Quiet you! Casting is far from stuck in the past for DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming big screen adaptation of the classic cartoon Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Today, the production has added two more names to the mix: political satirist Stephen Colbert and comedienne and The West Wing star Allison Janney.
Directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King), Mr. Peabody & Sherman will be given birth from the characters first seen in the 50’s and 60’s cartoons Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show. For those unfamiliar with the characters, the film will follow “a genius dog (Mr. Peabody) his “pet” human Sherman and their time travelling antics.”
As was previously announced, two Modern Family alum have already signed on: Ty Burrell as Mr. Peabody and Ariel Winter as Penny. Also cast were Max Charles (The Amazing Spider-Man cartoon) as Sherman and Ellie Kemper of Bridesmaids. Colbert is set to portray Paul Peterson, Peabody’s arch-enemy in the show, while Janney will play Paula Peterson, the mother of Winter’s Penny.
This will be Colbert’s second big-screen voice-work outing having first leant his pipes to the clueless President Hathaway in Monsters vs. Aliens and the third for Janney who previous voiced characters in Finding Nemo and Over the Hedge.
Here is the official synopsis:
Based on Jay Ward’s classic cartoon, Mr. Peabody is the world’s smartest person — only he’s a dog. When he and his “pet” boy Sherman use their WABAC time-traveling machine without permission, events in history spiral out of control and it is up to the duo to put things back on track.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman was recently moved from a mid-year, 2014 release to November 8, 2013.
Source: The Film Stage