Journey back with us through the mists of time to the dim and distant past of, well, 2010. It was there that Jenny Slate, these days an established actress and writer, boosted her career by co-creating and voicing an intriguing animated short called Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. Now, more than a decade on, US company A24 has given Slate and co-writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp the resources to turn the story into a full-blown movie. Check out the trailer...
Marcel tells the story of the titular shell (voiced by Slate), an adorable one-inch-tall being who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan.
Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
A blend of charm-filled animation and real-world actors (Fleischer-Camp plays the documentarian with Rosa Salazar and Thomas Mann among the cast), Marcel The Shell With Shoes On looks set to be a sweet-natured treat. US audiences will see it on 24 June, but we're still waiting for word of a UK release.