A new musical comedy series developed by Cartoon Network about two gifted dancers will have a decidedly Chicago tone.
Cartoon Network will collaborate with Academy Award-winning filmmaker and Northwest Side native Matthew A. Cherry and DePaul alumnus Chaz Bottoms to create “Battu,” an animated series following the lives of two dancers in Chicago — Otis and Jada — whose independent streak runs afoul of mainstream dance gatekeepers.
The project is based on Bottoms’ animated short film, “Battu: An Animated Musical,” that is currently in production.
“Chaz is one of the most exciting young voices in animation and we are thrilled to be working with Sam Register, Nicole Rivera and the rest of the Cartoon Network Studios team to develop ‘Battu,'” said Cherry, who won an Oscar last year for best animated short film for “Hair Love,” in a press release.
Bottoms, a director, animator, writer and owner of CBA Studios, envisions the series as a tribute to Chicago.
“I grew up on a healthy diet of Cartoon Network shows and to be working with them on ‘Battu’ is a dream come true,” said Bottoms in the press release. “This project is my love letter to the city of Chicago, animation, and musicals.”
