Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are the latest voice talents announced for the hotly anticipated Apple Original animated feature, Spellbound. As the tech giant continues to establish its new media empire, Spellbound will offer a riff on the traditional Disney formula, modernized for contemporary audiences.

Apple is clearly throwing a lot of weight behind the film, with the intention perhaps to launch the brand into the lucrative family film market. Kidman and Bardem will join a star-studded supporting cast that includes Nathan Lane, John Lithgow, and Andre De Shields.

Rachel Zegler has also been announced for the project’s starring role of Princess Ellian. The young actress is hot property in Hollywood, coming off the back of her breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Zegler is also set to make her DCEU debut in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and has fittingly been cast as Snow White in the upcoming live-action remake, Snow White.

Kidman has been cast as Queen of the fantasy world of Lumbria, Ellsmere while Bardem will play her counterpart, King Solon. Together they will aid Princess Ellian in her quest to save their land after a mysterious spell transforms them into monsters and threatens to leave the kingdom struck by division and darkness.

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem Reunite

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Spellbound will see Kidman and Bardem reunite for the first time since Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. The film proved a huge critical hit earning a number of Academy Award nominations including Best Actor for Bardem and Best Actress for Kidman.

Whilst the duo came up short on the night, they did receive significant praise for their chemistry on screen, and Kidman was at least recognized with a Golden Globe and an AACTA International Award for her performance as the I Love Lucy star Lucille Ball. Having both names attached in such a short space after the awards season will surely do wonders in generating buzz for Spellbound.

Spellbound is being produced in conjunction with the recently founded Skydance Animation, a subsidiary of Skydance Media, spearheaded by former Pixar bigwig John Lasseter. It will be only the second release to come out of the new studio following Luck, which will also debut exclusively on Apple TV+ from August 5th this year.

The film will be helmed by notable animation director Vicky Jenson, best known for directing the original Shrek and Shark Tale. Jensen has also worked in several behind-the-scenes roles on other animated projects, including the successful tv series’ The Flintstones and The Smurfs.

Prominent composer Alan Menken will be producing the film’s soundtrack, one of only a handful of people to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony. Menken produced acclaimed accompaniments to a number of Disney films including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Pocahontas.

With so much talent behind the project accompanying the stellar voice cast, it’s hard to imagine Spellbound won’t be a major selling point for Apple TV+ when it launches later this year. The film is slated to release on November 11th.