'The One and Only Ivan': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Angelina Jolie's Disney+ movie
Disney+'s upcoming heartwarming adventure 'The One And Only Ivan', is an unforgettable tale about one very special silverback gorilla Ivan.
An adaptation of Newbery Medal-winning book written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao, the story follows a silverback gorilla named Ivan (voiced by Sam Rockwell) who lives in a cage in a shopping mall along with an elephant named Stella (Jolie) and a stray dog called Bob (Danny DeVito).
The movie was previously scheduled to be released theatrically by The Walt Disney Studios, but will now be coming to Disney+.
Release date
'The One and Only Ivan' will premiere on Disney+ on August 21, 2020.
Plot
'The One and Only Ivan' is, according to the official synopsis, "is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place one calls home. Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be."
Cast
Sam Rockwell as the voice of Ivan, Angelina Jolie as the voice of Stella, Danny DeVito as the voice of Bob the dog, Helen Mirren as the voice of Snickers the poodle, Brooklynn Prince as the voice of Ruby, Ramon Rodriquez as the mall employee George, Ariana Greenblatt as George's daughter Julia, Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken, Mike White as the voice of Frankie the seal, Ron Funches as the voice of Murphy the rabbit, Phillipa Soo as the voice of Thelma the parrot, and Bryan Cranston as Mack, the mall's owner.
Angelina Jolie
The Academy Award recipient is an actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. She made her debut in Hollywood as a child actress. She received an Academy Award for her performance in 'Girl, Interrupted' (1999), and became immensely popular for her role as 'Lara Croft' in the 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' movie. She has been labeled as one of the "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by several media outlets over the years. She is the Special Envoy for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Helen Mirren
Academy-award winner English actor Helen Mirren has been the face of some of the best movies of our time. For nearly six decades and still counting, Mirren has been recognized for movies like 'Queen Elizabeth II', 'Hamlet', 'Excalibur', 'The Hundred-Foot Journey' and many more.
Danny DeVito
DeVito is famous as an actor, producer and director with a career that spans the stage, television and films. His big break came in 1978 when he auditioned for a role on an ABC sitcom pilot called Taxi (1978). DeVito has many directing credits to his name as well, including Throw Momma from the Train (1987), The War of the Roses (1989), Hoffa (1992).In 2006, he returned to series television in the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005). In 2012, he provided the title voice role in Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012).
Bryan Cranston
Cranston is known for his roles as Walter White on the AMC crime drama Breaking Bad (2008), Hal on the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle (2000), and Dr. Tim Whatley on five episodes of the NBC situation comedy Seinfeld (1989). Cranston also appeared in several acclaimed films, such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Drive (2011), Argo (2012) and Godzilla (2014). In 2019, he starred with Kevin Hart in the box office hit The Upside (2017).
During his appearance on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden' on August 17, 2020, Cranston said he was "very proud" of the project. When talking about the upcoming movie on the late-night show, he said "It's such a sweet story - whether you're a 6 or a 106". He also added how the story is brought to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI.
Creators
'The One and Only Ivan' is directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Mike White based on Applegate's book and is produced by the late Allison Shearmur, Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor. Sue Baden-Powell and Sharrock serve as executive producers.
In an interview, Jolie said, "Disney, Mike [White] and everybody involved really [understood] it has its heart. It’s not a light film, it deals with heavy issues, but it is charming, fun and full of life. But it's deceptive in the packaging."
Sharrock, in a press statement, had said, "The world has changed in a heartbeat. People all over the globe have shared important, life-changing experiences in ways we have not seen for a century. In response to this, I am so happy that we can share Katherine Applegate's delightful and original story, 'The One and Only Ivan' with the world this August on Disney+, bringing some joy through this unique movie of true friendship, inspired by a true story."
Trailer
You can watch the trailer here:
The power of friendship and the importance home are at the forefront of this adaptation of KA Applegate’s much-loved novel. Catch the animal pals delving into their long-forgotten pasts, hatching a plan to escape and dreaming of freedom.
Where to watch
'The One and Only Ivan' will be available to stream on Disney+ on August 21, 2020.
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