In celebration of World Book Day this Saturday, Netflix unveiled the first look and cast of five-time Oscar nominated Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon. The film stars Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.

The film is inspired by the Newbery-honoured book of the same title by Ruth Stiles Gannett. It will be produced by Mockingbird Pictures and Cartoon Saloon, and released by Netflix.

– Directed by: Nora Twomey (Academy Award nominated The Breadwinner).
– Screenplay by: Meg LeFauve (Academy Award nominated Inside Out).
– Screen Story by: John Morgan and Meg LeFauve.
– Produced by: Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures and Paul Young of Cartoon Saloon.
– Executive Producers: Meg LeFauve and John Morgan, Tomm Moore and Gerry Shirren of Cartoon Saloon, and Alan Moloney and Ruth Coady of Parallel Films.

Synopsis: Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.

Director Nora Twomey said, “Our actors, animators and artists at Cartoon Saloon have worked together to craft this film, inspired by Ruth Stiles Gannett’s amazing book. We were drawn together by a desire to tell a very special tale of friendship, adventure, and true bravery. I fell in love with storytelling as a child and Netflix excels at celebrating all kinds of stories, through different styles and distinct voices. This has given me the opportunity to look through a beautiful lens and I am excited to share what I see with our audience around the world.”

My Father’s Dragon is part of Netflix’s fast growing original slate of animated features which includes Academy Award nominated The Mitchels vs the Machines, Aardman’s Robin Robin, Klaus, Kris Pearn’s The Willoughbys, Oscar winner Glen Keane’s Over the Moon; as well as comedy Back to the Outback directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps, Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood, Chris Williams’ The Sea Beast, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Wendy Rogers’ The Magician’s Elephant, Minkyu Lee’s The Witch Boy, and Aardman sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.