BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning actor Bill Nighy, who was recently nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his turn in Living, and Emmy nominee Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso, Downton Abbey) have joined the cast of GFM Animation’s 10 Lives. The previously announced voice roster features Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Dylan Llewellyn and pop star Zayn Malik.
10 Lives is the story of a pampered and selfish cat named Beckett (Gilligan) who takes for granted the lives he has been dealt. After carelessly losing his ninth life he begs to be given a second chance, an opportunity to show he can learn from his mistakes. Eventually his wish is granted — but with certain, hilarious stipulations…
Nighy will play Professor Craven in the film, and Swift will voice a wisecracking dog named Happy.
10 Lives is directed by Chris Jenkins (Duck Duck Goose) and produced by Guy Collins and Sean Feeney for 10 Lives Productions, Martin Metz and Adrian Politowski for Align, Yann Zenou for Quad, Valérie d’Auteuil and André Rouleau for Caramel Films, and Louis-Philippe Vermette for The Happy Producers. Cinesite’s Montreal studio L’Atelier Animation (Leap!, Fireheart) is producing the CG.
GFM Animation will be shopping 10 Lives at the European Film Market in Berlin (Feb. 16-22), as well as A Greyhound of a Girl, based on the Roddy Doyle book and directed by Enzo D’Alò (Pinocchio, 2012) and voice starring Brendan Gleeson, Sharon Horgan and Rosaleen Linehan. A Greyhound of a Girl will be screening in the Berlinale’s Generation KPlus program.
Nighy’s extensive credits list includes several animated roles for films and series including Flushed Away, G-Force, Astro Boy, Rango, StarDog and TurboCat, Castlevania and Arthur Christmas, for which he won an Annie Award for voiceover. Swift played his Ted Lasso character Higgins in the show’s 2021 animated special, The Missing Christmas Mustache.
Robyn Klein and Jeremy Ross are handling casting for 10 Lives. Nighy is represented by Independent Talent Group, United Talent Agency, Q Voice and Public Eye Communications. Swift is repped by APA Agency, Independent Talent Group and Framework Entertainment.
[Source: Deadline]
