Sun Chaser, the latest project from Philippine-based animation studios Toon City and PlayLab, will debut its pilot episode at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, held from June 21 to 27 in Annecy, France.
Created by Filipino-American creators Bernard Badion and Bobby Pontillas (the latter of whom earned an Oscar nod for the 2018 short film, One Small Step, which he co-directed), Sun Chaser currently boasts an impressive lineup of voice actors, including Manny Jacinto, Liza Soberano, Charo Santos-Concio, and Dingdong Dantes. The series previously won the Animation du Monde at last year’s festival.
The series centers around Jordan Santos (Jacinto), a “self-absorbed teen whose carefree summer is upended when an ancient icy villain attacks his grandmother’s island in the Philippines,” according to the official logline. To protect his family, Jordan must take charge of a ship known as the Sun Chaser and rescue his grandmother before it’s too late. Also in the cast are Eugene Cordero, JR De Guzman, Zia Dantes, AC Bonifacio, and KD Estrada.
Although Sun Chaser signals an important milestone for the studio, this isn’t the first time that Toon City has left its mark on the global animation scene. Since it opened in 1993 as an animation service provider for Walt Disney Television Animation, Toon City has contributed to shows such as Rick and Morty, Kim Possible, Hazbin Hotel, and Curious George, the latter of which won them an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Animation. For Sun Chaser, Soberano’s Funny Face Films is also stepping in as a co-producer.
