Directed by animated film legend, Kelly Asbury (Beauty and The Beast, Shrek 2), UglyDolls is an uplifting animated musical starring Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton and Pitbull.
With a cast like this, it’s hard to imagine it being anything other than a musical but believe it or not, it wasn’t always the case. “When I came into the project it was not a musical and when I saw all these characters and I saw all the messages we were trying to get across I said let’s make this a full-blown, from beginning to end a musical,” explained Asbury.
UglyDolls tells the story of Moxy (Clarkson) a relentless doll who goes on a quest with her friends and discovers what it means to be different and the importance of loving who you are. Everything about Moxy including her hyper-activeness really resonates with Clarkson’s personality throughout the film. The role was the perfect match for Kelly and it really shows from the first minute of the movie to the very final scene. The film itself was inspired by the real-life plush toys which is probably why the name sounds familiar to you already and it also features original songs from the cast of superstars.
For the film’s composer, Christopher Lennertz, finding the right sound and making sure all the songs in the film had the right message all while keeping it fun and light were things that were important for him. “I really think Unbreakable is a special song. It’s the duet with Kelly and Janelle and it’s all about showing them who you are and showing them you are strong,” said Lennertz. Musicians Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, and Lizzo also star in the film. While it seems like almost everyone on board is a pop star there are a few other stars in the film as well. These include Actress Emma Roberts and comedians Wanda Sykes and Gabriel Iglesias.
In a world like today where more and more youth are struggling with self-consciousness and society’s pressures, UglyDolls is the perfect movie for kids to watch. It hits theaters May 3rd and of course, you already know The Knockturnal was on the scene. Check out the interviews!
