Showing posts with label The One and Only Ivan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The One and Only Ivan. Show all posts

Monday, March 15, 2021




Monday, February 8, 2021

Jolie, Sam Rockwell (Ivan), Bryan Cranston and the cast all delivered initial voice recordings which helped MPC shoot intuitively to get the best scenes possible.

For the motion capture, Sharrock explains there were two people in green from head to toe, and a soft board skeleton, so if anyone needed to have contact, there was something to look at, “It was like working with puppeteers — it was there to help all of us.”

Jolie says, “We would do our voices, we would play with the scene and we would see what was created in CG and the VFX. We would redo the performance because the slowness of the breath or how long it takes to drag her feet when she’s tired. Everyone would take painstaking efforts [to recreate and readjust that moment] because it mattered in this film.” She continues, “I remember the first time I saw some of the animals, I thought, ‘There’s a soul to it.’

“You don’t realize how much work is put into it,” Jolie says –MPC delivered 1055 shots for the film which took eight weeks to shoot for the virtual production and 12 weeks for the live-action. “Sometimes it’s obvious that this is a CG thing or some action. You don’t watch the movie thinking ‘Is this fake or is it real?’ You are engrossed in the emotion of the characters.”

Sharrock adds the refining process was a collaborative process not just with the VFX team but with the cast, “The voice was where the soul began.” To get that right, she would have Jolie and the cast come in, “Sometimes I’d call Angie and say ‘We’ve done this scene 24 times, and you’ve given me 15 different examples, but something the animators had done would spark a new idea. She would get it and give me something new.’

Jolie jokes that she even had an elephant onesie that she wore for a few voice sessions, “That was my method moment.” But it wasn’t about watching nature documentaries or elephants. “You’re doing a being. What is this being? She has the weight and heaviness of being an older elephant. It was thinking about the being that had been captive and had been harmed, and an elephant who was worried about the next generation – what is the soul of an elephant, that’s what it was.”

Jolie says her children were surprised by the finished product. “They were a bit shocked because it’s something that they hadn’t seen before it became real.” With the film coming out during a pandemic, she hopes the film will be released on a big screen when it’s safe because of the “extraordinary detail and care” the VFX team went through to bring Ivan to life.

She notes the film’s theme of feeling trapped resonates with children at this time. “There’s something about the captivity of it too that I think was sadly speaking to children and helping each other through with feeling confined. I think it spoke to kids and touched at a good time.”


Friday, August 28, 2020


Back in the dining room of the DeMille



Vladimir, Bowie, Dusty, Sophia


The One and Only Ivan on RT

Saturday, August 22, 2020







Thursday, August 20, 2020





She could be in the Verandah of the DeMille.






The actress was first introduced to the novel by her kids. “My daughter Shiloh was the one that brought the book to my attention,” she said. “As a mom, I related to [Stella] and I loved what she represents. I think we all have that time in our life where we start to think of passing our wisdom on. Where our focus is: What makes the next generation safe? What makes those I love safe?”

“I’m so happy to be able to bring this film to families at this time,” she added. “If this film meets this moment and is something for families to do together, then really there is nothing better.”

At home with her own family, Jolie and her clan of six have turned to comedies as a reprieve from everything going on in the world. “A lot of times in difficult [chapters of] history, comedies have come to the rise,” she said. “I’ve tried to be the mom and say, ‘Can we watch a good documentary? Can we watch this?’ And my kids will say, ‘Honestly, can we just watch “The Office” all day?’”

“We went through a period with the Oculus where they can be in the Arctic together climbing a mountain,” said Jolie. "[Meanwhile], I was the one who was constantly on the Nat Geo VR traveling. I was so happy to get my tent fixed in VR [and experience] a sunrise in the tent, I nearly cried. And that is when I realized I was starting to lose my mind.”

Having spent the last decade acting predominantly in blockbuster tentpoles like “Kung Fu Panda,” “Maleficent” and their sequels — and up next in Marvel’s hotly anticipated sci-fi epic “The Eternals” — Jolie says the audience payoff is primarily what draws her to make big-budget movies.

“If we’re going to do a big movie, I like thinking of the audience and giving them as much as we can,” she said. “And to show them something new and give them something outsize. Or else a very deep small film that’s extremely intense and emotional. I don’t take lightly the idea of putting something in front of an audience.”

As for “The Eternals,” which has been pushed back to a February 2021 release due to the ongoing uncertainties of the pandemic, Jolie says she is just as much in the dark about its status as everyone else. “It’s not just because it’s all locked up in secrecy, but I actually don’t know very much,” she said. “I know there’s talks about potential additional photography, but I don’t know if we need it or if we’re doing it. I think at the end of the day it’s about getting it [right]. There’s so many great films that haven’t yet been able to come out. It’ll find its moment and I’m excited for it to come out, whenever it does.”

The longtime activist says she’s been spending the bulk of her time recently working to find the answer to questions that have been raised or magnified by the pandemic. “I’ve worked with the refugee agency at the UN for about 20 years now,” she said. “Looking at the world through a global foreign policy lens, there’s a lot to be concerned about.

"[But] my hope really does come from the younger generations,” she added. “I see them fighting and demanding answers, questioning what is very broken about our society and the way many things have been mishandled for decades. There’s a lot to do. [Creating] better tools to give young people so they can strengthen their fight has become a central focus for me.”


TimesHerald
Sam Rockwell has compared Angelina Jolie to Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor.

"Angie's great. She's amazing. She's really funny and cool. She has this great real quality to her when she plays Stella.

"She drops into this voice she does for Stella that's very kind and maternal. That's a pretty amazing quality with her. You feel like you're hanging out with like Grace Kelly or Elizabeth Taylor, but she also rides motorcycle bikes with her sons and stuff. She's pretty down to earth."

