Netflix announces production on new animated feature ‘The Magician’s Elephant’

Netflix announced today a new animated feature film currently in production, The Magician’s Elephant, based on two-time Newbery Award winner Kate DiCamillo’s novel of the same title.

The film marks the directorial debut of renowned visual effects veteran Wendy Rogers (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Puss in Boots) and is produced by Julia Pistor. The voice cast includes Emmy Award nominee Sian Clifford, Pixie Davies, Natasia Demetriou, Dawn French, Brian Tyree Henry, Noah Jupe, Aasif Mandvi, Emmy Award winner Mandy Patinkin, Academy Award nominee Miranda Richardson, Cree Summer, Lorraine Toussaint, Emmy Award nominee Benedict Wong.

Synopsis: When Peter (voiced by Noah Jupe), who is searching for his long-lost sister named Adel (voiced by Pixie Davies), crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square, there is only one question on his mind: is his sister still alive? The answer, that he must find a mysterious elephant and the magician (voiced by Benedict Wong) who will conjure it, sets Peter off on a harrowing journey to complete three seemingly impossible tasks that will change the face of his town forever. The Magician’s Elephant is based on Two-time Newbery Award winning author Kate DiCamillo’s classic novel.

Director Wendy Rogers said, “Peter’s story planted itself in my heart when I first read the book – I felt very connected to him, and was totally captivated by the world and the characters. The power of hope, the belief that anything is possible, and the ability to ask “what if?” are all themes that are woven into the fabric of this film, and resonate now more than ever.”

“When I first read Kate DiCamillo’s book, I knew that I had to make The Magician’s Elephant into a film. It’s as inspiring as it is entertaining, and has such a wonderful blend of adventure, heart, magic and off-center humor. The film has such a unique visual style that transports the audience away to another world, one that Wendy and I wanted to ensure reflects the world as it really is – full of different cultures and beliefs,” said producer Julia Pistor.

The Magician’s Elephant joins Netflix’s fast growing original slate of animated features which includes Academy Award-nominated Klaus, Kris Pearn’s The Willoughbys, Oscar-winner Glen Keane’s Over the Moon; as well as the Fall 2021 comedy Back to the Outback directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps, Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Adventure, Chris Williams’ The Sea Beast, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, and an Aardman sequel to Chicken Run.