CS Video: The One and Only Ivan Interview With Director Thea Sharrock

Ahead of the film’s debut on Disney+ later this week, ComingSoon.net got the chance to chat with director Thea Sharrock to discuss the film adaptation of Katherine Applegate’s acclaimed children’s novel The One and Only Ivan. Our interview can be viewed in the player below!

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.

Purchase the original novel here!

The film features a star-studded voice led by Oscar winners Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit) as Ivan, Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) as Stella and Helen Mirren (The Queen) as the voice of Snickers the poodle along with Danny DeVito (Hercules) as the voice of Bob the dog, Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) as the voice of Ruby, Grammy winner Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken, Mike White (School of Rock) as the voice of Frankie the seal; Ron Funches (Trolls World Tour) as the voice of Murphy the rabbit and Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) as the voice of Thelma the parrot.

It will also star Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as Mack, the mall’s owner. Ramon Rodriquez (Iron Fist) as the mall employee George, and Ariana Greenblatt (Monster Problems) as George’s daughter Julia.

Based on the true story, The One and Only Ivan is being directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) from the screenplay written by two-time Independent Spirit Award winner Mike White (Pitch Perfect 3, The School of Rock). Oscar and three-time Golden Globe winner Angelina Jolie (First They Killed My Father, Maleficent) is producing along with the late Allison Shearmur (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Cinderella) and Brigham Taylor (Christopher Robin, The Jungle Book).