Bee Movie is a computer-animated film starring Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Megan Mullally, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Oprah Winfrey, Eddie Izzard, and Patrick Warburton. Produced by DreamWorks Animation, it is directed by Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner, and slated for release November 2, 2007 by Paramount Pictures. Its title is a play on the term “B movie”.
Bee Movie is the first motion-picture script to be written by Seinfeld, who co-wrote it with Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin. The cast and crew include some veterans of Seinfeld’s long-running NBC sitcom Seinfeld, including writer/producers Feresten and Robin, and actors Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld character David Puddy), and Larry Miller (who plays the title character on the Seinfeld episode “The Doorman”.)
The film was produced by Jerry Seinfeld, Christina Steinberg and Cameron Stevning. It was written by Jerry Seinfeld, Andy Robin, Barry Marder and Spike Feresten. The production was designed by Alex McDowell, and Christophe Lautrette was the art director. Nick Fletcher was the supervising editor and music for the film was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams.
Cast
- Jerry Seinfeld as Barry Bee Benson
- Renée Zellweger as Vanessa Blume
- Chris Rock as Mooseblood the Mosquito
- Matthew Broderick as Adam Flayman
- Kathy Bates as Janet Benson
- Patrick Warburton as Ken
- John Goodman as Layton T. Montgomery
- Megan Mullally as Trudy, Honex Tour Guide
- Barry Levinson as Martin Benson
- Rip Torn as Lou Lo Duca
- Oprah Winfrey as Judge Bumbleden
- Eddie Izzard as Bee Army General
- Ray Liotta as Himself
- Larry King as Himself
- Larry Miller as Buzzwell
- Tom Papa as Splitz/Klauss Vanderhayden
- David Herman as Gammel the Italian Greyhound
- Michael Richards as Bud Ditchwater the Squirrel
- Chuck Martin as Andy the Crow
- Conrad Vernon as Freddy the Worm
Ray Liotta has a small cameo playing an animated version of himself. Fellow Seinfeld cast member, Michael Richards also had a small role. Megan Mullally was originally voicing the Queen of the hive and had even recorded her lines, yet due to film cuts, her character was cut. Jerry Seinfeld still wanted her to have a part in the movie, so he gave her the role of the Honex Tour Guide. At one point, Uma Thurman, Rebecca Soler, Robert Duvall, and Tim Blake Nelson were all attached, yet they dropped out for various reasons.
Technical specifications
- Sound: Dolby Digital, Digital Theater Systems, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound
- Prints: Deluxe
- Recording on ARRI
- Kodak Motion Picture Film
Directors:
- Steve Hickner
- Simon J. Smith
Writers:
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Spike Feresten
Release Date:
- 2 November 2007 (USA)