Igor: According to Variety, Exodus Film has hired veteran animation exec Max Howard to exec produce its CGI-animated pic Igor. The $20 million-$25 million pic is being financed via Exodus' film fund. Company retains worldwide rights to pic, which it plans to have ready for theatrical release in 2007. The pic is intended as a franchise property for the company, which expects to develop merchandising, videogame and TV spinoffs from the feature. Written by Chris McKenna, comedy tells the story of a hunchbacked lab assistant who has big dreams of becoming a mad scientist and winning the first place prize at the annual Evil Science Fair. The CGI animation will be produced via Exodus' inhouse ElectroAge team. Some 50-75 animators are expected to work on the pic, which is in the character development stage; basic animation is expected to start at the end of this year.