‘Lion King’ Director Rob Minkoff Joins AI-Assisted Film ‘Storm Dogs’ From Tilly Norwood Creator Particle 6

Rob Minkoff, the co-director of the Disney classic “The Lion King” and the director of “Stuart Little,” is in advanced discussions to board the AI-assisted film “Storm Dogs,” the next project by Tilly Norwood creators Particle 6.

The family comedy-drama follows toddler Poppy who, after a storm hits her English village and separates her from her adult caretaker, must band together with a group of dogs to help guide her home. Minkoff will serve as creative lead on the project, working with van der Velden to develop the film’s story, characters and script. The in-development film is targeting a 2027 start for production.

“Rob has helped create some of cinema’s most enduring animal characters. His understanding of character, comedy and emotional storytelling makes him an extraordinary creative partner for Storm Dogs,” van der Velden said in a statement.

“I have spent much of my career looking for ways to create animal characters who are funny, emotionally truthful and completely alive,” Minkoff added in a statement. “When I visited Particle 6 in London, I found a group of filmmakers who care deeply about story, character and performance. They are also serious about exploring how new production methods can expand how filmmakers’ imaginations are realized on screen. Storm Dogs is a wonderful opportunity to develop that approach together in the service of a story with real jeopardy, heart and humor.”

Particle 6 said the film will combine “live-action performances with photorealistic animated characters” using a mix of AI tools, traditional approaches and human actors. That involves a process where the actor’s expressions, physicality and inflections are applied to the animated characters, rather than just using their voice.

The toddler and dogs, however, will be “created” with a mix of live-action performances and AI, according to the company. A spokesperson said that the use of AI to bring Poppy and the dogs to life is “a real bonus” as “neither toddlers nor animals need to be on set for long hours.” Van der Velden said in her statement that the nature of the film “presents a challenge that would be extraordinarily difficult to achieve through conventional production alone.”

“By bringing performers, filmmakers and emerging tools together, we can attempt something unusually ambitious while keeping every creative decision in human hands,” she said. “I’m not interested in AI as a replacement for human creativity. But I believe it has extraordinary potential to transform the process of making motion pictures, to help filmmakers manifest what they imagine with greater freedom and fewer limitations. We are still in the pioneering phase of this transformation, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help define how it can be used responsibly.”

The film’s development comes months after Particle 6 revealed that Tilly Norwood would star in its first feature-length project, “Misaligned,” which began production earlier this month. The company put Tilly Norwood on the press circuit last week, parading her in front of news outlets including Variety and “Good Morning Britain“ — though not without some hiccups, such as her oddly switching from English to Cantonese during an interview with Piers Morgan.