Alyson Hannigan & Ben Schwartz Join ‘Flora & Ulysses’ Film Adaptation From Disney+
EXCLUSIVE: How I Met Your Mother alum Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz from TV’s Parks and Recreation have signed on for lead roles in Flora & Ulysses, the film adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s novel, Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Set to stream on the upcoming Disney+ platform, the film is being helmed by up-and-coming filmmaker Lena Khan, who is directing from a screenplay by Brad Copeland.
Released in 2013, DiCamillo’s novel sold over 1.2 million copies, earned the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature, and has been published in over 20 languages worldwide.
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The story follows the imaginative, creative and cynical ten-year-old Flora, who could hardly predict that the little squirrel she saved from a tragic accident would be born anew and transformed into a superhero with the powers of strength, misspelled poetry… and an uncanny knack for helping her and the lovable but broken people in her life become a family again.
Hannigan, who is also best known for her roles in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and the American Pie films, will play romance writer and Flora’s mother Phyliss who is increasingly concerned about Flora and her new friendship with a squirrel. Schwartz is Flora’s Dad.
The Blind Side and Life of Pi producer Gil Netter is producing the project with Sam Dickerman and Allison Erlikhman overseeing production for the studio.
Up next, Hannigan can be seen this summer starring in the Lifetime original Abduction of Mary Stauffer and hosting Penn & Teller’s: Fool Us on the CW. She’s repped by APA, Artists First, and McKuin Frankel Whitehead, LLP. Schwartz, who is the voice of Sonic in Paramount’s forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog feature, is repped by WME, Haven Entertainment, and Gang Tyre.
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