Film News Roundup: Alan Tudyk Voicing Iago the Parrot in Disney’s ‘Aladdin’
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In today’s film news roundup, Alan Tudyk is supplying to voice of Iago in “Aladdin,” Atonement Pictures launches and Michael Keaton is narrating “Wings 3D.”
VOICE CAST
has signed on to voice Iago, the scarlet macaw parrot sidekick to the villain Jafar in Disney’s live-action “,” which opens May 24.
Tudyk has voiced characters in six different Disney animated movies, starting with “Wreck-It Ralph” in 2012, followed by “Frozen” as the Duke of Weselton, “Big Hero 6,” “Zootopia” as Duke Weaselton and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” as Knowsmore. He also appeared in Disney’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” in which he played the droid K-2SO.
Gilbert Gottfried voiced Iago — named after the villain of William Shakespeare’s “Othello” — as a wisecracking and easily frustrated character, saying at one point, “Look at this! I’m so ticked off that I’m molting!”
Disney unveiled the first full-length trailer for Disney’s “Aladdin” on Tuesday with Mena Massoud’s street urchin using one of his three wishes from the Genie’s magic lamp to become royalty.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, the studio’s live-action remake of “Aladdin” is based on the 1992 animated classic. The upcoming pic stars Smith as the Genie, Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, and Marwan Kenzari as the evil Jafar.
“Aladdin” is one of three live-action remakes of animated films coming this year from Disney, which is also releasing “Dumbo” on March 29 and “The Lion King” on July 17. Tudyk is repped by UTA.
DISTRIBUTION LAUNCH
Atonement Pictures is launching as a faith-based distributor with plans to release five to 10 films annually.
The releases will have a transmedia distribution plan including limited theatrical runs, television, PPV, VOD and home video. The company has signed output agreements with Manns/Mackie Studios, headed by Terrence “Ty” Manns (“A Question of Faith”) and Bishop Charles Mackie (“My Brother’s Keeper”); and Action Faith Media, founded by Joel M. Gonzales (“Crave: The Fast Life”).
As part of its marketing/release strategy, AP has also partnered with Graham Family Films, managed by five brothers from the Billy Graham evangelical family. The first release is “Fearless Faith,” opening May 7, written and helmed by actor/filmmaker Kevin Rushing in his directorial debut, starring Jason Burkey, Ben Davies, Erin Bethea and Ben Graham.
Other films slated for release by AP in 2019 include: “Forgiven,” a thriller starring Kevin Sorbo; “Acquitted by Faith,” a thriller starring Casper Van Dien, Catherine Oxenberg and Christian music star Jaci Velasquez; and “Love Again,” a drama/romance starring Sorbo and Shelley Long.
PRODUCTION START
Michael Keaton will narrate Imax project “Wings 3D,” an exploration of birds traveling across North America, with production starting this month.
Dorsey Pictures and Archipelago Films are producting with SK Films to distribute. “Wings” 3D will explore the prairies of western Canada and the Dakotas, home to what biologists call North America’s Amazon — a little known region dotted by thousands of small ponds and wetlands created by glaciers some 10,000 years ago. More than half the continental population of waterfowl originate in this 276,000-square mile region of North America.
“Wings 3D” will follow the life cycles and interwoven stories of bird species as they travel across mountains, deserts and oceans.
“We’re delighted to get this momentous project off the ground with the best team in the business, because few people on our continent know just how important — and fragile — these habitats are for tens of millions of wild birds that fly across our continent and into our daily lives,” said Chris Dorsey, who is exec producing. “Through the magic of the medium, we hope to entertain and inspire generations to protect these vital ecosystems.”
