Marina Antunes [Celluloid 11.18.09] news animation action gallery



The story of Romeo and Juliet is one that has been adapted millions of times but I've never seen it take on a life quite like this one.

From the minds of Peter Lawrence and Thierry Schiel comes The Way of the Cat, a wholly new approach to the age old tale of lovers torn by family and society. But there’s much more to this story than romance because the tale takes places on the ship-city of Catatonia described as a "steam-punk creation several kilometers long, which 'sails' a parched and hostile desert, eternally searching for life-giving water." If that’s not cool enough, there’s also the little fact that these aren’t humans.

Check out these details:

The Katzers are the city’s ruling class – evolved feline humanoids who have maintained their grip on Catatonian society for as long as history records.

The Caninists are the subservient class – evolved canine humanoids who perform the brutal and menial tasks required to keep the ship-city operating and the Katzers in wealth and comfort.

This social stasis appears to be dictated by the Katzer’s Holy Book, The Way of the Cat, and echoed by the Mangies’ equivalent, The Aikidog. Both define the terrible taboo of miscegenation. If ever a Katzer should couple with a Mangie, death and destruction will follow. This is an article of blind Faith for both sides. It feeds the virulent mutual hostility and escalating violence. At this rate, mutual destruction is inevitable.

Against this background, and as the result of a suicide bombing in a fashionable nightclub, a young Katzer girl, Angeline, and a cool Mangie boy her age, Racer, fall in love and conceive a child.

Neither Katzer nor Mangie Establishments can allow this child to be born for it will destroy the miscegenation taboo and bring down the long-established order from which both Establishments benefit.

Destruction, romance on the run, steam-punk… this is already sounding like a sure fire winner. Add the gorgeous concept art which we've uncovered to the mix and I'm getting all excited; it further suggests this is going to be a movie to watch for!

Images after the break.

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Kristen (11 years ago) Reply

Looks cool.

rek (11 years ago) Reply

2010: Year of the Furries

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