The new sony taps Asbury for 'Pooch'

The new sony Pictures Animation has drawn on veteran animation author-director Kelly Asbury to pen "Pooch Coffee shop," a CG-animated feature according to Paul Gilligan's popular syndicated comic strip of the identical title.Story follows Poncho, a cheese-loving, squirrel-fearing, toilet-consuming mutt who joins his canine buddies in the Pooch Caf, a neighborhood hangout where dogs could be dogs and compare notes on such weighty issues as staying away from baths, zebra-flavored kibble, and the making of a huge catapult that to hurl all of the world's felines in to the sun.Gil Netter, Bridget McMeel and John Glynn will professional produce "Pooch Coffee shop.""Kelly's wit and motion picture sensibility pairs wonderfully using the irreverent figures and wry comedy within the "Pooch Caf" comic strip," stated SPA's production prexy Michelle Raimo-Kouyate. "We have been searching for something related to Kelly, which would be a right diamond necklace.InchAsbury lately directed and co-authored "Gnomeo and Juliet," which required in additional than $189 million worldwide. He formerly co-directed "Spirit: Stallion from the Cimarron" and "Shrek 2," the greatest-grossing animated film in U.S. box office history. Over his 27-year career in animation, Asbury has offered in a number of creative capabilities on such Hollywood hits as "Shrek," "Toy Story," "Beauty and also the Animal," "The Small Mermaid" and "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas." Younger crowd provided character voices for "Gnomeo and Juliet," "Shrek 2" and "Shrek the 3rd.InchThe new sony Pictures Animation most lately launched "The Smurfs," that has made over $519 million worldwide.Asbury is repped by UTA and Nancy Newhouse-Porter at Newhouse/Porter/Hubbard. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com