PRODUCTION NOTES Running Time: 85Min
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PRODUCTION NOTES Running Time: 85min SYNOPSIS From the time he was a puppy Trouble has lived a lavish life. Playing in a large mansion, eating filet mignon for lunch, and sleeping on the finest linens, this pampered pooch had everything a dog could dream of. But after his wealthy owner passes away, Trouble finds himself alone, lost, and in search of a way back home. Now Trouble’s privileged mindset will make him the ultimate fish out of water in this scary new world. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, the greedy relatives of his late owner hire an eccentric animal tracker to find Trouble after learning he is actually the key to the inheritance. As Trouble stays one step ahead of the animal tracker, his journey will lead him to meet Rousey, a tough street dog who befriends Trouble and teaches him ropes of the real world, and Zoe, an 18-year-old rising musician who is struggling to find her place in the world. In their own unique way, they will both help Trouble discover that what matters most in life is not what you have, but who you have. KEVIN JOHNSON – Director Kevin has over 20 years of experience in animation, including work on Ferngully, A Troll In Central Park, The Pagemaster, The Iron Giant, and Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Kevin also has been Head of Story on films such as Osmosis Jones, Open Season, Astro Boy, and Yogi Bear. JOHN H. WILLIAMS – Producer Mr. Williams identified, acquired, developed, cast, and produced Shrek, which was released by DreamWorks in May 2001 and won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. He later produced Shrek 2 and was Executive Producer of Shrek The Third, Shrek Forever After, and Puss In Boots. Other credits include Valiant with Walt Disney Pictures, which starred Ewan McGregor and Ricky Gervais and Space Chimps with Fox, which was directed by Kirk DeMicco (Director of The Croods). In total, John H. Williams’ films have grossed more than $3.8 billion in worldwide theatrical box office to date. DANIELLE STERLING – Producer Danielle Sterling has worked in development and production for over 20 years. She started her career at MGM Studios where she worked on such movies at Get Shorty, The Red Corner, Hart’s War, Kingpin, The Mod Squad and A Guy Thing. She also served as Senior Vice President of Davis Entertainment where she worked on such films as First Daughter, I, Robot, Flight Of The Phoenix and Jump In! for the Disney Channel. From 2008 to 2016 she served as Head of Development for Prana Studios, an independent Animation Studio that is based in Los Angeles and Mumbai, India. Currently, she is Head of Development and a producer for 3QU Media, an independent Animation Studio based in Los Angeles, where she finished production on two movies, Charming and Gnome Alone, and is in production another animated film currently titled SuperCharged. As an extension of her love for music in film, she consulted with world- renowned film composer Klaus Badelt on several motion picture projects, including Ballerina and Mattel's Monster High franchise. CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS Trouble: Trouble is a friendly but privileged mutt who chooses to see his food bowl as half full rather than half empty. Always approaching things with bright-eyed curiosity, he means well but seems to have a knack for causing trouble wherever he goes. Despite this, Trouble’s infectious enthusiasm and optimistic outlook are overpowering even to the most cynical. But after the death of his wealthy owner, Trouble is forced to set out in search of a new life and home. Throughout his journey, Trouble learns that the life he had with Mrs. Vanderwhoozie was one of great privilege and opulence. Even more importantly, he will learn that the most valuable thing of all is true friendship and will help those around him understand and appreciate the value of unconditional love. Zoe: Zoe is fiercely independent young woman. Though she dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter, to pay bills she delivers pizza on her beat-up old Vespa. True to her calling, she has turned her tiny, low-rent apartment into a small makeshift recording studio and spends all her free time working on her music. When Trouble enters her life, Zoe’s best-laid plans begin to unravel one doggie disaster at a time. However, true to his character, Trouble works his way into Zoe’s heart and changes her life forever, in more ways than one. Rousey: Rousey is a street dog with a hardened exterior, but underneath it all she has a heart of gold. Having been dealt a bad hand with