Internet users of a certain age may remember Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, a miniature talking seashell voiced by a then-unknown Jenny Slate whose cutesy videos and diminutive adventures became a minor viral sensation back around the Obama’s first term. Slate became a star and her Marcel voicing duties fell by the wayside …until now. Prestige indie movie house A24 is breaking Marcel back in a big way, with an actual movie directed by Slate’s pal Dean Fleischer-Camp. It’s the tiny shell with a big heart’s time to shine like never before.
One look at this trailer and it’s easy to see why A24 took a gamble on this irresistible creation. Slate’s sweetly odd vocal duties are immediately endearing, and the film’s concept — a road trip to find Marcel’s long lost family — has just the right mix of absurdity and heartstring tug to really pop. Prestige cinema will never be the same.