Skydance Animation’s ‘Spellbound’ Brings Celebrated Composer Alan Menken’s Voice to the Screen
Winner of seven Golden Globe Awards (and 16 nominations), eight Academy Awards (and 19 nominations), 11 Grammy Awards (and 24 nominations), a Tony, a Daytime Emmy, a Drama Desk Award, and Disney Legend, Alan Menken has partnered with long-time collaborator lyricist Glen Slater to write moving songs for Skydance Animation’s second full-length film, Spellbound.
Long-time Menken fans will finally get a rare opportunity to hear Menken’s songs in his voice.
In the upcoming 3-D feature—directed by Shrek and Shark Tale director Vicky Jenson and produced by animation legend John Lasseter—the hills of the mythical kingdom of Lumbria are alive with the sound of Menken’s music.
When asked, “Why a musical?” by the preview audience at Annecy, Jenson said of the new John Lasseter production, “Theater lovers always ask that question. They say that when the emotions are too big to talk about, you sing about them. And when they are too big to sing about, you dance.”
The upcoming Skydance Animation release of Spellbound soars to the heights of emotion as it relates the story of a brave young princess who must break a spell that has turned her royal parents into monsters and torn their kingdom in two.
West Side Story star Rachel Zegler voices the role of Princess Ellian. The story of royals turned monsters and turned back again is voiced by Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, and Nathan Lane.
Producer John Lasseter has made many significant hires during his tenure with Skydance Animation. In addition to marquee Disney composer Alan Menken, John Lasseter has assembled a stellar cast of talent for all his Skydance projects.
About Alan Menken
Alan Menken is the creator of some of the most memorable music from the modern movie industry, most recently including the scores for Tangled and Enchanted. He is one of only 18 people to have achieved an “EGOT”—receiving an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.
About John Lasseter
As an animator, writer, director, and producer, John Lasseter has been a leader in the animation industry since before the introduction of computer graphics.
The son of a California art teacher, Lasseter drew comics for his church while he was still in middle school. Lasseter graduated from the California Institute of the Arts and then became a pioneer in computer-generated imagery and chief creative officer at Pixar, credited for much of its success.
Lasseter worked on some of the world’s most popular and highest-grossing animated films, including Cars, Finding Nemo, Up, and A Bug’s Life.
Skydance Animation hired Lasseter as head of animation in 2019. He continues to use animation to bring moving stories to life.
About Skydance Animation
Skydance Animation is an arm of Skydance Studios dedicated to creating animated shorts and features of unequaled quality. In 2020, Skydance Animation acquired Ilion Studios and formed Skydance Animation Madrid. Studios in Madrid complement studios in Los Angeles, bringing the total number of animators under John Lasseter’s leadership to about 500.
Noteworthy names in animation worldwide continue to migrate to Skydance Animation in LA and Madrid. The creative team at Skydance Animation can only continue to lead the industry in creativity and audience cachet.
