(Left) Ariana Grande performs at the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S. (Right) Josh Gad presents during the live ABC Telecast of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Credit/Provider: Blaine Ohigashi / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Preview:
- Ariana Grande and Josh Gad are leading the voice cast for ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’
- Jon M. Chu and Jill Culton are directing the Dr. Seuss adaptation.
- ‘La La Land’ Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are writing songs for it.
Looks like filmmaker Jon M. Chu is ready to reunite with one of his ‘Wicked’ stars –– the director, who is hard at work co-directing an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ with Jill Culton, has now cast Ariana Grande in one of the main voice roles for the new animated movie.
A globetrotting animated musical which follows a young adventurer as they journey the joys and heartaches, and the peaks and the valleys of life. Read the Plot
And that’s not all: as per the Instagram post from production company Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Josh Gad is filling the other main part.
The movie boasts not just Chu and Culton, but also J.J. Abrams as producer alongside Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul writing songs for the musical movie.
Related Article: ‘Wicked’s Jon M. Chu to Oversee Animated ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Adaptation
What’s the story of ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’?
Dr. Seuss’ ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Photo: Amazon.
Written by prolific author Dr. Seuss –– AKA Theodor Seuss Geisel –– the original book was first published by Random House on January 22nd, 1990.
It was the last book to be published during Seuss’ lifetime.
The story, written in his usual rhyming form, begins with the narrator, relating the decision of the unnamed protagonist (who represents the reader) to leave town.
The protagonist travels through several geometrical and polychromatic landscapes and places, eventually encountering a place simply called “The Waiting Place,” which is ominously addressed as being a place where everyone is always waiting for something to happen.
As the protagonist continues to explore, spurred on by the thoughts of places he will visit and things he will discover, the book cheerfully concludes with an open ending.
The movie will reportedly focus on a young adventurer navigating the ups and downs of life.
What other Dr. Seuss books have been adapted?
(Left) Jim Carrey as the Grinch in ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Seuss is an author whose works have long been source fodder for TV shows, stage productions and more, including theme park experiences.
Some of his books have even been adapted more than once, including ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (for the TV ‘toon, the 2000 live-action movie and the 2018 big screen animated iteration).
Other tomes to have been turned into shows or movies include ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’ ‘The Lorax’ and ‘Horton Hears a Who!’
The same studio behind ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ also has ‘Thing One and Thing Two,’ presumably focused on the chaotic sidekicks to The Cat in the Hat character, in development.
And that’s not even counting all the various theatrical productions, live shows and even movies that put the author himself front and center, talking about his life or his political views.
It’s perhaps not surprising that so many productions have sprung from his work –– after all, that includes many of the most popular children’s books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death in 1991.
Where else can we see Ariana Grande and Josh Gad?
Ariana Granda is Glinda in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Grande, as mentioned, played Glinda in Chu’s successful movie adaptation of the ‘Wicked’ stage musical (and the Gregory Maguire novel from which the show was sourced). She received an Oscar nomination for the role and will be reprising it in the second half of the story, ‘Wicked: For Good’, also directed by Chu (since he shot them back to back).
‘Wicked: for Good’ will be in cinemas on November 21st. And Grande is not done with ‘Wicked,’ either, since she and co-star Cynthia Erivo will be part of a live concert special featuring music from the movies, which will be broadcast on NBC on November 6th.
Beyond that, Grande recently landed a part in the new ‘Meet the Parents’ movie, which is in pre-production.
Gad is best known for roles such as snowman Olaf in the ‘Frozen’ animated movie franchise and playing LeFou in the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ live-action film.
He was most recently heard in ‘Strays’ as Gus, and seen in TV comedy drama ‘Wolf Like Me’. Gad is developing a variety of projects at the moment, including a ‘Spaceballs’ sequel alongside Mel Brooks.
The actor will also return to two of his most familiar roles, including a third ‘Frozen’ entry in 2027 and ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’, in theaters the same year.
When will ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ be in theaters?
Dr. Seuss’ ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ Photo: Amazon.
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has announced that the movie will head to cinemas on March 17th, 2028.
That might seem like a long way away, but don’t forget the time it takes to make big, animated movies such as this.
‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu.
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