What We Know About Netflix First Two Animated Features

What We Know About Netflix First Two Animated Features

June 12th, 2019

Jerry Beck

Netflix is about to take the animation community by storm. They seem to have at least a dozen animated series in production; they are picking up award-winning animated features at Annecy and Cannes; and have announced their first two original animated features. Here are the facts we know thus far about Klaus and The Willoughbys:

ABOUT “KLAUS”
A young, Scandinavian postman named Jesper gets the chance to make his mark when he’s tasked with bringing the postal service to a contentious village in the cold north, where he meets a mysterious, white-bearded toymaker named Klaus.

FUN FACTS
• Klaus is Netflix’s first original animated film.
• The movie is a passion project for Despicable Me co-creator Sergio Pablos, who first came up with the idea for it in 2010.
• Klaus was produced entirely in Madrid, Spain with a very international crew comprised of some of the most talented hand drawn artists from all over the world.
• The film introduces a unique animation style which blends traditional hand drawn animation techniques with cutting edge technology.
• Klaus will be released theatrically in December 2019.

CREW & CAST
Director: Sergio Pablos (co-creator of Despicable Me)
Producers: Jinko Gotoh (The Little Prince, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part), Gustavo Ferrada, and Marisa Román
Art Directors: Szymon Biernacki, Marcin Jakubowski
U.S. Voice Cast: Jason Schwartzman (Jesper), J.K. Simmons (Klaus), Rashida Jones (Alva), Joan Cusack (Mrs. Krum), Norm Macdonald (Mogens), Will Sasso (Mr. Ellingboe)

ABOUT “THE WILLOUGHBYS”

When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their old-fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create a new and modern family.

FUN FACTS
• Netflix’s second original animated film.
• A highly stylized CG animated feature film currently in production with BRON Animation in Vancouver.
• From writer/director Kris Pearn (Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2).
• Based on the acclaimed book by Newbery Award-winning author, Lois Lowry.
• Will be released in 2020.

CREW & CAST
Director: Kris Pearn (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2)
U.S. Voice Cast: Ricky Gervais (Cat), Maya Rudolph (Nanny), Will Forte (Tim), Martin Short (Father), Alessia Cara (Jane) and Jane Krakowski (Mother), Sean Cullen (The Barnabys).

Author
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Jerry Beck

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.