EPIC

EPIC

Epic revolves around Mary Katherine (voice of Amanda Seyfried), a teenager who is magically transported into a secret fantasy world populated by miniature beings who ride hummingbirds, talking slugs, and other enchanted creatures living in the deep forest. Mary joins up with “a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters,”in order to battle forces of evil that threaten the very existence of this mystical world (and ours, as it turns out).

The Epic cast (no pun intended) is rounded out by Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games), Colin Ferrell (Total Recall), Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation), Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses), and singer/actress Beyoncé Knowles, among others.

Mary Katherine (voice of Amanda Seyfried) in 'Epic'

Based on the trailer: the animation in Epic marks a pleasant change-of-pace from the comparatively cartoonish style favored in the Ice Age series (and especiallyRio). Epic will probably be compared to Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, based on the similarities in their basic premise; still, the former appears to be more of a pure fantasy tale – and less an environmental parable (a la Ferngully). Moreover, the writers behind Epic have the established mythology of Joyce’s novel to draw inspiration from.

Speaking of which: Epic was scripted by an eclectic mix of writing talent, including, Daniel Shere (George Lucas in Love) and James V. Hart (Hook, Contact), along with writing duo Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember (Failure to Launch, Get Smart). Make what you will of that resume – and how it bodes for the storytelling in Epic.

Epic opens in theaters around the U.S. on May 17th, 2013.