U.S.-Chinese animated comedy feature Extinct has announced key voice cast members ahead of its sales launch at Toronto Int’l Film Festival. International sales agent Timeless Films revealed that the film will feature Adam Devine (Modern Family), Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) and Ken Jeong (The Hangover).
These stars join previously announced voicers Jim Jeffries (The Jim Jeffries), Catherina O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek), Reggie Watts (The Late Late Show with James Corden) and Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).
Produced by China Lion, HB Wink, Huayi Tencent Ent. and Tolerable Ent., Extinct follows Op and Ed — two specimens of the donut-shaped animals known as flummels. When the duo accidently time travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai and discover a very strange world where flummels have gone extinct, they set out to save themselves, and their species.
Timeless Films will present the first footage from the project at TIFF, where it is also shopping Dragon Rider and Monster Family 2.
Meanwhile, Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning actor J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) has joined the voice cast of Seal Team, the new feature from leading South African studio Triggerfish Animation (Khumba, Netflix’s upcoming Mama K’s Team 4).
Also coming on board are British musician Seal and actor John Kani, who voices Rafiki in box-office smash The Lion King). They join previously announced voice stars Jessie T. Usher (Independence Day: Resurgence) and Sharlto Copley (District 9).
Seal Team centers on an orphan seal living off the coast of South Africa, who gets fed up with contending with dangerous great white sharks and decides to assemble a scratch team of like-minded seals to turn the tide. The picture is directed by Greig Cameron (Supa Strikas) from a screenplay co-written with Brian & Jason Cleveland and Wayne Thornley.
Simmons plays the team’s grouchy, military-trained veteran, Claggart. Usher voices the young hero, Quinn. Copley voices Switch, the crew’s master inventor. Patrick Warburton (Ted) plays the vain Geraldo. And Kristen Schaal (Toy Story 4) plays fast and funny Beth.
Cinema Management Group is offering Seal Team to worldwide buyers at TIFF, as well as financing with SA’s Industrial Development Corporation and the Department of Trade and Industry. The company previously represented Triggerfish’s Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba.
[Sources: Variety, ScreenDaily]
