Cartoon Saloon’s ‘Julián’ is now casting and hiring actors for the first feature film.
Cartoon Saloon’s ‘Julián’ producers are now casting two speaking roles. Check out the casting call breakdowns.
[Julián] LEAD
-
- Seeking talent of Afro-Caribbean descent.
- Seeking talent 7-12 (talent to sound 7).
- Open to male/female/non-binary talent.
- Knowledge of the Spanish language is a plus, but not a strict requirement. Julián is not himself fluent in Spanish and speaks it deliberately by repeating Abuela’s words.
A creative, instinctive kid of seven years; existing at many an intersection, each one a portal of possibility. In this moment, he’s teetering on edge, ready to burst it all open. He is a happy, secure, and confident young boy. Also, he might be a mermaid.
[Abuela] LEAD
-
- TALENT MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK SPANISH
- Abuela is in her 60s – however, we are open with the age as long as the talent have the the voice profile we are seeking.
- Seeking talent from a Hispanophone Caribbean background, ideally specifically from the Dominican Republic.
- Abuela is Afro-Caribbean, born and raised in the Dominican Republic.
- She speaks Spanish frequently and confidently. English is her second language, which she learned in Brooklyn as a young adult. A Brooklyn accent in English is less important, as Abuela learned English in a cultural melting pot that includes many non-native English speakers.
She is stoic, firm, but with a natural tenderness in her voice. Her voice should have a gravitas that comes with age and experience, but no frailty suggests an elderly woman.
The grandmother of Julián. She is the best kind of elder, wise and caring, but still messy and complicated in her own right. Brilliant, but bound by past mistakes, she has closed herself to further pain, hardening her heart. Unbeknownst to her, Julián will be the key to cracking it open.
About Cartoon Saloon’s ‘Julián’:
Louise Bagnall, the founder of Cartoon Saloon, is revealing the initial details regarding her first feature film ‘Julián.’
Cartoon Saloon is hard at work bringing Louise Bagnall’s (Late Afternoon) Oscar-nominated directorial debut, Julián, to life. This picture book adaptation of Jessica Love’s beloved novel Julián is a Mermaid will surely capture the hearts and minds of viewers everywhere!
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“I’ve never adapted anything before,” the director told Cartoon Brew about her next project. But when Julián is a Mermaid was brought to the studio by David Yate’s Wychwood Media, Bagnall looked through the material and knew “it was a project that I can feel passionate about, but also something that speaks to me artistically, visually, thematically. And more importantly, what did I want to spend years of my life working on?”
In the production process, we connected with author and illustrator Jessica Love to brainstorm potential designs for the book. According to Bagnall, “It’s a great jumping-off point, the book, in terms of the visuals. There’s so much vibrancy… and it’s been really exciting as well to explore the world. We’re able to expand it.”
To expand Love’s book into a feature animation project, the team determined that it was necessary to extend its narrative timeline since the story is quite brief.
“[The book is] one lovely afternoon. We dug a little bit deeper, and we’ve expanded out our scope and timeframe as well,” explained Bagnall. According to the film’s creators, we can expect an entire summer of adventures with Julián and his Abuela as they explore all that life has to offer.
The project’s official synopsis reads:
The wide-eyed Julián spends a summer of discovery in New York City with his Abuela. Nearly strangers, they brace themselves for tense conversations and new adventures. The colorful chaos of Abuela’s world, and the stories she tells him, awakens something within Julián… questions about who he is and who he could be. Julián’s journey will reach across the diaspora, from Brooklyn block to the ocean’s depths, in an intergenerational ebb and flow. Through Abuela’s world, Julián explores his identity, gender expression, and the hidden heritage of his family.
As is typical of the Cartoon Saloon style, Bagnall and her team decided to incorporate more fantasy elements. “I can tell you that there’s definitely magic in the story; he will meet a mermaid goddess,” she said. The film will also adhere to another of the studio’s tenets, traditional animation. Bagnall predicted, “I do think we’re still gonna embrace a lot of the stuff that we all love in the Saloon, which is like a hand-drawn feeling.”
