Hey folks, Harry here... When I heard that Glen from THE WALKING DEAD was playing the Donkey in an animated film called THE STAR, my brain instantly leapt past family entertainment and considering the success of SAUSAGE PARTY, I thought wow... Sony Animation is headed to CLERKS 2 territory. But fear not family folk... This here is a manger story. It's being directed by Timothy Reckart, who won an Academy Award for his brilliant Stop-Motion short, HEAD OVER HEELS:
HEAD OVER HEELS from Timothy Reckart on Vimeo.
See... isn't that just a great stop-motion animated short? Agreed. Sadly, THE STAR won't be animated in the same form, it'll be a CG animated tale and it is a Christ tale. Now, as you look at this little press sheet about the film, you'll notice that it has a really strong voice cast which even includes Oprah Winfrey. But to me, the part that really stands out is that Lisa & Brian Henson are involved, which gives me hope that perhaps some genuine magic could be a part of this. I think it is kinda hysterical that they cast Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) as Mary the Virgin mother of the Baby Jesus (whose baby cries I hope come from Billy Crystal. Giggle.) Here's what SONY sent...
THE STAR (November 10, 2017 release)The voice cast will be led by Steven Yeun (Bo the donkey), Kelly Clarkson (Leah the horse), Aidy Bryant (Ruth the sheep), Keegan-Michael Key (Dave the dove), Kristin Chenoweth (Mouse), Anthony Anderson (Zach the goat), Gabriel Iglesias (Rufus the dog), Ving Rhames (Thaddeus the dog), Delilah Rene (Elizabeth), Kris Kristofferson (Old Donkey), Gina Rodriguez (Mary), Zachary Levi (Joseph), with Oprah Winfrey (Deborah), Tyler Perry (Cyrus) and Tracy Morgan (Felix) as the three camels, and Christopher Plummer (King Herod).THE STAR is directed by Academy Award® nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart (HEAD OVER HEELS); executive-produced by DeVon Franklin (MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN), Lisa Henson and Brian Henson (The Jim Henson Company); produced by Jenni Magee Cook; with a story by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore; and screenplay by Carlos Kotkin. Digital animation by Cinesite Studios.A small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told - the first Christmas.
Keep it cool,
Harry
