SPILL NEWS: ‘WAR IS OVER!’ INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO | ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ANIMATED SHORT FILM PREMIERED DECEMBER 1 ON THE OFFICIAL JOHN LENNON YOUTUBE CHANNEL

WAR IS OVER! INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO

ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ANIMATED SHORT FILM PREMIERED DECEMBER 1 ON THE OFFICIAL JOHN LENNON YOUTUBE CHANNEL

On December 1, the Academy Award and Annie Award-winning animated short film, WAR IS OVER! Inspired By The Music of John & Yoko has its World Premiere exclusively on the Official John Lennon Channel on YouTube.

The film is set in an alternate WWI reality where, as a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers’ chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates, meanwhile neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, the film powerfully illustrates that one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.

Co-written by Sean Ono Lennon and 20-year Pixar alumni – writer, director, and animator Dave Mullins (Up, Soul, Incredibles 2, Cars 2), Directed by Mullins and Produced by Brad Booker (“Iron Giant,” “The Book of Life,” “Rumble”), it is Executive Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon, with a score composed by 15-time Oscar®-nominee, Thomas Newman. WAR IS OVER! is a co-production of Lenono Music and ElectroLeague with animation produced by Peter Jackson’s Wētā FX using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.

Sean Ono Lennon says: In 2023, I worked with Dave Mullins and Brad Booker on an animated short film called WAR IS OVER! – about a wartime carrier pigeon delivering messages across the battlefield between two chess-playing soldiers – which I’m delighted to say, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. On 1 December this year we are Premiering the film on YouTube and simultaneously raising donations for the charity Warchild – throughout the holiday season. We would be honoured if you would help us spread the word about the film and John & Yoko’s timeless message that ‘War is over if you want it.’

In addition to the documentary, there were other releases on December 1:

WARCHILD

Accompanying the film will be a donation link for those who would like to support the charity WARCHILD. Donate HERE.

HAPPY XMAS 7” SINGLE

“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”/”Listen, The Snow Is Falling” is being released on 7” evergreen vinyl as a replica of the original 1971 release by John Lennon and Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir, with Ultimate Mixes of the tracks Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and Mixed and Engineered by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon. Find out more HERE. Also available as part of a Classic Holiday Singles Box Set HERE.

HAPPY XMAS 12” SINGLE

To celebrate the release of the film, these two tracks plus Thomas Newman’s soundtrack of the WAR IS OVER! film are being released as a Limited Edition 12” Zoetrope Vinyl, designed by Drew Tetz using excerpts from the film. These three tracks will also be available on Downloads and Streaming. Find out more HERE.

PENGUIN CHILDREN’S BOOK

The WAR IS OVER! film has also been adapted into a picture book with illustrations by the film’s character designer Max Narciso. A carrier pigeon named Julia delivers messages to the battlefield, but she also has a secret mission. Even though the Red Jackets and the Great Coats are at war, Julia helps the soldiers on both sides play a special game to bring each other some joy during the holiday season. Inspired by one of the most important songs of the twentieth century and the film that carried on its legacy, WAR IS OVER! is a stirring reminder of the human connection that binds us all, even during the most divisive times. WAR IS OVER! is available now from Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. Find out more HERE.

War Is Over Links