Walt Disney Studios has made the decision to move their long in development The Only and Ivan to Disney+ on August 21, 2020, making it the second film that was originally scheduled for theatrical release to the streamer following Artemis Fowl, which debuted today.
The film is based on the 2013 Newbury award-winning book of the same name by Katherine Applegate, tells the story of Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant and Bob, the dog. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from, and where he ultimately wants to be.
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The film features the voices of Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2) as the gorilla Ivan; Angelina Jolie (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) as Stella, the elephant; Danny DeVito (Dumbo) as Bob, the dog; Helen Mirren (The Queen) as Snickers the poodle; legendary singer Chaka Khan as Henrietta the chicken; Mike White (School of Rock) as Frankie the seal; Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) as Ruby the baby elephant; Ron Funches (Trolls) as Murphy, the rabbit; Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) as Thelma the parrot; and stars Ramon Rodriguez (Need for Speed), Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Endgame) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad).
The One and Only Ivan is directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) from a screenplay by Mike White based on Applegate’s novel and is produced by the late Allison Shearmur, p.g.a., Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor, p.g.a. Sue Baden-Powell and Thea Sharrock serve as executive producers.
