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The Films
Logline
Pierced in his side by a magical thorn, a fisherman travels across the great ocean in search of the star beyond the sea, which, legend says, gives those who find her a gift beyond all telling.
Part I: A Thorn in the Flesh
A young adventurous fisherman, strange men from the far east, a magical healer, and the adventure of a lifetime. As the Eternal City falls into turmoil, Jean is pierced by a thorn that wraps itself around one of his ribs. With the aide of a magical healer, Jean sets off across the sea, and quickly learns that the world as he knows it is not what it appears to be – a plot is brewing that may bring the Eternal City to ruin, forever.
Part II: The Depths of the Earth
Cast into the underground Darvaza Prison for treason against the Eternal City, Jean must find a way to get down to the deepest depths of the earth, where he will uncover a mystery that spells certain doom for all men – all while the magic of the thorn consumes him.
Part III: The End of All Things
Escaped from prison, all hope seems lost, except that Jean may just hold the key to the restoration of the Eternal City. Rather than fight for them all, Jean seeks refuge in the Athenian Mountains. Now only Jean can save the Eternal City, but only the Star Beyond the Sea can save Jean from being destroyed by the power of the thorn.
The Films
Production
Professional artists. Drawing by hand. On paper.
A team of all different kinds of artists are coming together to create what could become one of the greatest cinematic experiences in modern history. Three films, drawn entirely by hand, using traditional paper and ink. The effort required is astonishing, and our artists are already working around the clock creating the concept art that will take us into the next phase of production.
The Animatic
We are currently in the first stage of production – creating a proof-of-concept animatic of the first 15 minutes of film. A rough sketch is completed, and the artists are currently working on line art while the director is working with voice actors, sound engineers, and the composer to create an entire world in sound.
Where we are headed
We already have a committed group of investors, and are in conversation with studios and production companies interested in bringing this incredible trilogy to life. We intend to take our completed proof of concept and everything that we have created to a larger pool of investors eager to see The Star Beyond the Sea on the big screen. Upon a successful round of funding, we will go into full-scale production, modeling our process after other widely acclaimed animation studios like Studio Ghibli and Cartoon Saloon.
Artistic Comps
Production
Artwork coming soon!
Artwork
The forgotten demographic
Audience
The Star Beyond the Sea is the only major series of animated films being created for a teenage audience in the United States. Animation in Hollywood does not even have a category for the teenage demographic. The American teenage audience instead turns to the Japanese animation industry – with the most recent Studio Ghibli movie grossing over $47,000,000 at the domestic box office (i.e., in the United States; over $295,000,000 worldwide).
This is a gigantic audience, hungry for beautiful stories, and they are not being fed. Written out of the great western storytelling tradition that brought us the Arthurian Legends, Dante's Divine Comedy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings, The Star Beyond the Sea will not only satisfy this audience to unprecedented financial returns, it will inspire a generation of teenagers with truth, goodness, and beauty in a way that only stories can.
Audience
Investment
Why Invest?
There is an unspoken, deep, mythological understanding of the world buried in every human heart, and it shapes the way that we perceive everything. The Star Beyond the Sea is an epic fairytale, written out of the deepest depths of the ancient and beautiful Aristotelian storytelling tradition, designed to shape the heart of the viewer with the Truth. It is packed with Biblical and ecclesial symbolism, written to sink into the soul, and convey moral truths in a way that only stories can.
The Need
The Star Beyond the Sea has been funded so far by micro-investments ranging from $500 to $25,000. Every dollar has gotten us closer to theatrical release. Your micro investment goes farther than you think, and we only need a few more small investments to get our animatic in front of studios.
The Return
In this first phase of investment, we are offering the possibility of a 25% return upon successful funding of the feature production, which is anticipated as early as August 2027.
Investment
What people are saying about
The Star Beyond the Sea
"An ambitious, absorbing epic that adroitly combines Biblical and Arthurian mythologies with beloved contemporary fantasy such as The Lord of the Rings to arrive at something that is both familiar and new."
"Unnerving in the most wonderful way. Compelling, and absolutely haunting."
"The Star Beyond the Sea is as symbolic as the Chronicles of Narnia, as epic as The Lord of the Rings, and I'm already nerding out over it."
"The world feels so vivid I feel like I'm creating fan art for an epic movie that's already been released."
About Us
Genesius Films, LTD
Genesius Films is an independent film production company based in Steubenville, Ohio, primarily focusing on narrative film production in both live action and animation. The mission of Genesius Films is simple: Transcendental Storytelling. Our films are beautiful, they evoke catharsis, and give you a sense of wonder. It will change your life if you let it.
The Team
Written & Directed by
J.L. Pope
A critically acclaimed writer & director, Jeremy's work has been seen by millions. He has won major accolades at world-renowned festivals, and his work has been distributed on major networks around the world.
Co-Director & Lead Artist
Audrey Frances Badley
Filling sketch books before she could talk, Audrey has recently worked her way from traditional illustration into animation through a classical artist's apprenticeship. The Star Beyond the Sea is her debut feature film.
Composer
Mark Nowakowski
The acclaimed composer of the score for The Mass of the Ages documentaries, Dr. Mark Nowakowski is an Associate Professor of Music at Kent State Stark.
Featuring
Derek James Stull
Margaret Smith
Contact:
jeremy@genesiusfilms.com
(208) 965-0865
About Us
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