Voices

• Brian Cox
• Jenny Slate
• Giancarlo Esposito as Marshall
• Anthony Mackie
• Billy Bob Thornton

Development

The film was first announced in December 2017, when Anthony and Joe Russo acquired the rights to the graphic novel. They were set as producers, with Andy Muschietti in negotiations to direct. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were set to write the screenplay.^[2] In December 2020, Universal Pictures won the distribution rights to the film, with the Russos now directing and Muschietti remaining as a producer on the project via his new production company. Millie Bobby Brown was slated to star, with production set to begin as soon as the Russos completed The Gray Man (2022) and Brown concluded filming for season four of Stranger Things.^[3] In June 2022, it was reported that the film might have its distribution rights transferred to Netflix, as Universal was no longer planning to give the film a theatrical release. Later that month, it was confirmed that Netflix would be distributing the film, with Chris Pratt in talks to star alongside Brown.^[4] Pratt would be confirmed in August, with Michelle Yeoh, Stanley Tucci, Jason Alexander, Brian Cox and Jenny Slate joining the cast. Cox and Slate were reported to be voicing characters in the film.^[5] In October, Woody Norman was added to the cast.^[6] In November, Giancarlo Esposito was cast in the film as the voice of Marshall, a menacing robotic drone.^[1] Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton also joined the cast. Ke Huy Quan, Yeoh's co-star in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), had to replace her after she left the project due to scheduling conflicts.^[7]

Filming

Principal photography began in October 2022 in Atlanta, under the working title Stormwind.^[8] On November 4, 2022, film production was temporarily paused after a crew member working on the film died in a car crash off-set.^[9] Filming officially wrapped in early February 2023.^[10] Reshoots occurred from March 20 until April 5.^[11]