Legendary actress Meryl Streep, alongside acclaimed stars Colman Domingo and Bill Hader, has joined the voice cast of the upcoming animated feature Lincoln in the Bardo, Starburns Industries announced exclusively to Hollywood Buzz News. The trio will lend their talents to the ambitious project, which is being directed by Duke Johnson, a filmmaker known for his meticulous work in stop-motion animation.
The film, which blends drama, history, fantasy, and animation, is set in 1862. The story centers on a grieving President Abraham Lincoln who visits the grave of his young son, Willie, in a Washington cemetery. In the film's supernatural premise, this act of mourning stirs a realm known as the "bardo" - a liminal state between life and death - where lingering ghosts must rally to help the boy's spirit move on before he becomes permanently trapped in that in-between world.
The project already boasts a formidable cast, led by Tom Hanks in the role of Abraham Lincoln. Emily Taaffe portrays Mary Todd Lincoln, while André Holland, Willem Dafoe, and Peter Dinklage also contribute voices, alongside performers Mary Birdsong, Alanah Bloor, and Delphi Evans. The specific roles for Streep, Domingo, and Hader have not yet been disclosed by the studio, but their involvement signals a major boost for the production, which is being developed with considerable artistic ambition.
Johnson, who previously co-directed the acclaimed animated feature Anomalisa with Charlie Kaufman, is taking on the solo directing role here. His background suggests a deep commitment to the tactile craft of animation, which is a hallmark of Starburns Industries, the studio behind the cult favorite The Last Man on Earth and other distinctive projects. The adaptation is based on the acclaimed, experimental novel of the same name by George Saunders, which earned the Booker Prize and was praised for its inventive narrative structure, told through a chorus of voices and historical documents.
The book's unique format presented a significant creative challenge for adaptation, and Johnson has indicated that the animated medium offers the perfect canvas to explore the fluid boundaries between the physical world and the spectral one. The ghosts in the bardo, who exist in a state of denial about their own deaths, are expected to be rendered with a ethereal, slightly distorted quality that would be difficult to achieve in live-action. The addition of Streep, Domingo, and Hader - actors known for their exceptional vocal range - suggests the filmmakers are pursuing a cast capable of conveying the deep melancholy and dark humor inherent in Saunders' work.
Streep, a three-time Academy Award winner, is no stranger to voice work, having previously lent her voice to projects like The Simpsons Movie and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Her involvement adds a layer of prestige to a project already heavy with A-list talent. Domingo, who has earned critical acclaim for his stage and screen work, is a rising force in Hollywood, and Hader is known for his ability to balance comedy with dramatic depth, evident in his recent work in television and film. Their collective presence will likely draw attention from audiences who might not typically gravitate toward animated features aimed at adults.
Production details remain sparse, and no release date or runtime has been announced as of yet. The film is being produced in the English language for a Hollywood-based distribution, though a specific studio partner for distribution has not been named in the announcement. Given the complex nature of the animation and the star-studded voice cast, the project is expected to have a lengthy post-production period.
The announcement is notable for the way it highlights a growing trend of literary adaptations finding new life through animation. Lincoln in the Bardo is not a traditional historical drama; it is a ghost story, a philosophical meditation on grief, and a portrait of a president at the breaking point. By committing the story to animation, the filmmakers are signaling that they intend to embrace the surreal and emotional extremities of Saunders' narrative, moving beyond the constraints of realistic period sets into a more impressionistic space.
For Starburns Industries, which has carved a niche for unconventional storytelling, this project represents one of its largest and most ambitious undertakings to date. The collaboration of Johnson with a cast of this caliber will be watched closely by industry observers and fans of the novel alike. As the project moves through production, more casting announcements and a first-look at the animation style will undoubtedly follow, but for now, the potential of this unusual and intellectually rich film has fans eagerly awaiting further details.
Source: Hollywood Reporter