Walking in DeMille's Footsteps

To paraphrase* Darryl Zanuck, "When you wrap a good animal story in biblical garb, you can open your own mint" ...

... Sony Pictures Animation is developing “The Lamb,” an animated movie inspired by the Nativity story that DeVon Franklin will produce under his newly-minted company Franklin Entertainment.

Based on an original pitch by Tom Sheridan, the film will feature both laughs and heart, as well as an all-animal cast. ...

Mel Gibson has had good luck with biblical movies, and DreamWorks Animation didn't do badly with one. No reason that SPA can't prosper in the same way. But they have to create a feature that people want to go see.

* Zanuck was referring to C.B. DeMille's uncanny ability to spin gold from holy scripture. The quote is "When you get a sex story in biblical garb, you can open your own mint", and refers to "Samson and Delilah", a huge hit in 1949. But it could also have applied to DeMille's "Sign of the Cross" or "King of Kings" or "Ten Commandments". Sony Picture Animation is going to give the biblical part of the equation a trail run.