While it was certainly disappointing that Guillermo Del Toro had to step down from directing ‘Pacific Rim 2’, the fan favorite filmmaker isn’t slowing down in the slightest. Not only does he have a new film in the works starring Michael Shannon, Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Stuhlbarg that is described as an otherworldly Cold War romance, but he’s also working on an animated series for Netflix called ‘Trollhunters’ that is based on his young adult novel that was published last year. And it appears that he has called upon a former collaborator and some other big names for this epic family event series.
According to Deadline, Del Toro revealed the first three stars joining the cast of ‘Trollhunters’ at the Annecy Animation Festival in Annecy, France during a career retrospective. He shared that the production has enlisted Kelsey Grammer, Anton Yelchin, and Ron Perlman to voice characters in this upcoming DreamWorks Animation project that will premiere on the popular streaming service in December 2016.
Set in the fictional suburb of Arcadia, ‘Trollhunters’ follows unlikely hero Jim (who will be voiced by Yelchin) and his two best friends as they discover that a hidden battle between good and bad trolls is raging underneath their hometown and the outcome of which will impact their lives forever. Grammer will play kind-hearted troll Blinky, while Perlman provides the voice of Bular, a sinister troll who targets Jim, Blinky, and their friends during the battle.
And if you’re confused about why Del Toro is tackling an animated Netflix series, you really shouldn’t be. Though he’s known for his more intricate and visually stunning films for grown-ups like ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, ‘Hellboy’, and ‘Crimson Peak’, Del Toro is no stranger to kid-friendly features. In the past, he had a hand in ‘Megamind’, ‘Puss In Boots’, ‘Rise of the Guardians’, ‘The Book of Life’, and ‘Kung Fu Panda’ as an executive producer.
What do you think about the cast of ‘Trollhunters’? Are you excited for Guillermo Del Toro’s next project? And will you be binging the series once it premieres on Netflix in the winter? Sound off in the comments.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
