Flying Bark Productions announce cast of Maya the Bee Movie
Jacki Weaver, Noah Taylor and Miriam Margolyes have been announced as the voices for Flying Bark Productions’ first ever animated release, Maya the Bee Movie.
The announcement:
Flying Bark Productions’ Managing Director, Jim Ballantine, today announced Jacki Weaver, Noah Taylor and Miriam Margolyes as cast in the company’s first ever animated theatrical stereoscopic release of the Maya the Bee Movie.
Internationally celebrated for her roles in “Animal Kingdom” and “Silver Linings Playbook”, Australian theatre, film and television actress, Jacki Weaver will voice the character of Buzzlina Von Beena – the hive’s Royal Advisor. Obsessed with order, Buzzlina becomes frustrated with the hive’s leadership and the Queen’s soft touch. Buzzlina becomes paranoid about the new arrival of hornet bugs in the meadow, she decides the only way to deal with a threat is with strong action and hatches a sinister plan to overthrow the queen and drive out the new hornets.
Nominated for Australian Film Institute Awards for his roles in “Shine”, “Dad and Dave: On Our Selection” and “The Year My Voice Broke”, Noah Taylor joins the voice cast as Crawley. Hilariously bumbling and nervous, Crawley is Buzzlina’s loyal assistant. Always there to follow her orders, Crawley wrestles with his conscience when Buzzlina’s secret agenda comes into conflict with what he knows to be right.
Much loved for her roles in “Blackadder” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, Miriam Margolyes voices the Queen of the Hive in the animated film.
“We are extremely thrilled to announce the casting of Jacki Weaver, Noah Taylor and Miriam Margolyes in Maya the Bee. Jacki, Noah and Miriam bring impressive career experience to this animation with each adding their own individual dynamic to their character’s personality. Together they have a beautifully unique voice chemistry which will make the story of Maya the Bee Movie an extremely enjoyable film for families and young ones” said Jim Ballantine.
Recently, Flying Bark Productions announced the film had received funding from both Screen Australia and Screen NSW.
Set against the backdrop of a longstanding conflict between bees and hornets, Maya is born into a world of order and rules. Her hilariously awkward attempts to fit in and “be a bee” immediately bring her into trouble with the narrow minded Buzzlina. When Maya stumbles onto Buzzlina’s plot to steal the Queen’s royal jelly and blame it on the hornets, the sly Advisor manipulates Maya into leaving the hive. With her best friend Willi tagging along, Maya buzzes out into the meadow on an exhilarating adventure of self-discovery. Where does she fit in? And how will she find a way to defeat the Royal Advisor and prevent a nasty battle between the bees and hornets?
The movie will be directed by Alexs Stadermann with Barbara Stephen as Producer and Alexia Gates-Foale as Line Producer.
Production of the film was announced late last year during a special afternoon reception at Flying Bark Productions for His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium who was in Australia in the framework of a Belgian Economic Mission.
Maya the Bee Movie will bring together the experience and knowledge of outstanding Australian and European creative talent on the first ever animated feature to be produced as an official treaty co-production between Australia and Germany.
The original Maya the Bee television series was first produced in the 1970s and was an imaginative blend of fun-filled and thrilling adventures that gained Maya loyal fans from all corners of the globe.
Today a new generation of fans enjoy the tales of Maya the Bee with the CG television series already seen in many European countries as well as on ABC TV in Australia.
To find out more about Maya and her friends also visit the website www.mayathebee.com.au and like us on Facebook www.maya.tv/facebook
Source: Adele Feletto Publicity media release
