THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN is the latest Disney film to make its exclusive debut on Disney+. Originally slated for a wide theatrical release, the company's distribution plan for the all-star adaptation of the classic children's book by K. A. Applegate got thrown out of whack by COVID-19, thus it's become one of the most high-profile streaming debuts of the summer. In it, Sam Rockwell voices a gorilla named Ivan, who performs in a low-rent carnival housed in a shopping mall. While he has an undeniable bond with the circus's owner (Bryan Cranston), he starts to feel conflicted when he, as well as a carnival elephant named Stella (Angelina Jolie), becomes the de facto guardians of the latest addition to the show, a baby elephant named Ruby (Brooklynn Prince).
In addition to Rockwell and Jolie, the all-star voice cast includes the one and only Chaka Khan, yes, the legendary singer herself, voicing a carnival chicken named Henrietta. The living legend sat down with me recently to discuss her role in the cast, as well as her hopes for a potential biopic somewhere down the road. Check it out!
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN hits Disney+ August 21st.