Tim Minchin.
Tim Minchin will join the voice cast of Australian animated feature Arkie, a fantastical adventure about a girl who sets out to rescue her father from an evil scientist.
The feature directing debut of Luke Jurevicius (the Figaro Pho franchise), the film is adapted from the graphic novel and video game Scarygirl created by his brother, artist Nathan Jurevicius.
Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies, Insurgent) is the title character who enters the dazzling but dangerous metropolis The City of Light to rescue her father Blister from the clutches of the scientist Dr. Maybee (Jai Courtney) and save the planet from destruction.
Minchin will play one of Dr Maybee’s contacts, a hybrid Chihuahua named Chihoohoo, a ruthless underworld lord who controls The City of Light’s lucrative black market.
Currently on screen in the ABC/Jungle comedy Squinters, the Matilda: The Musical creator will take part in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand up To Cancer! fund-raiser which will screen on the UK’s Channel Four later this year.
Passion Pictures Australia’s Sophie Byrne, whose 2010 animated short The Lost Thing won an Oscar in 2010, is producing, with Kung Fu director John Stevenson as an executive producer.
Sydney’s Odin’s Eye Entertainment is executive producing and handling international sales. There have been pre-sales to eight markets including China’s Vision Film, which plans a release on more than 10,000 screens, Italy (Notorious), the Baltics (Best Film), the former Yugoslavia (Dexin) and the Philippines (Captive).
Arkie is due for release in Australia in late 2019 via Madman Entertainment.