For a short but vital window of time, Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele had the comedy world by the balls with their Comedy Central show Key & Peele. Delivering viral clips and fresh memes, their three seasons on the top lead to fruitful, but separate careers for the two comedians. And now, with the help of Netflix (a service which happens to be the current employer of the Key half of the equation), the boys are getting back together for one hell of a movie called Wendel and Wild. Even better? The project is going to be stop-motion animation.
In particular, Wendel and Wild is about two demons who happen to be brothers, and who are veritable tricksters and schemers. While not much else is known about the project's story, there's a rabbit hole of good news that comes with the announcement of its production. Henry Selick has been signed on to write the script along with Jordan Peele and Clay McLeod Chapman. In addition, Deadline says the film will also have a book written in tandem with the film's screenplay, which will also boast alongside Henry Selick's unique voice. Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Peele and Selick will produce the new Netflix movie, with Sarah Serata signed on as a co-producer.
Perhaps the coup de grace of the news that heralds the arrival of Netflix's second stop-motion animation project is the fact that Henry Selick is also directing it. For those of you in love with this genre, this is good news as Henry Selick is also the man who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as wrote and directed the stop-motion adaptations of James and the Giant Peach and Coraline for the big screen. So not only are Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele putting their senses of humor into Wendel and Wild, but Selick will put his unique stamp on the film as a writer and director of fine stop-motion animated films.
The deluge of news is enough to make fans of comedy, and fans of Henry Selick's work, happy. Not only is this a reunion for Key & Peele since 2016's Storks was the last time they co-starred together, but it's the first stop-motion film that Henry Selick will have directed since 2009's Coraline. So if Wendel and Wild's production story is starting as anything, it's starting as a group of professionals returning to their respective crafts, collaborating on what could be a fantastically evil comedy.
Of course, the next big question will be whether Wendel and Wild will be a raunchy / risque adult flavored comedy, like Sausage Party, or if it'll be a more accessible film along the lines of The Nightmare Before Christmas. For now, that query has gone unanswered, but as soon as we have any more information here at CinemaBlend, you'll be the first to know! In the meantime, if the mention of Netflix has perked your ears up, check out our listing of the upcoming original films the streaming provider will be debuting throughout 2018.
