Warner Brothers has revealed a first look at their upcoming 3D live action/CGI film Yogi Bear.
Based on the classic cartoon, Dan Aykroyd stars as the pic-a-nic basket stealing anthropomorphic bear with a penchant for hats, ties and collars. Justin Timberlake lends his voice to the role of Yogi’s miniature sidekick, Boo Boo. Anna Faris and Tom Cavanagh are real-live humans who interact with the bear — Faris as a documentary filmmaker and Cavanagh as Yogi’s nemesis, Ranger Smith.
Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth) directs from a screenplay by Brad Copeland (Wild Hogs). Warner Brothers will release the film on December 17, 2010.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Jellystone Park has been losing business, so greedy Mayor Brown decides to shut it down and sell the land. That means families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors — and, even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they’ve ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove that he really is “smarter than the average bear” as he and Boo Boo join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park from closing forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ePL7xGnSkQ
The Buzz: While I will admit that the CGI quasi-realistic designs for Yogi and Boo Boo make me just as uncomfortable as the designs for Garfield and Scooby Doo did, I have hopes this might be an entertaining enough movie for young children, old people and dull-witted folk alike.
What really puzzles me, though, is why the studio would hire Dan Aykryod and Justin Timberlake for the roles. Aykroyd’s Yogi Bear is just off enough to be distracting and I can’t imagine there is an audience who will be beating down the doors to see him voice an animated bear. Timberlake might be a draw but I imagine the studio could have saved some money just hiring a talented voice-over artist who could do a dead-on impression of the original voices for Yogi Bear and Boo Boo.
What do you think of the trailer and poster? Will you be seeing this in 3D this Christmas?
