David Farnor | On 11, Jul 2020

The One and Only Ivan arrives on Disney+ this August, and a new trailer gives us a look at the big-hearted gorilla flick.

Based on the book by Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan tells the story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who learns that life isn’t defined by place and circumstance but by the power of friendship and the courage to make change happen. 

The film arrives on Disney+ on 21st August. Here’s the trailer:

 

The One and Only Ivan heads to Disney+ this August

14th June 2020

Disney’s The One and Only Ivan is heading to Disney+ this August.

The film, an adaptation of the bestselling, award-winning book about one very special gorilla, was set to be released in cinemas on 14th August. Now, with cinemas still working out how to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, Disney has decided to skip the theatrical release and debut the movie directly online – the third film to do so, following Artemis Fowl and the upcoming release of Hamilton.

Directed by Thea Sharrock, the film is a tale about Ivan, a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant and Bob the dog. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.

A hybrid of live-action and CGI, it’s based on Katherine Applegate’s award-winning book and features the voices of Sam Rockwell as the gorilla Ivan, producer Angelina Jolie as Stella the elephant, Danny DeVito as Bob the dog, Helen Mirren as Snickers the poodle, Chaka Khan as Henrietta the chicken, screenwriter Mike White as Frankie the seal, Brooklynn Prince as Ruby the baby elephant, Ron Funches as Murphy the rabbit, and Phillipa Soo as Thelma the parrot. It also stars Ramon Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt and Bryan Cranston.

“The world has changed in a heartbeat. People all over the globe have shared important, life changing experiences in ways we have not seen for a century,” says Sharrock. “In response to this, I am so happy that we can share Katherine Applegate’s delightful and original story, ‘The One and Only Ivan’ with the world this August on Disney+, bringing some joy through this unique movie of true friendship, inspired by a true story.”

The film will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on 21st August 2020.

Add to Watchlist