Anna Daniels
Since Netflix isn’t always the best at marketing their new movies and TV shows within their own apps, you might not have realized that their new original animated movie The Willoughbys is already available to watch. But maybe you’re not quite sure if you want to check out the adaptation of the children’s book of the same name by Newberry Award-winning author Lois Lowry, a new featurette and clip show off the quirky family with a great voice cast, including Ricky Gervais as a narrating cat.
The Willoughbys Featurette
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc6DtJHUems?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]
The Willoughbys has an animation style that mixes computer animation with stop-motion animation sensibilities, including textures that give the characters a tactile look. Production designer Kyle McQueen says it’s all in an attempt to add to the old-fashioned style of the story, one with a family that feels like they grew up on books instead of the internet.
You can get even more of a taste of the animation style and comedy in the movie thanks to the clip below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6odcw1OWLw?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]
The Willoughbys also has an impressive voice cast that includes Grammy-winning singer Alessia Cara as Jane, Will Forte (Scoob!) as Tim, Vincent Tong (Sausage Party) as the Barnabys, Ricky Gervais (The Little Prince) as Cat, Maya Rudolph (Big Hero 6) as Nanny, Terry Crews (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2) as Commander Melanoff, Martin Short (Frankenweenie) as Father and Jane Krakowski (Open Season) as Mother.
The film is directed by Kris Pearn (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2), who also co-wrote the script with Mark Stanleigh, and co-directed by Rob Lodermeier.
In The Willoughbys, convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The four siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to learn how to adapt their old-fashioned values to the contemporary world as they try to find the true meaning of family.
The Willoughbys is available on Netflix now.
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