John Lithgow has been featured in many acclaimed animated movies throughout his career, and whileSpellboundisn’t the best of his catalog, it demonstrates some excellent work that reminds audiences of the actor’s voice-acting abilities. Lithgow’s most famous animated movie isShrek, for which he provided the voice of the villainous Lord Farquaad, but he’s also appeared in projects such asThe Jungle BunchandRugrats in Paris.Lithgow is generally known for villainous performances, but his animated work can be just as entertaining.
This includesSpellbound,a fun adventure for the whole family that centers around a teenage princess (voiced by Rachel Zegler) whose parents are suddenly transformed into giant monsters,leaving her alone with a dangerous mission to reverse the curse before it’s too late. The film borrows many aspects from modern-era Disney, such as its bright animation style and classic fairy tale storytelling, butSpellbound’s unique cast of characterskeeps it feeling fresh and interesting despite its somewhat derivative narrative.
Before Netflix’s Spellbound, Disney & Pixar Re-Recorded 2 Of John Lithgow’s Animated Voice Roles
Lithgow Has Admitted That He Was Cut From Two Major Disney Releases
Following the release ofSpellboundon Netflix, Lithgow confirmed that he recorded lines for two different animated movies in the past that were eventually re-recorded, with him being wiped from the projects (viaScreen Rant). These films wereHerculesandThe Good Dinosaur, where he was set to voice the characters of Hades and Poppa respectively. However, after he’d recorded the majority of his lines, both films underwent significant changes;Lithgow was then replaced in these projects by James Woods and Jeffrey Wright.
Spellbound Borrows One Genius Part Of Disney Musicals That’s Defined 16 Of Their Movies Over The Last 35 Years
Skydance Animation brought in one of Disney’s most accomplished composers for its new movie Spellbound, hinting at future notable collaborations.
The decision tore-record Lithgow’s lines in these Disney moviesunderstandably left the actor somewhat jaded about the entire process, and he revealed that he was concerned the same thing would happen to him again withSpellbound. These concerns grew even larger when the film’s production included large gaps between recordings. Fortunately, all of Lithgow’s lines made it into the final cut ofSpellbound, and he proved that he’s always a reliable choice for this kind of work.
John Lithgow Is Fantastic In Spellbound – & It’s His Best Voice Work Since The Shrek Movies
Lithgow Taps Into Some Immense Voice Acting Talent In Spellbound
AlthoughSpellboundhas gotten mixed reviews, Lithgow is easily one of the best parts of the movie. The actor has an immense talent for voice performances, which is something that even some of the industry’s biggest stars can’t conquer. It requires a completely different skill set from regular acting, demanding more overt and unsubtle enunciation and articulation. The casting of major actors for the sake of publicity in animated movies has proven disappointing. However, Lithgow is not one of these cases, andSpellboundis some of his strongest voice work to date.
InSpellbound, Lithgow plays the character of Minister Bolinar, one of the young princess' closest advisors who aids her in hiding her monster parents from the public. But despite his best attempts to help the princess on her quest, he’s ultimately the victim of a magic spell gone wrong that causes him to switch bodies with a rodent. Lithgow’s character is restored inSpellbound’semotional ending, but his voice work while he’s playing a human/rodent is some of the film’s funniest material. Few actors can play a character so convincingly without using facial expressions or physicality.
John Lithgow Can Continue His Animated Movie Comeback With Shrek 5
Although Lithgow hasn’t been officially announced as a cast member forShrek 5, there’s every possibility that he could make a return to his most iconic voice performance ever.Lord Farquaad is technically dead by the timeShrek 5takes place, but that’s never stopped the character from making an appearancebefore: he’s appeared in several otherShrekproperties since the original, both in flashbacks and in the form of a ghost. So truly, anything is possible. Lithgow would be a hugely valuable addition to the sequel’s cast, having once given a pompous voice performance that slotted in perfectly with the original movie’s tone.
It’s going to be difficult for Shrek 5 to live up to the success of the original two films, which most would agree are the best in the franchise, and it may need a few familiar faces to get fans invested again.
There has been little news about this sequel beyond some of the main actors returning. However, it’s going to be difficult forShrek 5to live up to the success of the original two films, which most would agree are the best in the franchise, and it may need a few familiar faces to get fans invested again. Lithgow would be a perfect asset for this, and the actor has already admitted that he would"say yes in a minute" to returning as FarquaadinShrek 5.He is perhaps even more inclined to do so after the positive experience of producingSpellbound.
Spellbound
Cast
Spellbound, directed by Vicky Jenson, follows Princess Ellian on her adventurous quest to rescue her family and kingdom. As a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters, Ellian must navigate this perilous journey to restore the King and Queen of Lumbria.
