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Tag: Bill Hader

  • Steven Spielberg to direct first film for Disney

    Steven Spielberg to direct first film for Disney

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Studios has joined the production of Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of Roald Dahl‘s The BFG (Big Friendly Giant). 

     

    While the filmmaker has produced movies for the studio in the past, this will mark the first time that Spielberg will direct a Disney-branded movie.

     

    “In more than 40 years of making movies, I have been on the producing end of a number of films for The Walt Disney Company, but never as a director. It is a special joy to be in the director’s chair as we start The BFG, alongside my long-time friends and film collaborators Kathy Kennedy, who introduced me to this project, Frank Marshall and Melissa Mathison. Together with them and Disney, there are many reasons why I am so excited about this joint venture,” said Spielberg.

     

    Previously announced cast of the movie include three-time Tony Award winner Mark Rylance, who will play the titular “Big Friendly Giant” and newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. They are now joined by Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Michael David Adamthwaite, Daniel Bacon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Jonathan Holmes, Paul Moniz de Sa and Olafur Olaffson, all cast as giants. Buckingham Palace has also found its residents with Penelope Wilton being cast as The Queen and Rebecca Hall as Mary, the Queen’s maid.

     

    Production for The BFG is currently underway in Vancouver. 

     

    “With Steven Spielberg at the helm, The BFG will undoubtedly capture the minds of children and adults alike – as Roald Dahl’s original stories and many of Steven’s own films have done for decades. The team at Disney has tremendous respect for the filmmakers, and we’re thrilled to join with them to make what will be a spectacular picture,” said The Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn.

     

    “This partnership speaks to the spirit of storytelling and the kinds of movies that we make here. Over the years, we have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration, and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with Disney in this expanded capacity on The BFG,” added DreamWorks Studios CEO Michael Wright. 

     

    The BFG is the exciting tale of a young London girl and the mysterious Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. Based on the novel by Dahl, The BFG was published in 1982 and has been enchanting readers of all ages ever since. Dahl’s books, which also include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,James and the Giant Peach, Matilda and Fantastic Mr. Fox, are currently available in 58 languages and have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.

     

    Spielberg will direct the film adaptation based on a script by Melissa Mathison, who last teamed with Spielberg on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

     

    Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer will produce while Kathleen Kennedy, John Madden, Michael Siegel and Kristie Macosko Krieger are on board as executive producers. Adam Somner is a co-producer.

     

    The Disney/Amblin/Reliance production in association with Walden Media will open in US theaters on 1 July, 2016, the year that coincides with the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth.

     

    The Walt Disney Studios will distribute the film in the US and several international territories while Mister Smith Entertainment will oversee distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Reliance will distribute the film in India.

  • Voice cast announced for ‘Angry Birds’ movie

    Voice cast announced for ‘Angry Birds’ movie

    MUMBAI: Columbia pictures announced the cast for its upcoming animated film adaptation of popular game Angry Birds.

     

    The cast was revealed after fans of the game worked together to sling one billion birds over the past 48 hours.

     

    The film will center on a furious flock of three: Red, Chuck and Bomb.

     

    Horrible Bosses fame actor Jason Sudeikis will lead the cast as Red, a bird with a temper problem, accompanied with Jobs’ Josh Gad as speedy Chuck, and Danny McBride of Eastbound & Down as the volatile Bomb.

     

    Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage will bring the character of legendary Mighty Eagle alive on screen while Matilda, the white bird who lays egg bombs, will be voiced by Maya Rudolph of Bridesmaids fame.

     

    The movie will also will feature Bill Hader, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Tony Hale, Ike Barinholtz and Hannibal Buress.

     

    “I’m extremely proud of this cast. Not only do we have Jason, Josh, Danny, Bill, Maya and Peter bringing these characters to life, but they’re surrounded by an all-star ensemble of emerging comic talent — these are some of the funniest people out there today, and we’re thrilled to have them all on board,” said John Cohen, producer of the film, in a press release.

     

    The film is set for a 1 July 2016 release and will be directed by Fergal Reilly of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Frozen famed Clay Kaytis while the screenplay will be written by Jon Vitti of The Simpsons. The movie is a partnership between Finnish Angry Birds creator Rovio and Hollywood studio Sony.

     

    The Angry Birds movie will mark game maker Rovio’s first leap into feature films, though they have been producing ‘Angry Birds Toons’ through their Toons TV online channel.

  • ‘Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs’ sequel coming in December

    ‘Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs’ sequel coming in December

    NEW DELHI: The animation film Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 in 3D, a sequel to the earlier film, is to be released on 20 December.

    Directed by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn, the film has the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Kristen Schaal, Terry Crews, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, and Benjamin Bratt. 

    Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 picks up where Sony Pictures Animation’s hit comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood’s genius is finally being recognised as he’s invited by his idol Chester V to join The Live Corp Company, where the best and brightest inventors in the world create technologies for the betterment of mankind.

    Chester’s right-hand-gal – and one of his greatest inventions – is Barb (a highly evolved orangutan with a human brain, who is also devious, manipulative and likes to wear lipstick. It’s always been Flint’s dream to be recognised as a great inventor, but everything changes when he discovers that his most infamous machine (which turns water into food) is still operating and is now creating food-animal hybrids – “foodimals!”

    With the fate of humanity in his hands, Chester sends Flint and his friends on a dangerously delicious mission, battling hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, apple pie-thons, double bacon cheespiders and other food creatures to save the world again!

  • Netflix teams up with DreamWorks for original Kids series

    Netflix teams up with DreamWorks for original Kids series

    MUMBAI: Online content platform Netflix has partnered DreamWorks Animation to create the first ever Netflix Original Series for kids based on the highly-anticipated DreamWorks Animation movie Turbo.

    The Netflix series titled Turbo: F.A.S.T. (Fast Action Stunt Team) debuts exclusively this December in the United States and across the globe in the 40 countries where Netflix offers its service.

    “Families love Netflix, so creating an original series for kids was a natural for us. And we‘re doing it in a big way by adapting Turbo, this year‘s DreamWorks Animation summer tent pole movie,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

    “DreamWorks Animation has a long track record of creating incredibly successful characters and stories that delight people of all ages. We‘re thrilled to add Turbo the series as well as all new DreamWorks Animation films, starting with their 2013 slate, to Netflix.”
    “Netflix boasts one of the largest and fastest-growing audiences in kid’s television. They pioneered a new model for TV dramas with House of Cards, and now together, we‘re doing the same thing with kids‘ programming,” said DreamWorks Animation‘s CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

    DreamWorks Animation‘s Turbo is a high velocity 3D comedy about an ordinary snail who dares to dream big – and fast. After a freak accident miraculously gives him the power of super-speed, Turbo kicks his dreaming into overdrive and embarks on an extraordinary journey to achieve the seemingly impossible: competing in the Indianapolis 500.

    The film, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luis Guzman, Bill Hader , Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez , Maya Rudolph, Ben Schwartz, Kurtwood Smith, Snoop Lion and Samuel L. Jackson, comes to theaters on 19 July.

    Turbo‘s pursuit of racing greatness continues in Turbo: F.A.S.T.: an episodic animated television series that picks up where the feature film leaves off. It showcases the world-traveling exploits of our snail hero and his tricked-out racing crew as they master outrageous new stunts and challenges any villain unlucky enough to cross their path.

    In addition to the original TV series Turbo: F.A.S.T., new DreamWorks Animation feature titles will be made available for Netflix members in the U.S. to watch beginning with the studio‘s 2013 film line-up.