Homer. It will follow the seventeen-year-old as she attends an elite high school with other well-known figures from legend, including Achilles, Helen, Circe, Agamemnon, and Odysseus, all set in a world influenced by classical Greece.

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There is a lot of competition because of the kids’ high social status. Penelope disregards the usual motives of her peers and focuses on a mission assigned by her father, the King of Sparta, who has given the girl the responsibility of releasing the Spartan people from the imperial grasp of Athens, while the majority of the children are continuously striving to outdo each other.

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