'Over the Moon': Release date, plot, cast, trailers and all you need to know about Sandra Oh animation on Netflix
'Over the Moon' took form in 2015 when Pearl Studio hosted its first annual Brain Trust Summit, where animation talent was invited with leaders from all over
the world in attendance to gather at its headquarters in Shanghai. Building a brain trust was one of the first initiatives that Producer Peilin Chou (Abominable, Kung Fu Panda 3), a former executive for Walt Disney Feature Animation, undertook when she joined the studio that same year. It was during this inaugural gathering that one of its attendees, Executive Producer Janet Yang (The Joy Luck Club, Dark Matter), pitched the story of a little girl who builds a rocket to the moon to see if the legendary moon goddess, Chang’e, exists.
Release date:
'Over the Moon' is slated to premiere on Netflix on October 23.
Plot:
The official synopsis of the animated film is, "Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou, Over the Moon is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination."
Cast:
Cathy Ang as Fei Fei
Cathy Ang is a newcomer whose very first role was in an Emmy-winning short called 'Age of Sail' directed John Kahrs and produced by Gennie Rim. According to a press release from Netflix, Ang had been originally hired as a day player to record a temp demo of 'Rocket to the Moon', one of the film’s biggest musical numbers, for early screening. Her very first rendition of the song was so powerful and perfect that it not only earned her the part, but ended up being the final version that’s heard in the film.
Phillipa Soo as Chang'e
Phillipa Soo has voiced the role of Moon Goddess Chang'e in the film. About the role and the story, Soo said, "I knew about Chang’e growing up from this
beautifully illustrated children’s book by Amy Tan called The Moon Lady, that my father used to read to me. That was my first exposure to her and that story. When I first read the script for Over the Moon, I was so excited to first be asked to approach material coming from my own experience as an Asian woman, but also to bring a little bit of a modern twist to this very traditional story. So getting to explore that and find that newness was very exciting."
John Cho as Baba
'Searching' actor John Cho noted that the film was not only about being a part of a cast that consists entirely Asian actors and said, "I’m always going to be interested in something that is rooted in Asian culture. But it’s hard to find things that don’t represent Asian family dynamics as something that’s not oppressive, or attached to shame, filial piety, or doing things that you don’t want to do," and added, "This story is about an Asian family that’s rooted in love. And that to me is what differentiates it. That’s what gives it its heart. I love that about this film.”
Ken Jeong as Gobi
'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'The Masked Singer' actor Ken Jeong voices the role of Gobi, a Lunarian with a heart of gold. He describes the film as one of the most heartfelt productions he’s worked on. “We all brought our A game, because we knew this was a special project. It actually made me cry as I was voicing it. I’ve never cried during an animated voiceover, especially coming from a comedic background. But the script and Glen brought out such a humanity in everybody’s performance and helped me bring out the heart.”
Sandra Oh as Mrs Zhong
Speaking about being a part of the project, Sandra Oh who voices the role of Mrs Zhong said, “I was so happy that Gennie (Producer Rim) stopped my car because it was Audrey’s way of saying, ‘You did my first film. You need to do the last one’. I was so grateful there was still a chance for me to be a part of this film.”
Other cast members include Robert G Chiu as Chin, John Cho as Ba Ba, Ruthie Ann Miles as Mother, Margaret Cho as Auntie Ling, Kimiko Glenn as Auntie Mei, and Artt Butler as Ma Ma.
Director:
The film is directed by Glen Keane, who is well known for being a part of the Oscar-award winning film 'Dear Basketball' which was written and narrated by late star basketball player Kobe Bryant.
Trailers:
The first official trailer of the film portrays how Fei Fei as a little girl had heard about the legend of the Moon Goddess from her mother and as years passed, the only thing that she had in memory of her late mother was this story. Fei Fei tries to get her father who has lost belief in the Moon Goddess to reignite his belief again and in that attempt, she tries to build a rocket that would take her to the moon.
The second trailer of the movie features what happens when Fei Fei and her brother succeed in landing on the moon and even meet the Moon Goddess. It is nothing like Fei Fei's mother had told her, and everything about the Moon Goddess fascinates Fei Fei. She even tries to help the Moon Goddess find her one true love, whom she had been separated from for years.
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