Today, Netflix released a first-look image and the cast list for their upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon. You can check out the new image by scrolling down.
My Father’s Dragon comes to us from five-time Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Studios (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers), and Academy Award-nominated director Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner). The film is inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett (buy at Amazon).
Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer (Jacob Tremblay) runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon called Boris (Gaten Matarazzo), who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island, and the friendship of a lifetime.
In celebration of World Book Day this Saturday, Netflix unveiled the first look and cast of five-time Oscar-nominated Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon.
In addition to Jacob Tremblay and Gaten Matarazzo, the film stars Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.
The film will be produced by Mockingbird Pictures and Cartoon Saloon and released by Netflix. The screenplay comes to us from Meg LeFauve, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Inside Out.
The story comes from LeFauve and John Morgan. It is produced by Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures and Paul Young of Cartoon Saloon.
Executive producers include Meg LeFauve and John Morgan, Tomm Moore and Gerry Shirren of Cartoon Saloon, and Alan Moloney and Ruth Coady of Parallel Films.
Director Nora Twomey said, “Our actors, animators, and artists at Cartoon Saloon have worked together to craft this film, inspired by Ruth Stiles Gannett’s amazing book. We were drawn together by a desire to tell a very special tale of friendship, adventure, and true bravery.
“I fell in love with storytelling as a child, and Netflix excels at celebrating all kinds of stories through different styles and distinct voices. This has given me the opportunity to look through a beautiful lens, and I am excited to share what I see with our audience around the world.”
Other adaptations coming to Netflix include:
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto. This whimsical, stop-motion musical, directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson, follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world.
Ivy and Bean: Based on the best-selling book series, “Ivy & Bean” is a hilarious and heartfelt look at an unexpected friendship. Ivy is quiet, thoughtful, and observant. Bean is playful, exuberant, and fearless. However, sometimes, an adventure reveals that opposites can become the best of friends.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical: An adaptation of the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical. “Matilda” tells the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a sharp mind and a vivid imagination, dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results.
Nimona: A knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone. “Nimona” is adapted from the New York Times bestselling graphic novel by author ND Stevenson.
The Magician’s Elephant: When Peter, who is searching for his long-lost sister named Adel, crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square, there is only one question on his mind: is his sister still alive?
The answer that he must find a mysterious elephant and the magician who will conjure it sets Peter off on a harrowing journey to complete three seemingly impossible tasks that will change the face of his town forever. “The Magician’s Elephant,” directed by Wendy Rogers, is based on the classic novel of two-time Newbery Award-winning author Kate DiCamillo.
The School for Good and Evil: Best friends Sophie and Agatha find themselves on opposing sides of a modern fairy tale when they’re swept away into an enchanted school where young heroes and villains are trained to protect the balance of good and evil. Based on the international bestselling book series by Soman Chainani.
Jenna Busch has written and spoken about movies, TV, video games, and comics all over the Internet for over 15 years, co-hosted a series with Stan Lee, appeared on multiple episodes of “Tabletop,” written comic books, and is a contributing author for the 13 books in the “PsychGeeks” series including “Star Wars Psychology.” She founded the site Legion of Leia and hosted the “Legion” podcast.