She told Extra: "They're all together and it's a nice big bunch, so everybody's helping each other out. We're lucky."

She also opened up on Maddox's education after he had to return to the US from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea earlier this year due to the pandemic.

She explained: "He had to stay back from Korea. He's going online, and so I think he starts at 6pm at night."

"You know, I've never been one who valued relaxation ... I like chaos ... I've been on high level meetings where there's dogs and balls and kids and things. You kind of just enjoy being human with everybody else and laughing through it."

The One and Only Ivan on RT is currently 72% critics and 85% audience.  (Maleficent MoE is 40% and 95%)

Monday, August 17, 2020







Press day was August 3.  Brooklyn is wearing the same outfit and braids she had on for the press conference. Angelina changed her outfit for the junket portion.




"I saw somebody show my kid one (TikTok) the other day.  I'm just late to the game.  I was never up with the latest cool things."  Since this was taped August 3, it wouldn't have been one of the cousins.












Saturday, August 15, 2020


Screencaps from The One and Only Ivan EPK B-roll and interview

"I think this is one of those that say something to all of us about trying to make it through your life, trying to find ways to help each other...  Life can go through all these horrible turns.  But you hold on to each other, you fight forward, you find ways through, and you find that friendship and that freedom and that love."


 Wide filigreed band on her left middle finger






Maleficent nails




Starburst ring, bracelet with a coin-shaped charm












Tuesday, August 11, 2020



Monday, August 10, 2020




Looks like she's back in the dining room of the DeMille

Wednesday, August 5, 2020


August 3, Monday

The One and Only Ivan Zoom press junket




She set up her spot like they usually do for junket interviews.













Wednesday, July 8, 2020



She is listed as a producer but doesn't have a producer's mark (p.g.a.) after her name, which means she won't be able to go on stage and claim an Academy Award should the film be nominated and win.




An adaptation of the award-winning book about one very special gorilla, Disney’s “The One and Only Ivan” is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place one calls home. Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be. The heartwarming adventure, which comes to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI, is based on Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013, including the Newbery Medal.

The film stars: Sam Rockwell as the voice of Ivan; Angelina Jolie as the voice of Stella; Danny DeVito as the voice of Bob the dog; Helen Mirren as the voice of Snickers the poodle; Brooklynn Prince as the voice of Ruby; Ramon Rodriquez as the mall employee George; Ariana Greenblatt as George’s daughter Julia; Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken; Mike White as the voice of Frankie the seal; Ron Funches as the voice of Murphy the rabbit; Phillipa Soo as the voice of Thelma the parrot; and Bryan Cranston as Mack, the mall’s owner. “The One and Only Ivan” is directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Mike White based on Applegate’s book and is produced by the late Allison Shearmur, Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor. Sue Baden-Powell and Thea Sharrock serve as executive producers.

Friday, June 12, 2020




Disney has announced a round of release date changes, including another title, the Thea Sharrock-directed action/CGI hybrid pic The One and Only Ivan, which will go straight to the studio’s streaming service on Aug. 21. The One and Only Ivan is the third title to be pulled off Disney’s theatrical slate and sent to Disney+ after Artemis Fowl, which premieres today, and Hamilton, which will debut on July 3.

The One and Only Ivan, which features the voices of Angelina Jolie, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, and Danny DeVito, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on Aug. 14. The pic is based on Katherine Applegate’s book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013, including the Newbery Medal.

“The world has changed in a heartbeat. People all over the globe have shared important, life changing experiences in ways we have not seen for a century,” said Sharrock in a statement. “In response to this, I am so happy that we can share Katherine Applegate’s delightful and original story, ‘The One and Only Ivan’ with the world this August on Disney+, bringing some joy through this unique movie of true friendship, inspired by a true story.”

Mike White adapted Applegate’s novel. The movie is produced by the late Allison Shearmur, Jolie and Brigham Taylor, Sue Baden-Powell and Sharrock serve as executive producers.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020


Sunday, May 20, 2018







Thanks Pride&Joy





Wednesday, May 2, 2018



wearemoviegeeks

Movies

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN Begins Production – Produced By Angelina Jolie And Stars Helen Mirren And Sam Rockwell



Production has commenced at Pinewood Studios outside London on “The One and Only Ivan,” a live-action/CG hybrid adaptation of the children’s book by Katherine Applegate directed by Thea Sharrock (“Me before You”). The screenplay is by two-time Independent Spirit Award winner Mike White (“Pitch Perfect 3,” “The School of Rock”) based on Applegate’s award-winning book and the producers are Oscar® and three-time Golden Globe® winner Angelina Jolie (“First They Killed My Father,” “Maleficent”), the late Allison Shearmur (“Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Cinderella”) and Brigham Taylor (“Christopher Robin,” “The Jungle Book”).
“The One and Only Ivan” stars Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee and four-time Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo,” “Breaking Bad”); Ramon Rodriquez (“Iron Fist,” “The Defenders”); Arianna Greenblatt (“A Bad Moms Christmas”); Indira Varma (“Patrick Melrose,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings”); and Eleanor Matsuura (“Wonder Woman,” “Sherlock”).
The film features the vocal talents of Angelina Jolie, Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Moon”) and Critics’ Choice Award winner Brooklynn Prince (“The Florida Project”). Oscar® and three-time Golden Globe® winner Helen Mirren (“Winchester,” “The Queen”) and Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Danny DeVito (“Dumbo,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) have also signed on to voice characters in the film.
Based on the true story of a uniquely-talented gorilla and the other animals who share a communal habitat at a suburban shopping mall, “The One and Only Ivan” is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place we call home. Applegate’s book, a #1 New York Times’ bestseller, has won numerous awards, including the Newberry Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children in 2013.





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.





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.