Poncho Balón (also known as Poncho Football in English) is a series of Mexican animated television shorts that ran on Canal 5 during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[2] It aired a total of 31 shorts. The show stars Humberto Vélez as the title character, who is best known for dubbing Homer Simpson in the Spanish-language version of The Simpsons.[1]
| Poncho Balón | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Slapstick Comedy Adventure |
| Created by | Carlos Cuarón René Castillo Juan Elias Tovar Luis Usablaca |
| Directed by | René Castillo |
| Starring | Humberto Vélez[1] |
| Composer | Álvaro Ruiz |
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| Original languages | Spanish English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 31[1] |
| Production | |
| Producers | Carlos Cuarón René Castillo Fernando de Fuentes José C. Garcia de Letona |
| Running time | 2 minutes[1] |
| Production companies | Ánima Estudios Estación Espacial |
| Original release | |
| Network | Canal 5 |
| Release | June 5 – July 5, 2006[1] |
The series was produced by Ánima Estudios and Estación Espacial and was created by Carlos Cuarón, René Castillo, Juan Elias Tovar, and Luis Usablaca.[2]
Plot
editThe plot revolves on a clumsy, dim-witted, anthropomorphic soccer ball, named Poncho, who's trying to achieve his dreams of playing for the 2006 World Cup Final in Germany. As he journeys around the world, he faces a series of shenanigans and failed attempts while reaching to his final destination.[3]
Broadcast history
editPoncho Balón is broadcast on the following stations worldwide:[3]
| Region | Network(s) |
|---|---|
 Mexico
|
Canal 5/TDN |
 UNASUR
|
FOX Sports |
 USA
|
Univisión |
 Ecuador
|
Teleamazonas |
 Peru
|
Frecuencia Latina |
 Colombia
|
Caracol |
 Honduras
|
Canal 11 |
 Guatemala
|
PCS |
Feature film adaptation
editDue to successful ratings, co-creators and producers, René Castillo and Luis Usabiaga, have announced that an animated feature film based on the television shorts is in development.[4] The producers also said they wanted to achieve the similar success with Pixar movies and possibly earn an Academy Award nomination with this film.[5] It will be set during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[6] Originally planned for a 2012 and 2014 release,[4] the film is currently in production and was expected to be released sometime in 2015, produced by Kaxan Animation in Guadalajara, produced in English.[5][6][7] It is currently unknown if Ánima Estudios, the producer of the television shorts, will be involved in the project.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Poncho Balón va a la final Archived 2008-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b ANIMA ESTUDIOS COPRODUCES 'PONCHO SUCKERBALL' WITH ESTACION ESPACIAL
- ^ a b Narran aventuras de Poncho Balón rumbo a Alemania (in Spanish)
- ^ a b Manuel Badillo, Juan (10 July 2009). "Filmarán la película de Poncho Balón". Mundo 52 (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ a b Gutiérrez Franco, Laura (21 January 2012). "Con "Poncho Balón", Kaxan Group quiere ir al Oscar". Axópolis. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ a b ""Poncho Balón" protagonizará película en Mundial 2014". 14 December 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ a b Huerta, Cesar (14 December 2011). "Poncho Balón rodará de nuevo". El Universal (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2014.