If and when the machines finally do rise up, we probably won't want a family like the Mitchells
to become humanity's last hope.
But that's exactly what happens in the upcoming animated comedy film, The Mitchells vs. the
Machines.
The film follows the Mitchell family as they attempt to work together to stop the robot
apocalypse after every machine with a chip turns against all of humanity.
This is a task that this family is uniquely unqualified for, considering the Mitchells
are completely dysfunctional and fail at everything they try to do together.
We'll have to wait until The Mitchells Vs.
The Machines arrives on April 30 to find out how mankind's wackiest war with the robots
goes down.
But until then, here's a look at what else you should know about this new animated comedy feature.
There are a lot of funny people who lend their voices to the wild cast of characters in The
Mitchells Vs.
The Machines, not the least of whom is Abbi Jacobson, who voices the lead character Katie
Mitchell.
Katie is a creative young woman who believes she'll finally find her place in the world
at film school, but her dream of a quick, fresh start is dashed when her father decides
to make a family road trip out of dropping her off at college — and then, well, the
whole world goes berserk with bots.
Fans will no doubt recognize Jacobson thanks to her celebrated work on Broad City, but
her voice may be especially familiar to animation fans, as she previously voiced the character
Emily on BoJack Horseman and currently stars as Bean in Disenchantment.
"Alright, wish me luck…"
"Good luck."
Voicing Katie's nature-loving dad Rick is the one and only Danny McBride, an actor who
many TV fans will likely know for his unforgettable comedy characters like Kenny Powers in Eastbound
& Down, Neal Gamby in Vice Principals, and Jesse Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones.
In addition to these indelible on-screen roles, McBride has previously impressed with his
vocal work in animated films like The Angry Birds Movie.
Meanwhile, Emmy-winning comedian Maya Rudolph stars as the ultra-positive family matriarch
Linda.
In addition to being a Saturday Night Live standout and earning acclaim for her work
in films like Bridesmaids and shows like The Good Place, Rudolph is also known for her
distinct vocal work.
The actress currently stars as several animated small screen characters in shows like Bless
the Harts, and Big Hero 6: The Series.
Olivia Colman also brings her considerable talents to the cast, starring as the voice
of Pal, a piece of tech who does not appreciate the way it has been treated by human beings.
"Poke, poke, swipe, poke, swipe, poke, poke, pinch, zoom."
Colman boasts an impressive collection of Hollywood trophies: three Golden Globes, including
one for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, and an Oscar for her portrayal
of Queen Anne in The Favourite.
The all-star cast of the film also includes Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi,
Doug the Pug, and Eric Andre, who voices Pal employee Mark Bowman.
"Meet the Helper Bot.
We promise you they will never, ever turn evil."
Rounding out the cast is the film's own co-writer and co-director Mike Rianda, who portrays
Katie's zany little brother Aaron.
For Mike Rianda, who makes his feature film debut after his extensive work on Gravity
Falls, the story of The Mitchells Vs.
The Machines is extremely personal.
At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2020, Rianda talked about
his unique inspirations for the film, saying that it combines, quote, "two things I really
love: my insane family and technology."
Rianda directly drew from his own father's personality in crafting the character Rick,
as his real-life dad was also an oddball outdoorsman with wild ideas about getting off the grid.
Meanwhile, Linda is made in the image of Rianda's mother and aunt, the "glue" of his family,
and his own character, the dinosaur-obsessed Aaron, borrows a bit from both himself and
co-writer and co-director Jeff Rowe.
"Hi, would you like to talk to me about dinosaurs?
No.
Okay, thank you."
Ultimately, for Rianda, the mission with The Mitchells vs. The Machines was to create a
movie that features a relatable family at the center that's "just as imperfect and weird
and messed up as your family."
The team behind The Mitchells Vs.
The Machines is responsible for some of the biggest animated movies of the last decade,
including The Lego Movie series and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
"This could literally not get any weirder."
"It CAN get weirder."
Power producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller worked with Rianda and Rowe to bring
their ambitious vision to reality.
Rianda said that he and Rowe came into the project with big ideas, and with the support
of Lord and Miller in particular, the duo had the freedom to make their original storyline
a reality.
Meanwhile, the filmmakers also brought in Into the Spider-Verse's visual effects supervisor
Mike Lasker to help hone in on the hand-drawn aspects they wanted to use to capture the
messiness of humanity — even with computer generated imagery for the animation.
The success of Into the Spider-Verse in particular assured Rianda that the movie he wanted to
make was possible, as he told the audience at the Annecy animation fest that the film's
reception means that "People want to see new stories and people want to see fresh animation
styles."
That certainly describes The Mitchells Vs.
The Machines.
You can check it out when the film hits on April 30.
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