Jason Bateman Headshot - P 2011
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The New YorkerJason Bateman is in talks to voice-star in a new Walt Disney Animation feature project that will be directed by Tangled helmer Byron Howard.
Walt Disney Animation and Pixar won’t comment on animated projects in development, and it’s rare when information on one leaks. But sources tell The Hollywood Reporter 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.
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For Bateman, the project would mark his first voice-over work for a feature. The actor, who is gearing up to shoot 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. He is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson.
The next titles from Disney Animation are Frozen, a nouveau princess tale that will be released Nov. 27, 2014, as well as an untitled secret film project slated for Nov. 7, 2014. DisneyToon Studios will release Planes, set in the world of Cars, August 7, 2013.
Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com
Twitter: @borys_kit
