‘9’ Director Shane Acker Set to Direct ‘Beasts of Burden’ for Reel FX

Good news for fans of Shane Acker, director of the acclaimed animated film 9 from a few years back, he’s lined up another animation project. Deadline/Variety report that Reel FX Creative Studios (of Open Season 2 & 3, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away, Turkeys) has signed on Shane Acker to direct their new CG animated feature Beasts Of Burden, based on the Dark Horse comics of the same name. The comics are about a team of investigative animals — five dogs and a cat named Orphan. Ever since first seeing 9 I’ve been keeping a close watch on Acker, who has lined up a few projects, none of which have hit the screen yet. Beasts of Burden is a Dark Horse Comics team of animals, created by writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson, that investigate different paranormal events that occur in their small neighborhood of Burden Hill. The screenplay for the big screen adaptation is being written by Darren Lemke …