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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Sandra Mallon

Netflix announces Whoopi Goldberg and Chris O'Dowd to star in Irish animation film, My Father's Dragon

Whoopi Goldberg and Chris O'Dowd among stars of Cartoon Saloon's new Netflix film.

To celebrate World Book Day, Netflix unveiled the first look and cast of five time Oscar® nominated Kilkenny animated studio upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon.

The film stars Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.

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Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer's adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.

Director Nora Twomey said: “Our actors, animators and artists at Cartoon Saloon have worked together to craft this film, inspired by Ruth Stiles Gannett’s amazing book. We were drawn together by a desire to tell a very special tale of friendship, adventure, and true bravery.

"I fell in love with storytelling as a child and Netflix excels at celebrating all kinds of stories, through different styles and distinct voices. This has given me the opportunity to look through a beautiful lens and I am excited to share what I see with our audience around the world.”

The feature-length film will be produced by Mockingbird Pictures and Cartoon Saloon, and released by Netflix via its international streaming platform. Alan Moloney and Ruth Coady of Parallel Films will also serve among the film's executive producers.

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