Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill In Oobermind
Ben Stiller Produces Superhero Film For DreamWorks Animation
Aug 17, 2009
DreamWorks Animation's Oobermind just got a new cast, with Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Tina Fey signing up for the CGI superhero comedy.
According to Variety, Ferrell will replace Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role: a supervillain who undergoes an existential crisis after finally defeating his long-time nemesis, good guy Metro Man (voiced by Pitt). In order to give his life new meaning, Oobermind grooms a young superhero named Titan (Hill) to become his next nemesis. But when Titan decides he'd rather be a villain, it falls to Oobermind to somehow save Metro City.
Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill Voicing Roles in DreamWorks Animation's Oober Mind
The trio join Tina Fey (who also appears in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo), who was already cast as a plucky female reporter trying to stay on top of Metro City's fluctuating superhero situation.
Tom McGrath (Madagascar) is in the director's chair, with Lara Breay and Denise Nolan Cascino producing. Ben Stiller (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) is executive producer, and may still voice a role in the flick.
Robert Downey Jr. was forced to drop out of Oobermind (formerly called Master Mind) due to scheduling conflicts.
Will Ferrell is no stranger to animation. While a member of the Saturday Night Live troupe, he voiced a role in the short-lived sticom The Oblongs. He also voiced The Man in the Yellow Hat for Universal's 2006 flick Curious George, and had a cameo in Spongebob Squarepants. Hill is voicing the bullying Snotlout in one of DWA's other 2010 films, How to Train Your Dragon.
Pitt's animated resume is far less impressive: DWA's 2003 bomb Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.
DreamWorks Animation Has 3 Films Coming in 2010
Oober Mind is the third movie coming from the Glendale-based studio in 2010. The first bows on March 26th: How to Train Your Dragon, based on the Cressida Cowell bestseller.
May 21st brings the theatrical debut of Shrek Forever After, the 4th film in the bajillion-selling franchise. Justin Timberlake and Eric Idle return, along with Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and a cast of thousands. Comedian Craig Robinson (The Office) recently joined the Hollywood horde in this film, but it's increasingly appearing that Tom Cruise will not be a part of the Shrek saga.
Shrek Forever After takes on Toy Story 3 in the Battle of the CGI Franchises next summer.
DreamWorks Animation has high hopes for 2010, after a less-than-stellar 2009. The studio's only offering this year, Monsters vs. Aliens, did decent business worldwide ($379 million, according to Box Office Mojo) but was the first DWA film in 3 years that didn't beat its Disney/Pixar rival at the box office (critical acclaim is another story).
Disney/Pixar's Up has earned $381 million in theatres, and is still going.
Fun Fact: It's a Hollywood truism that all female reporters are automatically plucky. Their plucktitudinality is rated on the Lane scale (named after Lois Lane, the original plucky female reporter), with 10 being the highest. And no, their ability to clean chickens does not count.
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