Meryl Streep, Mel Brooks, Nicole Kidman & Zendaya to voice The Guardian Brothers
The Weinstein Company announced today that they are acquiring the worldwide rights, with the exception of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, to the upcoming animated movie The Guardian Brothers. The cast will be led by the all-star voices of Meryl Streep playing the film’s storyteller, Mel Brooks, Nicole Kidman and Zendaya. The film, previously distributed in China by Alibaba Pictures on January 1, 2016 under the original title The Little Door Gods, is directed by Gary Wang and produced by Zhou Yu and Light Chaser Animation Studios. TWC is set to sell the film while at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
The Guardian Brothers is the second animated film procured by TWC this week, following the announcement they have acquired international distribution rights for The Nut Job 2. TWC is set to sell both films while at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
“I’ve loved working with our Beijing partners Light Chaser Animation” said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein, “everyone who knows me, knows I’m determined to build our animation division for film and television. This is going to be a huge area for our company and ‘The Guardian Brothers’ is just the beginning of our plan to bring the caliber of film associated with TWC to animation.”
Commented director Gary Wang: “We are thrilled that Harvey and the Weinstein team share our enthusiasm for this very Chinese film. It has been amazing working with them. I feel that our story has found a perfect home, and hope that the families around the world will enjoy the film.”
The Guardian Brothers follows a Chinese family in danger of losing its family owned business – a wonton soup shop that’s been passed down generation after generation for hundreds of years. When the family’s grandmother passes away, the restaurant is left in the hands of a little girl named Raindrop (Zendaya) and her mother (Kidman). Millions of miles away in the Spirit World, we meet The Guardians – who have watched over and protected the humans on Earth for centuries. Times are tough up in the Spirit World and two brother Guardians are forced to retire from the business they’ve loved since the beginning of time. Back down on Earth, Raindrop and her mom are fending off a rival soup shop owner’s attempt to sabotage the family restaurant. When the retired Guardian brothers find out, they spring into action – and that’s where our adventure begins.
(Photo Credit: WENN.com)
