Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

Dr. Suess' The Lorax

3/17/11 - Taylor Swift has joined the cast of Universal's upcoming 3-D animated feature, The Lorax, based on the famous Dr. Seuss children's book.  Zac Efron has already signed to voice the lead character, Ted, the young boy who goes in search of the mysterious tree-loving Lorax.  Taylor will lend her voice to Audrey, the object of Ted's affection.  Danny DeVito will voice the Lorax, with Ed Helms (voicing the greedy Once-ler) and Betty White (voicing Ted's grandma) also lending their vocal talents to the film, set for a March 2, 2012 release.

10/25/10 - USA TODAY reported that Danny DeVito will speak for Dr. Suess film, The Lorax.  The storybook about a stumpy little guy who stands on a tree stump deploring the destruction of a forest is being adapted into a 3-D animated feature by the team that made Despicable Me and Horton Hears a Who.  The villains of the film will be voiced by Ed Helms will play The Once-ler — a shortsighted, greedy creature who chops down every tree he can find to make his Thneeds.  Rob Riggle is a new character: O'Hare, another industrialist who sells cans of fresh air to the polluted world the Once-ler creates and wants to keep it that way.  The movie will start much the same way as the 1971 storybook, with Zac Efron voicing a boy named Ted who goes in search of the Once-ler to find out how the world became so ugly.  Betty White will play Ted's grandmother, who tells him of the colorful world that used to be. Another new character is the girl Ted loves, Audrey, who dreams someday to see a real forest, not just the fake plastic trees that dot their devastated landscape.  Though the Lorax is a little guy, DeVito says the environmental message is important and vows he'll be tough.

7/29/09 - Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are joining forces to turn the Dr. Seuss book The Lorax into a 3-D CG-animated movie, Variety reported.  Dr. Seuss' The Lorax will be co-directed by Chris Renaud and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, with Paul & Daurio writing the script.  Though published in 1971, The Lorax has a timely "green" theme. It is narrated by a greedy entrepreneur who, despite warnings from the tree-loving Lorax, strips a forest of its stock of Truffula trees to manufacture clothing.  The results are catastrophic as all the animals leave and nothing's left.  The picture is targeted for a March 2, 2012 release.

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