Spellbound Director Vicky Jenson Praises Netflix for Releasing Film

Rachel Zegler enchants the brand new Netflix movie “Spellbound” because the voice of Princess Ellian, a teenage royal with a fierce mission: break the curse that has remodeled her dad and mom into monsters.

However for Zegler, the movie’s coronary heart lies far past fantasy.

On the film’s New York premiere earlier this month, Zegler talked about how “Spellbound” will encourage dad and mom to have extra open conversations with their kids.

“The power to speak to 1 one other is so necessary. It could possibly be life or dying in some conditions,” Zegler instructed Selection on the Paris Theater. “So I actually suppose that this film isn’t only for youngsters; it’s additionally for the dad and mom, and that’s actually superb.”

But the communication between Zegler and her A-list castmates — together with Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, and John Lithgow — was sparse. Most recorded their strains solo, an business norm accelerated by the pandemic. 

Within the midst of filming “Dune: Half Two,” Bardem recorded his “Spellbound” strains in Budapest, voicing King Solon reverse Nicole Kidman’s Queen Ellesmere. Although the “Being the Ricardos” co-stars didn’t meet within the studio, Bardem eagerly expressed his want to work with Kidman once more, describing her as “an awesome colleague” and “straightforward” to work with.

“We knew of one another’s processes,” Bardem mentioned about coordinating with Kidman. “We had been listening to what the opposite was doing, and we had been making an attempt to match one another with what the opposite individual was doing.”

“Spellbound,” a story of resilience and transformation, is the primary undertaking below Skydance’s multi-year partnership with Netflix, signifying a shift within the animation distribution panorama. Beneath the management of Pixar vet John Lasseter, Skydance has assembled high business expertise, together with Vicky Jenson (“Shrek”) to direct “Spellbound.”

“I really like working with Skydance,” Jenson mentioned. “Everybody there’s so dedicated to telling tales which can be particular and authentic, and actually giving the time and sources to do them proper. They’re not simply ‘let’s let it go’ in any respect.”

“Spellbound” was being developed by a number of different key gamers together with Paramount and Apple TV+ earlier than touchdown at Netflix. Jensen praised Netflix as the one main studio “courageous sufficient” to solid “Spellbound” into the world, citing one pivotal (and spoiler-heavy) storyline revolving round advanced household dynamics.

“I believe they had been nervous about the subject material — of what this household goes via,” Jensen mentioned. “Whereas the opposite individuals we approached to carry the film ahead understood it, they puzzled, ‘How are we going to promote it?’ And it’s like, ‘Nicely, you understand, that is the world we stay in, you’ve received to determine it out.’”

What’s subsequent for Skydance Animation? Nathan Greno’s (“Tangled”) body-swap comedy “Pookoo” in 2025, Brad Chook’s (“The Incredibles”) hand-drawn function “Ray Gunn” in 2026 — and maybe — a second “Spellbound” movie.

“That may be superb,” Jensen mentioned about the potential for a sequel. “I can’t assist however give it some thought, however let’s see how individuals prefer it.”

“Spellbound” begins streaming on Netflix on November 22. 

See extra pictures from the “Spellbound” premiere under.