The Addams Family: Animated ($204 Million Worldwide Box Office)

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” star Oscar Isaac is in talks with MGM to voice Gomez Addams in the animated feature film “The Addams Family.”

Isaac portrays the heroic pilot Poe Dameron in “The Last Jedi.” The rest of the cast for “The Addams Family” has not been unveiled. Conrad Vernon is directing from a screenplay by Pamela Pettler based on Charles Addams’ iconic cartoon series with revisions by Matt Lieberman.

Producers of “The Addams Family” are Gail Berman, Vernon, and Alex Schwartz. Executive producers are Kevin Miserocchi and Andrew Mittman. The Jackal Group is producing with Cinesite Studios providing the computer-generated animation.

MGM announced Friday that it had set an Oct. 11, 2019, release date for the film. The announcement comes seven weeks after MGM and Annapurna Pictures unveiled a new joint venture for theatrical distribution in the U.S. Through this joint venture, MGM expects to release approximately six to eight films per year beginning with Eli Roth’s re-imagining of “Death Wish,” starring Bruce Willis with a March 2 release.

Vernon, who directed “Sausage Party,” came on board as director on Oct. 12. The Addams family began their macabre life as single-panel gag illustrations by Charles Addams that appeared primarily in the New Yorker. Their popularity led to “The Addams Family” becoming a television show in the 1960s that starred John Astin and Carolyn Jones, an animated series in the early 1970s, and two movies in the early 1990s starring Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christina Ricci.

The characters were Gomez and Morticia Addams, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, the butler Lurch, the disembodied hand Thing, and the hairy Cousin Itt.

“The Addams Family” is the third title to land on the Oct. 11, 2019, date with Paramount opening “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and Warner Bros. launching “The Goldfinch.” The Tracking Board first reported the news about the voice casting of Isaac.

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UltimateMarvel wrote:lol! You guys were just talking about the movies not too long ago.

‘Addams Family’ Movie Scares Up Charlize Theron, Bette Midler, Allison Janney & More For Voice Cast

MGM has set the voice cast for its Oct. 11, 2019 animated take on The Addams Family including Oscar winners Charlize Theron (Morticia),  Allison Janney (arch nemesis Margaux Needler), two-time Oscar nominee Bette Midler (Grandmama), Chloë Grace Moretz (Wednesday), Finn Wolfhard (Pugsley), and Nick Kroll (Uncle Fester).

As previously announced, Oscar Isaac will play Gomez. Sausage Party director Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan are co-helming this brand new take on Charles Addams’ classic New Yorker cartoon series which has been adapted into various formats since its debut in 1938 including a black and white ABC TV series during the early 1960s, a Hanna-Barbera cartoon during the ’70s, two Paramount features which made over $240M WW during the early 1990s and a recent Broadway show.

Matt Lieberman wrote the script, which follows the kooky Addams family as they face-off against a crafty reality-TV host voiced by Janney while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration, Addams-style.

Vernon is producing with Gail Berman, via her shingle The Jackal Group, and Alex Schwartz. Andrew Mittman, Kevin Miserocchi and Joe Earley are EPs. Tabitha Shick, MGM’s Executive Director, Worldwide Motion Pictures is overseeing the project on behalf of the studio. CG Animation and digital visual effects production is underway in Vancouver at Cinesite Studios.

Vernon said in a statement, “Greg and I have always been a fan of the Addams Family in past versions, so when we set out to make this movie, we were excited to do something new. With that in mind, I drew from the brilliantly original Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons for the look of the film and decided to tell the story of how Gomez and Morticia meet, find their house and start their family. This unique approach is what drew me in to direct the film. The reimagining also extends to the stellar cast we’ve put together who will each bring their own spin to our film that will appeal to longtime fans of the Addams and introduce them to a new generation.”

“Conrad and Greg are masters of animation with the keen ability to create something both kids and their parents will enjoy for different reasons. Adding to that a world class caliber of talent with Oscar, Charlize, Chloë, Finn, Nick, Bette and Allison – we can’t wait to bring their fresh and modern take on The Addams Family to the worldwide audience,” said Jonathan Glickman, president of MGM Motion Pictures Group.

EXCLUSIVE: It’s happening. No, not Cousin It, rather MGM/UAR are already planning a sequel to this past weekend’s animated hit The Addams Family with a release date of Oct. 22, 2021. Currently there are no other wide entries on that date.

With Columbus Day holiday in effect and 42% K-12 schools off yesterday, the Conrad Vernon-Greg Tiernan $40M production raked in $4.8M yesterday for a 4-day of $35M opening in 2nd place, beating a $138M Will Smith production, Gemini Man, which tanked with $23M.

The Addams Family came to MGM boss Jonathan Glickman after producer Gail Berman and EP Andrew Mittman secured the film rights from the Charles Addams estate. The estate headed by Kevin Miserocchi, always wanted to do an animated film. MGM launched the movie like an event pic with a $150M global promotional partner campaign, the largest outside their 007 franchise. Once Sausage Party‘s Vernon was aboard, the star power voiceover talent spilled in with Charlize Theron (Morticia), Oscar Isaac (Gomez), Chloe Grace Moretz (Wednesday), Finn Wolfhard (Pugsley), Nick Kroll (Uncle Fester), Snoop Dogg (It), Bette Midler (Grandma), Allison Janney (Margaux Needler), Martin Short (Grandpa Frump) and Catherine O’Hara (Grandma Frump).

Pic scored high marks with its 61% driven family audiences with kids under 12 giving the pic 4 stars, and parents the same on PostTrak. The Addams Family, amid a ton of competition this weekend including the opening of Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil which is vying for families, is expected to hold with an estimated $15M, -50%.