Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry and Gina Rodriguez are among the stars who will lend their voices to the manger movie THE STAR for Sony Pictures Animation, the studio announced Wednesday.
The story follows a small but brave donkey named Bo (Steven Yeun, The Walking Dead) who 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 (Aidy Bryant), a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave (Keegan-Michael Key), 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.
The diverse voice cast also includes Kelly Clarkson (Leah the horse), 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), Zachary Levi (Joseph) and Christopher Plummer as King Herod.
Jane the Virgin star Rodriguez will voice the virgin Mary, mother of the baby Jesus, while Winfrey, Perry and Tracy Morgan will voice the three camels — Deborah, Cyrus and Felix.
The animated movie will be directed by Timothy Reckart, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind the animated short Head Over Heels, while Lisa Henson and Brian Henson of The Jim Henson Company will serve as executive producers along with DeVon Franklin (Miracles From Heaven).
Carlos Kotkin wrote the script and shared story credit with Simon Moore. Jennifer Magee Cook produced the project, which features digital animation from Cinesite Studios.
Sony will release The Star this fall on November 10, where it will face off against the Jennifer Lawrence thriller Red Sparrow. The animated film should play nicely sandwiched between the release of rival comic book movies Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League.
In the meantime, check out Reckart’s Oscar-nominated animated short below.
HEAD OVER HEELS from Timothy Reckart on Vimeo.
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Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief