UNIVERSAL PICTURES ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR VOICE CAST FOR UPCOMING COMPUTER-ANIMATED FEATURE 'THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX'

UNIVERSAL PICTURES ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR VOICE CAST FOR UPCOMING COMPUTER-ANIMATED FEATURE 'THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX'

Robbie Coltrane, Ciaran Hinds, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, Christopher Lloyd, Justin Long, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Tracey Ullman and Sigourney Weaver to Bring Characters From Bestselling Children's Novel to Life

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures announced today that its computer-animated big-screen feature, "The Tale of Despereaux" -- an adaptation of the Newbery Medal-winning children's bestseller -- will feature a stellar cast to voice the story of one small mouse's quest to change a kingdom forever. Now cast are ten actors whose stage and screen work, coupled with their signature voices, lends "The Tale of Despereaux" the humor and drama needed to tell the enchanting story. Included are actors:

* Robbie Coltrane ("Harry Potter" franchise) as the palace jailer,
Gregory. Gregory has a mysterious past and has suffered great loss in
his life. He has given up hope of finding a long-lost family member,
who may yet appear to him ...

* Ciaran Hinds ("Miami Vice") as the sinister leader of the sewer rats,
Botticelli. Botticelli despises humans, the light and adores torture.
The rat will prove to be a powerful adversary in the valiant quest of
young Despereaux.

* Dustin Hoffman ("Meet the Fockers") as the good-hearted rat who lives
in the darkness and covets a world filled with light, Roscuro. A
misunderstood creature that thinks he is human, Roscuro doesn't
understand why others run from him, as he just longs for understanding
and to escape from the dark world of the rats.

* Kevin Kline ("The Pink Panther") as the king's royal cook, Andre.
Andre works in the Kingdom of Dor's royal castle and is responsible for
inventing a new soup each year for the citizens. He becomes very
depressed when the king banishes soup from Dor after a very unfortunate
accident, and he will provide aid on Despereaux's quest.

* Christopher Lloyd ("Back to the Future" franchise) as the old, blind
mouse, Hovis. Hovis is one of the few in the mouse world who
understands Despereaux's enthusiasm and desire to shirk cowering and
skittering from his life.

* Justin Long ("Accepted") as the brave and virtuous mouse, Despereaux, a
diminutive fellow saddled with comically-oversized ears and who wheezes
when he runs. Noble and brave, Despereaux is oblivious to the darkness
and cynicism around him and will prove an unlikely hero whose quest is
to shed light into the kingdom around him.

* William H. Macy ("Fargo") as Despereaux's timid father, Lester. All
Lester wants for his youngest child is to learn how to be a proper
mouse, one who cowers, skitters and doesn't question a life lived in
fear.

* Stanley Tucci ("The Devil Wears Prada") as Andre's ally in the kitchen,
Boldo. Boldo is an odd, seven-foot genie who proves a constant source
of companionship (and annoyance) to Andre as they create delicious
soups for Dor.

* Tracey Ullman ("Corpse Bride") as a slow-witted serving girl who
harbors a simple, impossible wish, Mig. A pig-herder whose father
ridicules her daily, Mig desires nothing more than to become a princess
and live the life she's always been denied.

* and Sigourney Weaver ("Holes") as The "Tale of Despereaux's" Narrator
who speaks directly to the audience, guiding them through the story and
drawing them further into the tiny mouse's big world.

Directed by Oscar(R)-nominated director Mike Johnson ("The Corpse Bride") and produced by four-time Academy Award(R) nominee Gary Ross ("Big," "Dave," "Seabiscuit") and Allison Thomas ("Seabiscuit") under their Larger Than Life Productions banner, "The Tale of Despereaux" tells the story of a brave little mouse whose inauspicious beginnings lead to a heroic and magical adventure. The film comes to theaters for the 2008 holiday season.

"We are thrilled to be making our first animated feature for Universal, which has energetically renewed its commitment to animation," said producer Thomas, who executive-produced the Oscar(R)-nominated "Seabiscuit" for the studio. "We have assembled a spectacular voice cast that will bring to life the unforgettable characters and help convey the excitement, adventure and fun of this perfect gem of a book."

Written by Kate DiCamillo -- author of "Because of Winn-Dixie" -- 2003's "The Tale of Despereaux," spent 96 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and the recently published paperback version has been on the New York Times Top Ten list for the past 14 weeks. The book, which won the 2004 Newbery Medal for the most distinguished offering in children's literature, has sold more than 1.6 million copies to date. The story is adapted for the big screen by Gary Ross with Framestore CFC ("Superman Returns," "X-Men: The Last Stand") creating the signature animation for the feature.

About "The Tale of Despereaux"

Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dor, there was magic in the air, raucous laughter aplenty and gallons of mouth-watering soup. But a terrible accident left the king broken-hearted, the princess filled with longing and the townsfolk despondent. All hope was lost in a land where sunlight disappeared and the world became dreary gray. Until Despereaux Tilling was born...

A brave and virtuous mouse, Despereaux is simply too big for his small world. Though tiny, wheezy and saddled with comically oversized ears, Despereaux refuses to live a life of weakness and fear...believing he was destined to be celebrated in the tales of chivalry he so adores.

When he's banished from his home for not following the rules that society expects of a mouse, Despereaux befriends fellow outcast Roscuro, a good-hearted rat who can't bear to look in the mirror and hopes to live far from the grim underground of his kind. While Despereaux begins his noble quest to rescue Pea -- a princess who can't see beyond her distorted view of the world -- his pal Roscuro receives a painful rejection from her highness that sets him on a course of self-destruction.

Along their parallel adventures, the two encounter colorful characters from a serving girl who wishes to be a princess to the evil leader of the sewer rats, who plots revenge on humans from his fiefdom in the subterranean shadows he relishes but Roscuro can't abide.

From the highest turrets of the glittering castle to the dankest dark of Dor's sewers, friendships will be tested as Despereaux and Roscuro embark upon a journey that will change the way they look at their world -- and themselves -- forever. In this tale of bravery, forgiveness and redemption, one tiny creature will teach a kingdom that it takes only a little light to show that what you look like doesn't equal what you are.

About Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures, is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

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Source: Universal Pictures

CONTACT: Stacy Ivers of Universal Pictures, +1-323-777-7216

Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/

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