Tim Roth, Barbara Sukowa to Voice Animated ‘Unknownia’ by Dash Shaw
The voice cast for animated movie “Unknownia” – directed by “Cryptozoo’s” Dash Shaw – will feature Tim Roth, Barbara Sukowa, Angeliki Papoulia, Larry Fessenden, Robbie Crandall and Sabrina Sickler.
In the film, little Rory needs to save her father who’s disappeared on a treasure quest during an unfortunate encounter with a dragon. Luckily, a weasel or mysterious beings called The Shapes are there to help.
“Tim was my hero. ‘Reservoir Dogs’ was the reason I went to film school. I really tried not to geek out on Tim Roth in the recording studio,” said Kyle Martin, who produces alongside Jane Samborski and Emily Wolver for Electric Chinoland and Mubi.
“When Tim came in and started doing the weasel, we were like: ‘Oh my God, this is so not what we thought we wanted. And boy, were we wrong.’ That’s exactly how this weasel should sound like. At that point we’d been working on this for years, and yet it completely changed the meaning of the scenes. Tim is just that kind of a performer.”
The whole cast brought their own ideas, he stated, underlining Shaw wanted to stay away from “broad, cartoony voices.”
“He really likes an interesting voice, one that has texture to it or an accent. Angeliki, Tim, Barbara – they all check that box. As performers, they have very varied backgrounds and they bring something to the characters that certainly adds depth. It breathes life into them.”
Martin added: “When you watch this, and the same thing happened with ‘Cryptozoo,’ you’re really feeling these characters, you know? That was the goal.”
And yet “Unknownia,” presented at Tauron American Film Festival’s industry event U.S. in Progress, is “very different” from festival hit “Cryptozoo.” Also visually.
“Cryptozoo’ was R-rated. There was nudity. This is not that. It’s a PG movie and a fantasy adventure,” said Martin. Awarded at Sundance, “Cryptozoo” focused on people trying their best to protect endangered mythical creatures.
“We want ‘Unknownia’ to be more of a family movie for kids. Dash and Jane [Samborski] made it with their daughter Castle in mind. They wanted this to be something that they could share with her and it was factored into the look as well.”
The director agreed: “When you’re 10 or 11 years old, you see an unusual animated movie for the first time. Maybe it’s your first non-Disney film – something like ‘The Secret of Nimh’ or ‘Spirited Away’ – and it’s like the 10-year-old’s version of discovering the French New Wave,” Dash Shaw wrote to Variety.
“It’s like: ‘Oh wow, a movie can be like this? Nobody told me.’ ‘Unknownia’ is that movie we made for our daughter.”
According to Martin, “Unknownia” was born out of a “legacy of Miyazaki films and independent alternative animation.”
“Also narratively, because many of his films [made for Studio Ghibli] have a young female protagonist that’s on this coming-of-age journey. The dream would be to be thought of in that same category,” he said.
“International audiences are more familiar with that. In the U.S., it just doesn’t exist. There’s big studio stuff coming from Pixar or DreamWorks and nothing else except foreign films that get brought in. There’s really no independent English-language animation, so in a way, it’s in its own lane.”
During her journey, Rory will come to a realization that those she used to unquestionably admire are ultimately just human as well.
“It’s about wealth and greed, but it really is about that experience of learning that the people you look up to as a young child, your parents, your elders, have their own problems and their own flaws. They might not be the best role models,” said Martin.
“For me, personally, it’s a sad realization, although it’s something everybody goes through and relates to. It might be a little melancholic, but the movie is hopeful.”
