News that Lux Digital Pictures has seed-funded a planned animated adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness. On the back of this Telefilm Canada is “expected” to invest “approximately $2.5 million” Canadian dollars, along with fan-funding via a Kickstarter set to launch in June 2014.

Hopefully the movie will be faithful and an authentic period piece. Not distorted by the insertion of some tedious new ‘love interest’, or by setting it on another planet, or by adding a giant Cthulhu standing atop Kadath. Although adding an additional subtle layer of valvepunk styling to the visual design and costuming might be nice. Or even a 1931 vintage look for the illustration style, following the ‘filmed in Mythoscope’ lead of the HPL Historical Society movies and the first 30 minutes of Sky Captain.

The lead creative will be Stephen Sloan of Upon Animation Studios, and the film will be “produced entirely in Canada”, rather than being outsourced to the Far East. Judging by the ‘Saturday morning cartoon’ style that Upon Animation’s animation used for the animated inserts in Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie (2011), the style may be stylised toony 2D rather than Space Pirate Captain Harlock rendered 3D. The screenplay is by stage playwright Peter Colley. Casting agent Deirdre Bowen is said to be set to start “casting by the beginning of July”, if the funds are raised.

A Mountains concept poster borrowed from Walter Junior. Not the poster for the Upon Animation version.