The world is a big enough place as it is, but when you’re a tiny shell that can use a raisin as a bean bag chair, it can seem downright enormous! One little shell is getting ready for the adventure of a lifetime, and we get to follow him in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. The trailer and synopsis are available below.

Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family. A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On started out as an animated short film in which a nameless documentary filmmaker follows a little shell and interviews them on their daily lives. The film was a collaboration between Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate, the two both wrote the film and Slate also provided the voice for Marcel. The short premiered at the 2010 AFI Fest and was awarded Best Animated Short. Marcel was also an official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The short is available on YouTube for free, along with its two sequels which can all be viewed below.

Little Shell, Big World

Judging from the trailer, this new film looks to be in a similar vein as the shorts, but with a larger scale and budget! Slate reprises her role as the little shell, Marcel, who is still in the same house as before but is now living his sweet grandmother Connie (played by Isabella Rosselini). But longing for answers, Marcel decides to explore and set off to find his long-lost family. The trailer shows off some unexpected cameos from certain celebrities that are willing to spread the word for the little shell.

The film is produced by Cinereach Production, with Kirsten Lepore as the animation director. Stephen Chiodo is credited as supervising animation director and joining him is Edward Chiodo as animation producer. Fleischer-Camp is credited with directing the film, based on a script he and Slate wrote with Nick Paley. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2021. Fleischer-Camp talks about the film in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in anticipation of the premiere.

"Expanding Marcel's world in this way is a dream I've been working toward for many years, but we took our time because he means so much to us. We felt a responsibility to do it right, and I think we did!"

After the premiere, A24 picked up the distribution rights. The film currently has a promising 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is set to release in theaters on June 24th, 2022.