Sony Picture Animation has launched a first mobile teaser trailer for its upcoming 21st century comedy The Emoji Movie, featuring new voice talent Steven Wright as “Mel Meh,” in what can only be considered a casting triumph. For the first 24-hours, the trailer will be optimized for mobile viewing before an extended version launches in theaters. The Emoji Movie hits theaters nationwide August 4.
Further, the studio is teaming up with some of the most popular phone apps out there to send the movie’s emoji characters through a teen’s library of games and apps: Candy Crush Saga, Dropbox, Instagram, Just Dance, Spotify, Twitter and YouTube. Some apps will be presented as standalone worlds in the film, with the characters riding rushing streams of music through Spotify and playing for their lives though Candy Crush. Crackle, Facebook, Shazam, Snapchat and Twitch will also appear in the movies.
“We knew early on that we wanted actual apps in the movie, to ground it in reality and raise the stakes for our characters,” said SPA President Kristine Belson. “The fact that each app we approached said yes right away was an incredible testament to how engaging and relevant this movie is.”
Actor-comedian Steven Wright voices Mel Meh, father to the film’s overly emotive hero, Gene (T.J. Miller). The Emoji Movie follows Gene and his handy best friend Hi-5 (James Corden) as they team up with notorious codebreaker Jailbreak (Ilana Glazer) and set out on an epic “app-venture” through the phone that houses their hometown of Textopolis. But when a greater danger threatens the phone, Gene must set aside his quest to be a “normal” one-expression emoji, and the three unlikely friends unite to save their world before it’s deleted forever.
“Everyone – from your preschooler to your grandmother – sends emojis every day to share love, frustration, happiness…” said director Tony Leondis. “We all have an immediate connection with these icons that we send out as ways to express ourselves, and it paved the way for a very rich story and characters that audiences of all ages and backgrounds will be able to relate to.”
Director Leondis also penned The Emoji Movie script with Eric Siegel and Mike White. Michelle Raimo Kouyate serves as producer.
