From its new film Free Birds just weeks away to announcements of a new film called W.I.S.H. Police, Dallas-based Reel FX has definitely been on the animation radar a lot lately. Most recently, Reel FX unveiled a star-studded cast for its upcoming film The Book of Life.
Are you ready? Here they are:
- Channing Tatum
- Zoë Saldana
- Diego Luna
- Christina Applegate
- Ice Cube
- Kate del Castillo
- Ron Perlman
- Cheech Marin
- Hector Elizondo Placido Domingo
- Ana de la Reguera
- Eugenio Derbez
- Gabriel Iglesias
- Ricardo (“El Mandril”) Sanchez
- Danny Trejo
Holy moly, that’s a lot of actors.
In addition to that cast, the film’s production team is also nothing to scoff at as well. Guillermo del Toro is producing with Jorge Gutierrez in the directors seat. Gutierrez also wrote the screenplay with Doug Langdale.
According to the press release:
An animated comedy with a unique visual style, THE BOOK OF LIFE is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, THE BOOK OF LIFE encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.
Did somebody say pop music? It will be interesting to see which direction this film takes the songs. It could be over the top like Moulin Rouge or a bit more understated like Across the Universe. Or it could be something altogether different. Nonetheless, I can’t say we’ve had an animated movie that had “pop music favorites” as one of the main selling points. Yes, animated films love to throw in contemporary songs whenever they can, but I have a feeling that The Book of Life‘s execution will be something new and different.
The film will not only contain pop classics, but also will contain new songs and an original score by two-time Academy Award-winner Gustavo Santaolalla.
There has been a lot of buzz about The Book of Life despite there being little publically available about it. I can’t say that I’m really wowed by this cast at all (it does seem like your standard run-of-the-mill celebrity voice cast, which boringly has become the norm in animation these days).
I am, however, excited about the film’s premise and story. I want to know more about Manolo and what type of art style this film will display. So far, Reel FX has put out decent work, but I can’t say that I’m loving Free Birds look. However, I do believe that the studio has a lot to offer and will continue to amp up and sophisticate the look of its films with each new film. I’m hoping that an intriguing story and score will make this one as exciting as everyone is making it out to be.
The Book of Life hits theatres nearly exactly one year from today on October 17, 2014.
via THR
