Jason Bateman is in talks to voice a starring role in a new Walt Disney Animation feature project that will be directed by “Tangled” director Byron Howard.
Jason Bateman is in talks to voice a starring role in a new Walt Disney Animation feature project that will be directed by Tangled director Byron Howard, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
Walt Disney Animation and Pixar won't comment on animated projects in development, and it's rare when information on one leaks, but THR reports that the new project is an untitled animal comedy that does not yet have a release date.
Howard is well respected in the animation community and one of the directors behind Disney Animation’s recent resurgence. In fact, he directed (with Chris Williams) 2008’s Bolt, which was nominated for an Oscar, and with Nathan Greno co-directed the surprise hit Tangled. He is also a Disney vet, having worked in various jobs on movies ranging from Pocahontas and Mulan to Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear.
For Bateman, the project would mark his first voice-over work for a feature. The actor, who is gearing up to shoot the Warner Bros. adaptation of the Jonathan Tropper novel This Is Where I Leave You, lent his voice in the short-lived Fox series Sit Down, Shut Up, among other shows.
The next titles from Disney Animation are Frozen, a nouveau princess tale that will be released November 27, 2014, as well as an untitled secret film project slated for November 7, 2014. DisneyToon Studios will release Planes, set in the world of Cars, August 7, 2013.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
