Cartoon Network Studios is teaming up with award-winning filmmaker Matthew Cherry (Hair Love) and award-winning director Chaz Bottoms (Dear John: Legendary Love Letters) to bring us a beautiful new animated series that celebrates the creative arts culture of Chicago, set to a sonic landscape inspired by hip-hop beats and classical broadway melodies.
Battu comes from the visionary minds of Cherry and Bottoms, both of whom infuse rich culture into their works to bring to life the stories that move and inspire us.
Cartoon Network Studios announced the partnership yesterday along with the following synopsis of the animated comedy series:
“From the French ballet term meaning beat, Battu follows teenagers Otis and Jada — two gifted dancers in Chicago whose free-spirit and individuality often leave them as outsiders in the rigid world of mainstream dance. Together they find a home at a struggling hiplet (a style of dance combining hip-hop and ballet) studio and a family among the studio’s troupe of dancers and instructors.
Embracing the vibrant Chicago music scene, the soundtrack of the series will feature original music and punctuate the stories of our characters which will explore themes such as courage, self-empowerment, inclusiveness, perseverance, and the power of friendship. The project is based on Bottoms’ animated short film Battu: An Animated Musical that is currently in production.”
If we’ve learned anything from the work of creators like Matthew Cherry and Chaz Bottoms, it’s that our voice resonates in all spaces and mediums, and a series like Battu will surely warm our hearts and inspire us to move, laugh, and love the art we create.