Monday, October 16, 2017



The animal characters in Ivan tie together her conservation efforts with elephants and her support for Jane Goodall's work with gorillas.



Adapted from Katherine Applegate and illustrator Patricia Castelao's 2011 tome by Mike White, the story follows a silverback gorilla (the titular Ivan), who lives in a cage at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain, and rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella (Jolie), an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home – and his own art – through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Me Before You's Thea Sharrock is directing the movie, and the hunt is on to find a youngster to play a janitor's daughter, the character who helps Ivan and Stella on their mission. There's no release date for the movie yet, but Disney will no doubt find a slot for it now the creative team and cast is taking shape.




9:23 AM PDT 10/16/2017 by Borys Kit

Angelina Jolie will voice star in The One and Only Ivan, Disney's adaptation of the Newbery Medal-winning book written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao.
Jolie adds the role to the one she already has on the project, that of producer. Allison Shearmur, who was one of the producers on Disney’s live-action take on Cinderella as well as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is producing the project with Jolie.
Thea Sharrock, director of the tearjerker Me Before You, is directing Ivan, which has a script by Mike White and is intended to be a live-action hybrid.
Published by HarperCollins in 2011, the book centers on a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lives in a cage in a shopping mall along with an elephant named Stella and a stray dog called Bob. Ivan does not remember life before the mall, but when a baby elephant named Stella enters and Ivan finds himself taking care of her, he begins to rediscover his previous life and concocts a plan to take the baby elephant away from their abusive owner.
Jolie will voice Stella.
The studio now beginning to cast the net to find the actress who will play a janitor’s daughter, a character who is key in helping save Ivan and Stella.
Jolie has lent her voice to movies before, most notably co-starring in the Kung Fu Panda animated films in which she voiced the character named Tigress. She also voiced a character in Shark Tale.
Jolie is repped by UTA and Media Talent Group.



According to THR, Jolie is going to get behind the microphone again to lend her voice to The One and Only Ivan. Jolie, who will voice Stella, is the only voice actor cast in the film so far. The production is reportedly looking to cast someone to play a janitor’s daughter – a character who will figure prominently in saving Ivan and Stella from captivity. The film will be directed by Me Before You helmer Thea Sharrock and is set to be a live-action and animated hybrid. Mike White (School of Rock, Brad’s Status) wrote the screenplay.

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