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Carrey and Carell for “Horton Hears a Who”
“Bruce Almighty” co-stars Jim Carrey and Steve Carell will reunite for a new CGI Dr Seuss pic, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Carrey has been cast as Horton and Carell has been cast as the mayor of Who-Ville in Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who,” a new CG animated feature film announced by 20th Century Fox Animation on Tuesday.
Carrey, who previously inhabited the world of Dr. Seuss as the title character in Universal Pictures’ hit “The Grinch,” will voice the role of Horton, the elephant who knows that a person’s a person, no matter how small.
“Horton” marks the first time Carrey will lend his voice and talent to bring a CGI animated character to life.
Carell will voice the mayor of Who-ville, a distinguished figure of a very small size, too small to be seen by the elephant’s eyes.
“Horton” is about an imaginative elephant who hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Suspecting there may be life on that speck and despite a surrounding community that thinks he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to help.
The film verson is based on the classic book, first published in 1954, by Ted Geisel, who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss. Seuss books have sold more than 200 million copies, and have been translated into fifteen languages.
“At the heart of the movies that we make are the characters, and in Horton, Geisel has created a character with an unwavering moral center, a charming innocence, and a selfless willingness to protect others, even at his own expense,” said Chris Meledandri, president of Twentieth Century Fox Animation. “Geisel had one of the greatest imaginations of the 20th century, and Jim Carrey’s extraordinary talents are a wonderful match to Geisel’s vision. Steve Carell will not only be bringing his great comedic abilities to the role of the mayor but also his uncanny gift of finding the humanity in every character he plays.”
“Horton” is being produced at Fox Animation’s Blue Sky Studios, whose recent “Ice Age: The Meltdown” grossed $650 million in worldwide theatrical boxoffice.
Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino are directing “Horton” from a script adaptation written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio.
The executive producers are Audrey Geisel, Chris Wedge and Chris Meledandri, and the producer is Twentieth Century Fox Animation production executive Bob Gordon. Twentieth Century Fox Animation VP John Cohen is overseeing the project.
Carell, who won the Golden Globe and was Emmy-nominated for his role in the Emmy-winning sitcom “The Office,” starred in the blockbuster film comedy “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and is currently starring in “Little Miss Sunshine.”
Fox Animation is also currently in production on “The Simpsons Movie,” scheduled for release July 27.
