Apple and Skydance Animation will cast a spell on audiences when Vicky Jenson’s Spellbound works its magic on fantasy fans. The animated film, led by West Side Stoy’s Rachel Zegler, will add several stars to its voice cast. The new additions include Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut, Rabbit Hole), Javier Bardem (Skyfall, No Country For Old Men), John Lithgow (Cliffhanger, Killers of the Flower Moon), Nathan Lane (The Birdcage, Only Murders in the Building), Jenifer Lewis (I Love That For You, Mystery Men), André De Shields (tick, tick… BOOM!, Extreme Measures), and Jordan Fisher (The Flash, Turning Red).
According to Deadline, the upcoming musical from Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation will have Kidman voicing Ellsmere, the kind yet hyper-precise Queen of Lumbria, with Bardem as Lumbria’s boastful yet big-hearted King, Solon. Together, they are the parents of Princess Ellian (Zegler), who they join on her daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms them into monsters and threatens to cover Lumbria in darkness forever. Lithgow and Lewis will voice Princess Ellian’s royal advisors, Minister Bolinar and Minister Nazara Prone, with Lane and De Shields as The Oracles of the Sun and Moon that Ellian seeks to break the spell on her parents and the kingdom. Additional characters aiding Ellian throughout her journey include the young nomad Callan, voiced by Fisher.
Vicky Jenson, who directed Shrek and Shark Tale for DreamWorks Animation, will direct Spellbound. Jenson recently helmed twelve episodes of Our Own Devices, a series exploring what would happen if Siri and Alexa started communicating with each other. Woof. Did you feel a shiver down your spine? I sure did. That concept sounds like a Love, Death, + Robots plotline. Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, and Linda Woolverton will pen the script for Spellbound. John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and David Lipman produce through Skydance Animation. Meanwhile, Academy Award winner Alan Menken is arranging the film’s original score and songs, with song lyrics by Glenn Slater. Chris Montan will executive produce the music.
I’m interested in new characters entering the animation game. Shrek is a classic animated film, and Shark Tale gets more heat than it deserves. With so many years between films, there’s no telling how Jenson has honed her craft. Plus, did you see the artwork at the top of this article? I think Spellbound looks delightful! We’ll bring you more details about Spellbound as it develops.