Animated movie on Santa Claus by Christmas 2010

A movie on Santa Claus is soon to hit the silver screens worldwide. India's Toonz Animation has bagged the deal with a US firm, which will produce the animation feature film by 2010.

Based on the classic book, "The Wizard of Oz", the movie will chronicle the life of Santa Claus from an infant to an adult, eventually becoming a Christmas legend.

"This is our first CGI theatrical feature and it's a great moment for us. We at Toonz look forward to this challenging opportunity which would test our creative talents, and anticipate an exciting and quality production," said Mr P Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Group.

"Amazingly enough, this is the first time an original story, explaining Santa Claus and all the Christmas traditions, has ever come to the screen. We are very pleased to bring this exciting fantasy to life,' stated Tom Tataranowicz, who alongside Rich Arons and Dick Sebast will direct the movie.

The production is scheduled to commence later this month at the Toonz Studio in Thiruvanthapuram. The team boasts of a supporting team of artists who have worked on pictures such as Finding Nemo, The Lion King, and Iron Giant.

The total budget of the film is estimated to be about Rs 20 crore (Rs 200 million).