Wendell And Wild - What We Know So Far
The last time we saw the comedic compadres Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele together was in 2016 when the two released their first feature-length film "Keanu." That was a year after the duo aired the fifth and final season of their massively popular sketch comedy show, "Key and Peele." In the half-decade since the two disbanded, a lot has happened. Peele's directorial debut, "Get Out" became a rousing success and won two Oscars in 2018 (via IMDb), and he's produced a number of successful films. Meanwhile, Key has been an active actor and voice actor, even hosting an episode of the most recent season of "Saturday Night Live."
As the two found individual success in their respective pursuits, however, fans of the original sketch series always held out hope that they would reunite. There was never bad blood between them so the potential for a reunion has always been there. Thankfully, that reunion is closer than ever. The duo is set to star in a new stop-motion animated feature entitled "Wendell and Wild" from "Coraline" director Henry Selick. Fans are wondering about the release, cast, and plot of this upcoming project. Here's everything we know so far about "Wendell and Wild."
When will Wendell and Wild be released?
Diehard fans of stop-motion or Key and Peele may know that "Wendell and Wild" has been in the works for years. News on the film first broke in 2015 (via Variety), with Key and Peele having a great deal of creative influence over the project from the beginning. In addition to co-starring in the film, Peele worked as co-writer on the project along with Selick.
In 2018, Netflix acquired the rights to distribute the film, originally slating it for a release sometime in 2021. However, these plans changed as the film neared this release date. At this moment, the film has been pushed back to "2022 or later," according to Cartoon Brew.
It goes without saying that this is bad news for people interested in "Wendell and Wild." Regardless, the film is almost certain to come out at this stage in production. Netflix has been investing heavily in animation over the past few years, and "Wendell and Wild" potentially stands as one of its most lucrative prospects. With the dynamic trio of Key, Peele, and Selick at the helm, there's not a whole lot stopping this film from releasing.
Who is in the cast for Wendell and Wild?
One odd aspect of "Wendell and Wild" is the lack of casting information that Netflix has released for the project. Of course, we know that Key and Peele are set to voice the film's eponymous demonic duo, though it still hasn't been made clear which is Wendell and which is Wild. There's absolutely zero casting information regarding the film's other characters, of which only a handful are known.
Once casting information for "Wendell and Wild" does leak, however, the focus is likely to be on the actors portraying its antagonists. In Selick's brief summary of the film, given to Variety way back in 2015, the demons Wendell and Wild are supposed to be opposed by a nun named Sister Helly, who is assisted by two teenage goths named Kat and Raoul.
Unfortunately, that tells us hardly anything about these characters and gives even less of an indication of who might voice them. For the moment, it seems as if "Wendell and Wild" holds many mysteries that fans must wait to uncover once the project nears debut.
What is the plot of Wendell and Wild?
According to a separate article by Variety, the intentions of our two demon protagonists Wendell and Wild are not as sinister as one might think for hellspawn. They don't have torture, sin, or mayhem on their minds. Instead, they're all about amusement. The pair escape their abode in the Underworld with the intention of creating the world's best amusement park. They are met with adversity, however, when Kat discovers the two in the realm of the living.
This brief glimpse at what is to come differs slightly from the one Selick shared six years ago. For one, there is no mention of Sister Helly or her other lackey, Raoul. It's unknown if the two antagonists are slated to make an appearance, or if the story of "Wendell and Wild" evolved from what Selick originally imagined. Regardless, it seems as if there are lots of cat-and-mouse antics to be had as Wendell and Wild evade their pursuers as they attempt to build the theme park of their dreams.