Odd couple in Hispanic toon

Prod'n co. looking to hire bilingual actors

By PHIL GALLO

Domingo

Marin

Placido Domingo and Cheech Marin have been cast to voice characters in what is being billed as the first Hispanic themed and produced major animated film, "Sian Ka'an."

Raul Garcia, an animator for Disney features in the 1980s and '90s as well as a sequence director for "Rugrats in Paris," will direct. Puerto Rico-based MUVI Films will produce. After casting is completed by Tu Casa Entertainment, MUVI will shop for a distributor.

MUVI's goal is to hire bilingual actors so that the celebrity value of the voices translates in English-speaking and Spanish-lingo territories. "Sian Ka'an," a musical, will have soundtracks in English and Spanish as well. By using bilingual actors, film won't have anonymous voiceover specialists nor incur extra costs to hire established actors to do a Spanish version.

Story concerns a young girl in a small town who has to rescue her father and save the "golden snail" from extinction. The snail is linked to the survival of all species on Earth. During her journey, the girl encounters a large cast of characters -- human, animal and celestial -- that assist her mission and help her discover her true identity.

Last year, MUVI Films released "12 Hours," Puerto Rico's submission for the foreign-language Oscar and winner of the audience award at the Chicago Latino Film Festival.

Tu Casa Entertainment was founded by Latin music industry vet Maribel Schumacher as a multifunction entertainment company that encompasses artist management (Transparent Talent Management), film/television music supervision and music publishing. Transparent's first signing is the Latin R&B singer Jean, a member of an early version of 'N Sync.