"9" Character Posters On The Rag...

Click images to enlarge...

Take a look at the new character posters from Focus Features, supporting producer Tim Burton's upcoming CG feature "9", directed by Shane Acker @ Toronto's Starz Animation, a Canadian production company that recently received a $23 million boost from the Ontario provincial government.

Adapting Acker's 2005 computer animated Academy Award-nominated short film, the new movie will be distributed by Focus Features, following a 'sentient' rag doll, the last of its kind, living in the ruins of a decaying parallel world, hunted relentlessly by a mechanical beast that has already killed eight other rag dolls by stealing their souls with a canister-like talisman.

Rag doll '9', accompanied by his friend and mentor, the one-eyed '5', scavenged the ruins of their world in search of tools that would help them survive, before the monster suddenly appeared and attacked 5, stealing his soul, with 9 narrowly escaping.

In an attempt to destroy the monster, 9 prepares a trap, luring the monster into an old building where it is briefly subdued, allowing 9 to steal its talisman.

But the monster breaks free and chases 9 through the building, cornering him onto a wooden plank elevated high above the floor.

Just as the monster approaches, 9 leaps to safety, knocking the plank down as the monster plummets to the floor impaled by the plank.

After setting up a memorial for the other rag dolls, 9 puts two talismans together to create a larger canister that releases the souls of all the monster's victims, including 5.

Before vanishing, 5 turns to 9 and gives him an approving one-eyed wink and a nod, with 9 setting off for parts unknown, leaving the canister behind...