With an Oscar-nominated short film, Late Afternoon, under her belt, and recently assistant directed Netflix’s My Father’s Dragon for Nora Twomey. Bagnall is no amateur when it comes to directing, and she has been ardently working on the development of Julián in collaboration with screenwriter Juliany Taveras for quite some time now – although a feature-length movie hasn’t emerged yet.
Cartoon Saloon has an acclaimed reputation for its visually captivating animation. However, Bagnall insists that getting the story right is paramount. “We’ve got the artists; we’ve got the interest in making the visuals look good. I wasn’t exactly worried about that, I knew we’d get there with the visual development, whereas I wanted to make sure that we were gonna tell the story that we really wanted to tell.”
Cartoon Saloon has joined forces with Folivari, Sun Creature, Aircraft Pictures, and Wychwood Media to create Julián. Although production is yet to begin, Bagnall can speak out confidently about the project, knowing they’re in safe hands. “I think we’re essentially at the end of our development period now. I’ve been working on it for a little while… we’re not out of development yet, but we’re very much gearing up towards the next step, which is pre-production.”
Thematically, in Julián and the Mermaid, the protagonist explores an awakening of gender expression. Bagnall feels the brilliance of the book is that “it’s not prescriptive. It doesn’t like, go ahead and label things… It’s actually opening up a question and letting the audience project their own feelings or their own experiences there.”
She was profoundly touched by the narrative’s inquisitive and exploratory approach, providing her with a unique opportunity to gain new perspectives. “That’s something that feels genuine. For a lot of kids, there is an age when you explore things. There’s an age where gender expression can be a big part of that for certain.”
By including a character like Julián in this film, there is an unparalleled opportunity to create meaningful impact and “to both be able to show that there is an expression and there’s an exploration, and there’s a question that he’s beginning to ask, and there’s a desire to find out more about his own at wants and his own desire to express himself,” Bagnall said.
She went on, “We’re talking about something that actually affects a lot of people. They feel like they have something to say on it. So, between the writer, between myself, between the different members of the team that we’re gonna have on board, I think we’ll have a good way of collaborating together and talking about these things as we’re making the film so that we’re not just coming at it from a one-note perspective.”
According to Bagnall, Julián is crafted for a pre-teen demographic that can easily relate and connect to the main character, but that “Julián’s journey is gonna be something that a lot of old adults, young adults, will relate to as well. Because I think these things have come up and do come up with questions about how do you express your identity and even cultural identity. How can things grow?”
In March, Bagnall and Cartoon Saloon will introduce their project Julián to the French event Cartoon Movie.
How to apply?
To audition for a role in ‘Julián’, check out the casting call breakdown below.
SEARCHING ACROSS CANADA FOR TWO LEAD ROLES IN A NEW ANIMATED FEATURE FILM!
The roles are both OF AFRO-CARIBBEAN DESCENT
TALENT MUST BE ABLE TO WORK IN CANADA LEGALLY
TALENT MUST RESIDE IN CANADA
Project: JULIÁN
Animated Theatrical Feature Film (Theatrical distribution)
Distributor: TBC
Production Companies: Aircraft Pictures, Cartoon Saloon, Folivari, Sun Creature, Wychwood Media
Note: From Wychwood Media and five-time Oscar® nominated studio Cartoon Saloon. Inspired by the picture book Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love.
Aircraft Pictures is an Academy Award® and Emmy Award® nominated producer of scripted content for kids, families and young adults.
Producer: Paul Young, Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen, Charlotte de la Gournerie, Thibaut Ruby, Damien Brunner, Lewis Taylor
Directore: Louise Bagnall
Writer: juliany taveras
Tentative Outside Recording Dates: September 4 – 29, 2023 (Talent will only be needed for 2-3 days each)
Recording location: Toronto (in studio)
Rate: ACTRA IPA
[Julián] LEAD
-
- Seeking talent of Afro-Caribbean descent.
