Thesps hear a 'Who'
Carrey, Carell sign on to Seuss toon
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Carrey will voice the title character in "Horton Hears A Who," 20th Century Fox's CGI animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book. Steve Carell will voice the Mayor of Who-ville.
The film, which is being produced by "Ice Age" makers Blue Sky, will be released March 14, 2008, by Fox.
That gives Fox Animation back-to-back summer tentpoles, with "The Simpsons Movie" set for a July 27release.
"Horton" was scripted by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino will direct. Theodor Geisel's widow Audrey Geisel, Chris Wedge and Chris Meledandri are exec producing, with 20th Animation production exec Bob Gordon producing.
Carrey, who previously played the title character in the live-action "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," this time plays the elephant who hears a cry of help from a floating dust speck, and strives to protect it from neighbors who think he's nuts.
Twentieth Animation president Chris Meledandri, who courted Geisel for the right to make "Horton" and its sequel "Horton Hatches an Egg," said she felt strongly about the choices of Carrey and Carell. Each is pacted for a single film.
"Audrey Geisel has been included in all our principal casting choices," Meledandri said. "Jim was our first choice and from the moment I mentioned it to her, she was 100% determined it would happen."
It is the second team-up for Carrey and Carell, who were rivals in "Bruce Almighty." Carell took over the franchise when Carrey bowed out; the $140 million Tom Shadyac-directed "Evan Almighty" will be released by Universal next July.
