LA-based Unified Pictures — which has recently released live-action titles Vincent N Roxxy and The Layover — has enlisted a stellar troupe of comedy masters to the voice cast roster for its upcoming animated feature, The Ark and the Aardvark. Now on board are Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West) as whip-smart Brain the Spider, Jenny Slate (Zootopia) as Mitzy the narcoleptic ostrich, Craig Robinson (Ghosted) as mansplaining bullfrog Clyde, Rob Riggle (21 & 22 Jump Street) as an elephant known as The Todd, and Stephen Merchant (Hello Ladies) as wise old Croc.
Miles Teller (Whiplash) had previously been announced as the voice of Gilbert the aardvark. Currently in production, the film is being directed by Oscar nominee John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda, Sherlock Gnomes), who commented:
“Creating a timeless animated film requires incredible voice talent. It is the bedrock on which great character animation is based. By pairing Aubrey Plaza as ‘Brain’ the spider and Jenny Slate as ‘Mitzy’ the ostrich, I feel we have the makings of a classic comic duo. Adding to the fun we have the baritone bluster of Craig Robinson playing ‘Clyde’ the bullfrog, Rob Riggle’s hilarious banter as ‘The Todd’ the elephant, and the wry humor of Stephen Merchant as a killer crocodile. We already struck gold with Miles Teller and his unique mix of sarcasm and innocence to play our lead character ‘Gilbert,’ the aardvark. We have a great story to tell, and a great cast to bring it to life.”
The Ark and the Aardvark tells the story of an outcast aardvark named Gilbert who becomes the reluctant leader of a ragtag group of misfit animals that need to be led to the mighty ark before the impending flood. Along their journey, they band together to conquer unforeseen disasters, and ultimately, Gilbert discovers within himself the inner strength and ingenuity to prove that in a world of twos, anybody could be the one…even a lowly aardvark.
The project is produced by Unified’s Keith Kjarval and Kurt Rauer, and executive produced by Cecil Kramer (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit). Serving as Executive Producers are Ben Ruffman and Steve Goldstein of Unified, Wayne Godfrey and Robert Jones of The Fyzz, and Kitt Watson of Watson Enterprises.
WME Global is representing distribution rights.
