Academy Award-winning actresses Hilary Swank and Susan Sarandon are joining Jessica Biel for the 3D-animated sci-fi comedy feature Spark, directed by Aaron Woodley for ToonBox Entertainment Ltd., Redrover Co., Ltd. and Gulfstream Pictures.
The production marks the second animated feature from the team behind the highly-successful family film The Nut Job, and the first time Swank has been cast for her voice in an animated feature.
From a screenplay by Doug Hadders, Adam Rotstein and Woodley, the action-packed, humor and heart-filled Spark follows a teenage monkey Spark, voiced by Jace Norman (Nickelodeon’s “Henry Danger”), and his friends Vix, a battle-ready fox voiced by Jessica Biel, and Chunk, a tech-savvy warthog, as they embark on a mission to take back the besieged Planet Bana from the power-mad General Zhong. Spark’s dangerous odyssey leads him to the farthest reaches of the universe, and to the secret of his true identity, with characters like the comically forgetful nanny robot Bananny, voiced by Susan Sarandon, and the noble, self-sacrificing Queen, voiced by Hilary Swank by his side.
Spark is produced by ToonBox and Redrover, in association with Gulfstream Pictures, which is handling U.S. sales. Executive producers are Hong Kim, Jay HJ Ahn and Daniel Woo, and Gulfstream Pictures’ Mike Karz and Bill Bindley. Fully financed by Redrover and its partners, the film is currently in production with plans for a 2016 release.
“We’re thrilled to have Susan, Hilary, and Jessica on board,” says Aaron Woodley, Spark director. “They fit the characters perfectly and elevate the film to a whole new level.”
Added Hoe-Jin Ha, CEO of Redrover: “We are buoyed by the success of The Nut Job, and look forward to introducing moviegoers to another exciting 3D-animated adventure. We are delighted to have these prominent actresses ignite the voices in Spark.”
Mike Karz, partner in Gulfstream Pictures, said: “We are happy The Nut Job team is together again. It’s great to work with all the exceptional talent at ToonBox.”
“This is a terrific cast and we’re excited that Hilary chose Spark as her first animated film,” added Bill Bindley, partner in Gulfstream Pictures.
