A24 has acquired the North American rights to feature film Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, based on the beloved online shorts.
Marcel the Shell follows an adorable 1-inch-tall shell, voiced by Jenny Slate, who first appeared on YouTube in 2010. In the feature film version, Marcel is seen eking out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan.
The logline for the film reads: “Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family. A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners.”
The cast also includes Isabella Rossellini, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann and Lesley Stahl.
Dean Fleischer Camp directed the movie and wrote the screenplay alongside Slate and Nick Paley from a story by Camp, Slate, Paley and Elisabeth Holm.
The film premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. The Hollywood Reporter‘s festival review reads: “Combining stop-motion animation with live-action footage is a painstaking process, and one that allows Fleischer-Camp to beautifully integrate Marcel’s miniature world into ours.”
Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey produced the movie from Cinereach Production and Chiodo Bros. Productions. Camp, Slate and Terry Leonard also produced. Executive Producers are Philipp Engelhorn, William Byerley, Nion McEvoy, George Rush and Michael Raisler.
The deal was negotiated by WME Independent and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.