a previous owner, Rousey took to the streets with one hard-learned lesson: never trust humans. When Trouble comes crashing into Rousey’s life, she wants no part of him. However, true to form, Trouble ultimately endears himself to Rousey and helps her learn to trust humans once again. Claire: Claire, a money-hungry scoundrel, and her twin brother Norbert, are Mrs. Vanderwhoozie’s only living relatives. The bigger bully of the two, Claire is confident that they are about to inherit Mrs. V.’s enormous fortune, and she makes the unfortunately mistake of tossing Trouble out of the house. However, once it becomes clear that he is the key to the fortune, Claire hires an animal tracker to find Trouble, all while trying to cover up the incident from the attorneys. Norbert: Born seconds after his sister, Norbert has lived his entire life in her shadow. Though he is not as malicious as Claire (or as intelligent), he is far too afraid of her to do anything other than carry out her orders. This is not to say he is any less greedy – Norbert is every bit as excited as his sister at the prospect of inheriting a large sum of money from their deceased aunt. Thurman: Part Pet-Detective, part Doctor Doolittle, Thurman emulates the animals he tracks, and channels his inner beast to become one with the animal kingdom. He can communicate with squirrels, birds and even cockroaches. His methods are effective but very humorous to the outside observer. In their desperation to get Trouble back, Claire and Norbert hire Thurman to and Trouble and bring him back to the mansion before anyone ands out that he is missing. Norm: A curt and often grumpy bulldog, Norm is the leader of the Dog Park Gang. The other dogs look up to him and trust his cynical advice. Convinced that Trouble is out to steal their owners, Norm urges the gang to get rid of this new dog. But, once again, Trouble’s persistent and lovable personality wins Norm and the gang over, and they ultimately come to Trouble’s rescue in the end. Bella: Bella is a friendly but persnickety corgi. She is a little neurotic, always fussing over her health and well-being. As a result of her constant worry over illness, Bella is often seen with a cone of shame while at the dog park. Although a nuisance at first, Bella learns how to use to the cone as a long-range antenna and listening device. Gizmo: Gizmo is a paranoid greyhound dog who’s always diving deep in conspiracy theories. To Gizmo, nothing is what it seems in the world. There’s always a malevolent reason behind everything, even if it’s just his owner asking him to play dead. Tippy: As a hyperactive poodle inside the dog park, Tippy is easily distracted and has difficulty containing his excitement. He has lots of ideas and often interrupts his canine friends in order to blurt them out. Mr. MacBain: MacBain is a stern yet thoughtful lawyer. He has been a loyal and trusted friend to Sarah Vanderwhoozie for years and is now in charge of her estate and inheritance. It will be his duty to inform the greedy twins, Claire and Norbert, that in order to inherit the fortune, they must not only accept custody of Mrs. Vanderwhoozie’s beloved pet but also prove that Trouble has also accepted them as his new owners. When the twins eventually get their hands- on Trouble and try to convince Mr. MacBain that they are one happy family, it will be up to him to ascertain whether their good intentions are genuine and to decide Trouble’s fate. Sarah Vanderwhoozie: A uniquely eccentric woman in her 80s, Mrs. Vanderwhoozie is still very young at heart. She is as limitlessly kind as she is wealthy and a true believer in living every moment to the fullest, especially when it comes to her favourite dog Trouble. Mrs. Vanderwhoozie spends almost every moment with her furry companion, until one sad day when she passes. But even in death, Sarah Vanderwhoozie still has immense influence in her love for Trouble, as she sets up her inheritance to benefit only what’s best for Trouble. James: As head of house staff at the mansion where Trouble lives, James rarely shows his emotions, but he has a great deal of respect and affection for Mrs. Vanderwhoozie. Seeing how much joy Trouble brings into her life, James uncomplainingly cleans up all the wreckage the little dog leaves in his wake. James does his best to keep a straight face in response to the arrogance and rudeness of Claire and Norbert. Leader of the Squirrels: A real thespian of the forest, the Leader of the Squirrels is furious with Trouble after the clumsy dog knocks all their acorns out of their favourite tree. In response, the squirrels steal Trouble’s collar and continually harass the dog throughout his journey.