DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. today announced that Tony Award™ nominee Josh Gad (Love and Other Drugs), who currently appears on Broadway in The Book of Mormon, will star as Stanley, Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) as his shadow, and Academy-Award® nominee Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, Something Borrowed) as Heidi in Me & My Shadow, coming to the big screen on November 13, 2013. In this original feature film conceived at DreamWorks Animation, the studio will pioneer a groundbreaking combination of both CG and traditional animation techniques, which will be used seamlessly to create a never-before-seen movie experience.
Animation veteran Alessandro Carloni, who most recently served as head of story on DreamWorks Animation's Academy Award®-nominated How to Train Your Dragon, will make his directorial debut on Me & My Shadow. Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2) will produce and Jeff Hermann (Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2) will co-produce. Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember (Get Smart) are writing the screenplay. The original script was written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman.
"The hilarious chemistry between Josh Gad, Bill Hader and Kate Hudson couldn't be more exciting to watch as they bring to life our trio of lead characters in Me & My Shadow," said DreamWorks Animation Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke. "Alessandro has proven to be a creative genius at DreamWorks Animation for over a decade and we look forward with a huge amount of enthusiasm as he takes on his feature film directing debut with us."
"I cannot begin to express my excitement over the opportunity to direct Me & My Shadow, an original movie that makes innovative use of both cutting edge CGI technology and time-honored animated techniques in an inventive new way," added Carloni.
Prior to his work on How to Train Your Dragon, Carloni worked with DreamWorks Animation in a number of capacities, including supervising animator on the Academy Award®-nominated Kung Fu Panda. Carloni joined DreamWorks Animation in 2002, bringing with him a wide variety of award-winning experience within the animation industry, creating feature and short animated films as well as commercials and music videos. He has served as animator, co-director, animation director, sculptor, special effects supervisor, storyboard and visual development artist and designer throughout his career.
Me & My Shadow reveals the once secret world of shadows and their human counterparts. Stan, our hero's shadow, yearns for a more exciting life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, a timid guy with an extreme aversion to adventure. When a crime in the shadow world puts both of their lives in danger, Stan is forced to take control of Stanley. They go on a madcap adventure to investigate the crime and stop the shadow villain from leading a rebellion where shadows take over the human world. During this adventure, Stan empowers Stanley to let go of his fears and embrace life. Through their adventure, they both learn that one cannot be whole without a true friend.
DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series, live entertainment properties and online virtual worlds, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. DreamWorks Animation has been named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE® Magazine for four consecutive years. In 2012, DreamWorks Animation ranks #14 on the list. All of DreamWorks Animation's feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 23 animated feature films, including the franchise properties of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.
