strange-magic-trailer

With the ever-present nature of the internet, it’s rare nowadays that a movie can somewhat blindside you with its existence.  But that’s just what happened recently when Disney announced not only that an animated feature from Lucasfilm called Strange Magic exists, but that it’s coming out in a little over two months.  The film is based on a story by George Lucas, and today the Strange Magic trailer was released, giving us our first look at some footage.  Though the animation is impressive in some respects, the whole thing feels really dated.  There’s a heavy reliance on widely known pop songs, a trend that was all the range during the time of Shrek—over a decade ago.  The fairy tale revolves around a world filled with goblins and elves and is inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream and it might yet drum up some interest from a (very) young crowd of kids, but I have a feeling parents aren't going to be crazy about this one.

Check out the Strange Magic trailer and some new images after the jump.  Directed by Gary Rydstrom (Lifted), the voice cast includes Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph, Sam Palladio, Meredeth Anne Bull, Alfred Molina, Elijah Kelley, Bob Einstein, and Peter StormareStrange Magic opens in theaters on January 23rd.

Via Disney.

Here’s the official synopsis for Strange Magic:

“Strange Magic” is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion.

Images via Disney.