Being the Ricardos stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem have joined the voice cast of Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation’s musical, Spellbound. After playing Hollywood royalty Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, Bardem and Kidman will lend their voices to the royal rulers of a country called Lumbria.
John Lithgow (The Old Man), Jenifer Lewis (black-ish), Nathan Lane (The Lion King), Jordan Fisher (To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You), and André De Shields (tick, tick…BOOM!) have also just signed on, joining Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) who was previously announced to star.
Shrek‘s Vicky Jenson is directing from a screenplay by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin, and Linda Woolverton. Oscar winner Alan Menken is writing the original songs and composing the score, with Glenn Slater writing the lyrics. Chris Montan is the executive producer. Skydance Animation’s John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and David Lipman are producing.
Apple Original Films released the following plot and character descriptions:
Nicole Kidman will be voicing the role of ‘Ellsmere,’ the kind and just, yet hyper-precise Queen of Lumbria; and Javier Bardem will voice ‘Solon,’ the boastful yet big-hearted King of Lumbria. Together, they are the parents of ‘Princess Ellian’ (voice by Rachel Zegler), who they join on her daring quest to save her family and kingdom after a mysterious spell transforms them into monsters and threatens to cover Lumbria in darkness forever.
John Lithgow will provide the voice for ‘Minister Bolinar,’ and Jenifer Lewis will provide the voice for ‘Minister Nazara Prone,’ both royal advisors to Princess Ellian. Ellian seeks out The Oracles of the Sun and Moon, voiced by Nathan Lane and André De Shields, to break the spell on her parents and the kingdom. Throughout her journey, Ellian meets several characters who help her, including ‘Callan,’ a young nomad, voiced by Jordan Fisher.
