Stop-Motion Film 'The Inventor' Explores Leonardo da Vinci's Final Years in France

A stop-motion animated film titled 'The Inventor' (released in France as 'Léo' on January 31) delves into the final three years of Leonardo da Vinci's life at the French court. The film is directed by Jim Capobianco, former Disney and Pixar writer (co-writer of 'Ratatouille', nominated for an Oscar), in collaboration with Pierre-Luc Granjon. Produced at Foliascope studios in Bourg-lès-Valence, France, the film features voice actors Marion Cotillard, Juliette Armanet, André Dussollier, and Gauthier Battoue in the French version, and Daisy Ridley, Stephen Fry, and Matt Berry in the English version. The film premiered in October at the 18th Rome Film Festival in the 'Alice nelle città' section. Concurrently, the Royal Castle of Amboise hosts an exhibition of original maquettes used in the film until April 21, while the Clos Lucé presents a more extensive exhibition until May 12, revealing the stop-motion production process, including 87 puppets built for the film. The chapel of Saint Hubert at the Royal Castle of Amboise, containing Leonardo's tomb, reopens on June 15 after two and a half years of restoration. Leonardo arrived in the Loire Valley in 1516 at the invitation of King Francis I, bringing three famous paintings: the Mona Lisa, Saint John the Baptist, and The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. He lived at Clos Lucé for three years until his death in Amboise in 1519.