Director Rob Minkoff, known for the animated film The Lion King and the Stuart Little pictures, will direct the family film Storm Dogs. The main characters—dogs and a two-year-old girl—will be created using artificial intelligence. The project is being developed by Particle 6, a company founded by Eline van der Velden, who previously introduced the virtual actress Tilly Norwood.
The film will be set in an English village. A two-year-old girl named Poppy gets lost during a severe storm. To help her get home, five dogs of different breeds team up, who must overcome their natural instincts and mutual conflicts.
The filmmakers will combine live-action filming with characters generated by artificial intelligence. According to van der Velden, this kind of story is the best way to apply the technology’s capabilities. This will help achieve a convincing performance from the talking dogs without subjecting real animals and small children to the difficulties of the filming process.
Rob Minkoff called this idea one of the most successful uses of the new technology. At the same time, he acknowledges that the team faces serious technical challenges. For example, they need to ensure that the dogs’ movements and appearance are consistent across different scenes, especially in close-ups. The film is being made using existing artificial intelligence models and the 3D animation program Blender.
The team is currently preparing a demo reel of about two and a half minutes, which will be shown at select public events and to film industry representatives. Minkoff estimates that creating the feature-length film will take about a year. This timeframe includes developing the story, generating the characters, refining the script, and filming with live actors.
The project is being financed by a private investor associated with Particle 6. Once the main development stages are complete, the producers will begin looking for a studio to distribute the picture.
The director hopes that audiences will see Storm Dogs primarily as a family story, not as a technology demonstration. In his opinion, the new tools can make independent animation more accessible and allow for the creation of projects that were previously only possible for major studios.
Minkoff specifically clarified that his involvement in this project does not mean he supports the virtual actress Tilly Norwood. Her appearance has sparked controversy in Hollywood, as some industry figures fear that characters created by artificial intelligence could replace live performers.
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