Sony Pictures Animation has released the first trailer and three new photos from The Star, arriving in theaters this November. The images offer our first look at animal characters such as Bo the donkey (Steven Yeun), Dave the dove (Keegan-Michael Key), Deborah the camel (Oprah Winfrey), Mouse (Kristin Chenoweth), Ruth the sheep (Aidy Bryant) and the human characters Joseph (Zachary Levi) and Mary (Gina Rodriguez). This animated tale could be one of the biggest holiday hits, which will put a new twist on the story of the first Christmas.
In The Star from Sony Pictures Animation, a small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a loveable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become unlikely heroes in the greatest story ever told, the first Christmas.
The voice cast will be led by Steven Yeun (Bo the donkey), Kelly Clarkson (Leah the horse), Aidy Bryant (Ruth the sheep), Keegan-Michael Key (Dave the dove), Kristin Chenoweth (Mouse), Anthony Anderson (Zach the goat), Gabriel Iglesias (Rufus the dog), Ving Rhames (Thaddeus the dog), Delilah Rene (Elizabeth), Kris Kristofferson (Old Donkey), Gina Rodriguez (Mary), Zachary Levi (Joseph), with Oprah Winfrey (Deborah), Tyler Perry (Cyrus) and Tracy Morgan (Felix) as the three camels, and Christopher Plummer (King Herod). This movie will come just a few months after Sony Pictures Animation's The Emoji Movie, which hits theaters this weekend. SPA will also release Hotel Transylvania 3 (September 21, 2018) and a Spider-Man Animated Movie (December 21, 2018) next year.
Sony Pictures Animation has set a November 10 release date, putting it up against Paramount's comedy sequel Daddy's Home 2 and 20th Century Fox's Murder on the Orient Express. It will also come between two superhero adventures, Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok on November 3 and Warner Bros.' Justice League on November 17. The Star will also have to square off with another animated movie, Coco, which hits theaters on November 22, along with the STX Entertainment drama Molly's Game and Broad Green Pictures' Villa Capri.
While The Star may be arriving in quite the competitive release frame, it does have the advantage of being the only Christmas movie to come out in November, which could get fans ready for the holiday season. This trailer also reveals that The Star will also feature a new song of the same name, performed by Mariah Carey, although it remains to be seen when that song will be unveiled.
The Star is directed by Academy Award nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart (Head Over Heels); executive-produced by DeVon Franklin (Miracles From Heaven), Lisa Henson and Brian Henson (The Jim Henson Company), produced by Jenni Magee Cook, with a story by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore, and screenplay by Carlos Kotkin. Digital animation by Cinesite Studios. Take a look at the first trailer for The Star, along with the first three photos.
