Netflix has unveiled the full cast for lauded filmmaker Henry Selick’s long-awaited new film “Wendell & Wild.” The director behind “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Coraline” is back with an all-new original film co-written by himself and Jordan Peele, and while we knew previously that Peele and Keegan-Michael Key were set to star in the feature, a new teaser video has unveiled the complete cast as well as their character designs.
Joining Keegan-Michael Key as Wild and Jordan Peele as Wendell is Lyric Ross (“This Is Us”), Angela Bassett, James Hong (“Big Trouble in Little China”), Tamara Smart (“A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting”), Natalie Martinez (“Under the Dome”), Tantoo Cardinal (“Dances with Wolves”), Gabrielle Dennis, Igal Naor, David Harewood, Maxine Peake, Ramona Young (“Never Have I Ever”), Sam Zelaya, Seema Virdi, Gary Gatewood and Ving Rhames.
Set for release this Halloween, “Wendell & Wild” tells the story of two scheming demon brothers who enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot – a tough teen with a load of guilt – to summon them to the Land of the Living. But Kat’s demand in return for helping the brothers leads to “a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.”
Selick is a legend in the animation community, having directed 1996’s “James and the Giant Peach” and the 2001 live-action/stop-motion hybrid film “Monkeybone.” He hasn’t released a new film since 2009’s “Coraline” but not for lack of trying — he worked for a few years on a stop-motion feature at Pixar that was scuttled by Disney in 2012.
All of this to say, it’s great to have Selick back. Watch a short teaser video for “Wendell & Wild” in the player above, which offers a first look at the characters included in the film.
