Netflix has announced the cast of the upcoming family limited Lost Ollie series. The story is inspired by the book Ollie’s Odyssey by renowned author and illustrator William Joyce. You can read all about the Lost Ollie cast and their characters by scrolling down.
The four-episode Lost Ollie series is created, written and executive produced by Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings, Coraline). Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) will direct and executive produce.
Shawn Levy and Josh Barry also executive produce for 21 Laps Entertainment (Stranger Things, Shadow and Bone) along with Brandon Oldenburg (CCO of Flight School Studio) and Lampton Enochs. The co-executive producer is Emily Morris.
The Lost Ollie series is the story of a lost toy on an epic adventure, searching across the country for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend.
A heartwarming journey to reunite in the face of all the dangers that childhood can throw at them. Production is currently underway in Vancouver, Canada. Industrial Light & Magic (The Mandalorian) is creating CGI characters for the series.
THE LOST OLLIE SERIES CAST
JONATHAN GROFF (Frozen, Hamilton) will voice Ollie, a handmade toy rabbit stitched together from odds and ends. Ollie has a pure spirit with a heart of gold and never ruins a chance to make friends. He’s been best friends with Billy since forever, until one day he ends up in a resale shop with no way home. Though he’s often afraid of the unknown, Ollie puts on a brave face and sets off to find Billy, meeting other toys to help him along the way.
MARY J. BLIGE (Mudbound, Power Book II: Ghost) will voice Rosy, a raggedy teddy bear stitched together from other toys. Rosy is a fearless warrior who is deeply passionate with inspiring confidence. While unsure of Ollie at first, she becomes an important ally as she joins them on their journey.
TIM BLAKE NELSON (Watchmen, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) will voice Zozo, a clown doll who is an old toy and an even older soul. Zozo is a true gentleman with a good sense of humor, and after meeting Ollie and hearing his story, he agrees to help Ollie on his journey.
GINA RODRIGUEZ (Jane the Virgin, Kajillionaire) will play Momma. Billy’s mother Sharon is a loving woman who inspires creativity and imagination in her son. She makes sure to cherish their time together, teaching Billy all the things he’ll need to know to find happiness in the future.
JAKE JOHNSON (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Jurassic World) will play Daddy. Billy’s father James is overworked and stressed, doing his best to take care of Billy and his wife, Sharon. Sometimes that stress leads to being short with Billy, but he’s doing all he can to make a good life for his son.
KESLER TALBOT (50 States of Fright) will play Billy, a young boy with a mind bursting with creativity. He shares a magical bond with his toy Ollie, a homemade rabbit made by his beloved mother, who joins him on all of his adventures. When Ollie gets lost, Billy embarks on a mission to find him.
When the Lost Ollie series was announced, Teddy Biaselli, Netflix’s Director of YA/Family Series, wrote the following about the project:
“I’ve been a toy collector my entire life. My personal collection consists of thousands of toys, some modern and sleek, and others vintage and worn from all the adventures I took them on as a kid. And though time has taken its toll, I have held onto them because of the special place they hold in my heart. We’ve all had a toy like that – a confidant, a protector, a sidekick, a best friend. And when we’ve lost a toy…it’s like we’ve lost a part of ourselves.
“That’s the premise of Lost Ollie, the tale of a lost toy searching across the countryside for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend. This new live-action family series has been in the works for four years. It was one of the first projects I bought when I came to Netflix because I saw in it the universal story of loss that all of us, no matter how old, could relate to.
“The show is inspired by a story developed by Academy Award winners Brandon Oldenburg and William Joyce, which later became the book “Ollie’s Odyssey” – and has been artfully adapted by creator Shannon Tindle, whose Kubo and the Two Strings was one of my favorite animated films in recent years.
“Shannon found a deeply personal connection to the material and has brought Ollie to life with the same artistry and emotion that he did on Kubo, Coraline, and his Emmy-winning work on Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends.
“We are thrilled that Academy Award-winner Peter Ramsey is going to helm this epic adventure as director and executive producer. Peter previously adapted another of William Joyce’s works (The Guardians of Childhood) into the animated feature film Rise of The Guardians. Then of course he gave us all a stunning, new and vital vision of everything animation can be as the director of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which earned the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2019.
“Joining Shannon and Peter are Shawn Levy, Josh Barry and Emily Morris from 21 Laps Entertainment, some of the brilliant minds who brought us Stranger Things, and Academy Award winners Brandon Oldenburg and Lampton Enochs. And we’re so lucky to have the Emmy Award-winning artists at Industrial Light & Magic bringing Ollie and his friends to life.
“Lost Ollie is truly an odyssey about two friends trying to reunite in the face of all the dangers that childhood can throw at them. I love this show because it taps into that well of emotion we all feel when we lose something or someone important to us, and the courage we have to find in ourselves to get it back, or to move on.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Ollie and to fall in love with him like we have. And until then, give your favorite toy an extra squeeze for me.”