Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Breaks Guinness World Records® Record for World’s Largest Meatball!
 
Caption: CANCUN,  Mexico, August 4, 2009 – With Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Sony Pictures Animation’s mouth-watering 3-D animated event, about to hit theatres worldwide, the world’s largest meatball ever created has also descended.  Posing left to right on the occasion of the unveiling are:  executive chef Rainer Zinngrebe and banquet chef Aldo Novoa of The Ritz Carlton Hotel; Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation; and Guinness World Records ¨ adjudicator Carlos Martinez.  The record-breaking meatball weighed in at 109 lbs., or 49.5 kg.

Photo By:  Gabrile Ramirez  

CANCÚN, Mexico, August 4, 2009 – With Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Sony Pictures Animation’s mouth-watering 3-D animated event, about to hit theatres worldwide, the world’s largest meatball ever created has also descended.  The announcement was made today by Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation, Inc., and Carlos Martinez, adjudicator, Guinness World Records.    

The meatball, weighing in at 49 kg, or 109 lbs., X oz., was cooked up by the chefs at The Ritz Carlton in Cancún, Mexico, to promote the upcoming animated film, in which a budding inventor causes food to fall from the sky like rain.  The Hotel’s Executive chef Rainer Zinngrebe along with banquet chef Aldo Novoa accomplished the appetizing feat, surpassing a previous record set in 2008 that stood at 32.93 kg, or 72 lbs., 9 oz.  The new record was confirmed by Martinez, and after the record was confirmed, the meatball was cut up into normal-sized portions and served to everyone at the record-setting event.    

CANCUN,  Mexico, August 4, 2009 – With Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Sony Pictures Animation’s mouth-watering 3-D animated event, about to hit theatres worldwide, the world’s largest meatball ever created has also descendedThe record-breaking meatball weighed in at 109 lbs., or 49.5 kg.

Photo By:  Gabrile Ramirez    

Commenting on the announcement, Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation, said, “During the production of this movie we had a lot of fun creating the look, texture and sounds of the giant-sized meatballs (among other foods) that Flint makes rain from the sky… and now we know what they taste like.”  

“We apply very strict criteria to our records,” said Guinness World Records’ Carlos Martinez.  “In this particular case, not only did the meatball have to beat the standing record, but also be fully cooked and edible, as verified by myself and food and health inspectors present at the event.  Guinness World Records takes pride in its high standards, and as a result, not every record attempt is successful!” 

Aspiring inventor Flint Lockwood is the socially awkward genius behind some of the most bizarre contraptions ever conceived.  But even though all of his inventions, from spray-on shoes to a monkey thought translator, have been spectacular failures that caused trouble in his small town, Flint is determined to create something that will make people happy. When Flint’s latest machine, designed to turn water into food, accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over.  Until something amazing happens – cheeseburgers start raining from the sky.  His machine actually works!  The food weather is an instant success, and Flint forges a fast friendship with Sam Sparks, the weathergirl who comes to town to cover what she calls “the greatest weather phenomenon in history.”  But when people greedily ask for more and more food, the machine starts behaving erratically, unleashing spaghetti tornadoes and giant meatballs. With the town about to be buried beneath mountains of marshmallows and waves of watermelons, it’s up to Flint and Sam to use their combined expertise to shut down the machine and put everything right.     

Columbia Pictures presents a Sony Pictures Animation film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  The film features the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham, and Will Forte.  The film is written for the screen and directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller.  Produced by Pam Marsden.  Based upon the book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett.  

About Sony Pictures Entertainment:   
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com  

About Sony Pictures Animation:  
Sony Pictures Animation exemplifies the next generation of CGI storytelling to produce a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world.  Sony Pictures Animation is developing a full slate of films including the mouth-watering 3D comedy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs now in production for a September 2009 release, in pre-production on Hotel Transylvania and in pre-production in association with Columbia Pictures on The Smurfs Movie. In 2007, Surf’s Up, was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and won two Annie Awards. The company’s first film, Open Season, was a box office success and the #2 DVD title of the year for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  Its sequel, Open Season 2, released in 2009, was an international family hit. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions.   

About Guinness World Records:      
Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer’s Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and high score record achievements. The Guinness World Records website (www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year. Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada’s largest privately owned companies which is a conglomerate of interests, including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.