When Justin Long sat down with Total Film to talk about his new film Accepted (read the article in a future issue of the mag), he couldn’t help but burble about his experiences behind the mic for ‘toon adventure The Tale Of Despereaux with Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline and working with producer Gary Ross: “Gary wanted us to interact so I’ve been getting to work with these people. I got to work and shake hands with Dustin Hoffman. It’s been insane. It’s been a fun ride.”
Universal is hard at work on an animated version of Kate DiCamillo’s kids’ novel, which follows the adventures of a young, cauliflower-eared servant girl and her friends – a banished mouse and a light-loving rat, who must help a princess.
Long is giving voice to the title character, Despereaux the mouse, cursed with massive ears, while Hoffman plays the kindly rat and Kline is the king’s cook. Also on board are William H Macy, Robbie Coltrane, Ciaran Hinds, Christopher Lloyd, Stanley Tucci, Tracey Ullman and Sigourney Weaver.
Mike Johnson’s at the helm, and the film is expected to hit in late 2008.