- Seeking talent 7-12 (talent to sound 7).
- Open to male/female/non-binary talent.
- Knowledge of the Spanish language is a plus, but not a strict requirement. Julián is not himself fluent in Spanish and speaks it deliberately by repeating Abuela’s words.
A creative, instinctive kid of seven years; existing at many an intersection, each one a portal of possibility. In this moment, he’s teetering on the edge, ready to burst it all open.
He is a happy, secure, and confident young boy.
Also, he might just be a mermaid.
[Abuela] LEAD
-
- TALENT MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK SPANISH
- Abuela is in her 60s – however, we are open with the age as long as the talent have the the voice profile we are seeking.
- Seeking talent who are of a Hispanophone Caribbean background, ideally specifically from the Dominican Republic.
- Abuela is Afro-Caribbean, born and raised in the Dominican Republic.
- She speaks Spanish frequently and confidently. English is her second language, which she learned in Brooklyn as a young adult. A Brooklyn accent in English is less important, as Abuela learned English in a cultural melting pot that includes many other non-native English speakers.
She is stoic, firm, but with a natural tenderness in her voice. Her voice should have a gravitas that comes with age and experience but there should be no frailty that suggests an elderly woman.
The grandmother of Julián. She is the best kind of elder, wise and caring, but still messy and complicated in her own right. Brilliant, but bound by the mistakes of the past, she has closed herself to further pain, hardening her heart. Unbeknownst to her, Julián will be the key to cracking it open.
– TALENT MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK SPANISH
Synopsis: The wide-eyed JULIÁN spends a summer of discovery in NYC with his ABUELA. Nearly strangers, they brace themselves for tense conversations and new adventures. The colourful chaos of Abuela’s world, and the stories she tells him, awakens something within Julián… questions about who he is and who he could be. Julián’s curiosity is piqued when he discovers magic that seems to flow from his very fingertips! He knows it must be connected to something deeper… and the Brooklyn block outside Abuela’s door may just provide a clue. A trio of girls, Julián’s new best friends, dazzle him with talk of a beautiful mermaid goddess, one with the power of transformation – The wondrous YEMAYÁ! Her magic bears a striking resemblance to Julián’s recent discovery… The girls plan to meet her at the spectacular Mermaid Parade and Julián is eager to join them, he wants nothing more than to be a mermaid! However, Abuela sees things a little differently. She knows all too well the dangers of the ocean, of Yemayá, and the power she wields. She is keen to make up for lost time with Julián, but she’s desperate to protect him too. Abuela isn’t ready to let him go, so instead she offers Julian a choice: She will bring him to the parade – only if he gives up on Yemayá… Julián agrees, delighted to have Abuela on his side. They become close, spending time together making a costume and enjoying each other’s company. But still, Julián finds himself drawn to the sea, to Yemayá and the freedom they promise. Julián, believing he can change Abuela’s mind, reveals his true intentions, magic and all. But Abuela’s pain runs deeper than Julián could possibly know. She won’t let him go. Despite her betrayal, Julián refuses to give up. Driven by fierce emotion and magical power, he summons a huge storm that carries him off to the ocean. Once there, Julián’s dream can finally come true, but only if he is willing to leave everything behind. It’s now or never for Abuela. If she doesn’t want to lose him, she must prove that she is ready to accept all those parts of Julián, and herself, that she has closed off for so long. Julián feels himself being torn in two – bound to Abuela and Yemayá equally. However, his summer of discovery has shown him that the answer lies somewhere between the two. Julián is of land and sea, a child of Abuela and Yemayá, a boy and mermaid. Julián is magic! The storm clouds disappear and Julián and Abuela fully embrace. By the time they return to their block they are forever changed but forever connected. They have both been truly transformed!
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