Meryl Streep, Colman Domingo, Bill Hader and Tom Waits have joined the A-list cast for the animated and live-action feature Lincoln in the Bardo.
They board the Starburns Industries hybrid film that already has Tom Hanks on board to star as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in the live-action portion of the film, while Willem Dafoe, Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage become voice characters in the stop-motion animation side.
Streep will voice four parts in the film: Abigail Blass, Elizabeth Crawford, one Angel sent to lure lost souls out of the bardo and a Demon trying to trap Willie Lincoln in the cemetery forever. Domingo will voice Thomas Havens, the ghost of a former slave seeking a history-changing union with Lincoln, while Hader will voice Eddie Baron and one of the Three Rakes, and Waits will voice Jaspar Randall, the ghost of a former dancehall performer and one of the Demons trying to capture Willie Lincoln.
Duke Johnson will direct Lincoln in the Bardo from a screenplay by George Saunders, adapted from his best-selling book that examines the death of the politician’s son, 11-year-old Willie Lincoln.
“The film employs a unique blend of stop-motion animation and live action to explore one of the most intimate moments of Lincoln’s life, centering on his relationship with his recently deceased eleven-year-old son. Blending history and imagination, the story unfolds through an unforgettable ensemble of characters — living and dead, historical and invented — to explore themes of love, empathy, and the human capacity for connection in the face of unimaginable grief,” a synopsis from the producers reads.
Rev Everly Thomas, Hans Vollman and Roger Bevins were also earlier announced as part of the film’s voice cast, with CAA Media Finance and WME Independent handling sales at the upcoming TIFF: The Market.
Johnson, Paul Young and Devon Young Rabinowitz produce the film through Starburns Industries, alongside Hanks and Gary Goetzman producing for Playtone. Steven Shareshian, Aaron Mitchell and Saunders are executive producers.
