Exodus Film Group has announced that Emmy nominated Howie Mandel (“America’s Got Talent”), Luis Guzmán (Traffic, “Code Black”), Paul Blackthorne (“Arrow,” A Christmas Carol), Jamal Trulove (The Last Black Man in San Francisco), Evan Ross (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and Ashlee Simpson (Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon, “Melrose Place”) have joined the animated feature Pierre The Pigeon-Hawk. The star-studded cast also includes previously announced Nick Cannon (“Wild ‘n Out”, “The Masked Singer”), Academy Award® winner Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, Sister Act, The Lion King), Jennifer Coolidge (Best in Show, Legally Blonde) and Kenan Thompson (“SNL”, The Grinch). John D. Eraklis is directing and producing alongside Cannon’s Ncredible Entertainment and Ciaran Crampton and Chase Muratore’s Sugar Water Entertainment. Sugar Water Entertainment is providing financing in partnership with Toonz Media Group and Michael Goldman, Jamal Trulove and Delbert Whetter are Executive Producing. Highland Film Group is handling international sales with CAA Media Finance handling domestic sales. The film is being produced and directed remotely and is in pre-production at Toonz Media Group studio in New Zealand.
Set in NYC, Pierre The Pigeon-Hawk is a musically driven animated comedy that promotes diversity, inclusion, and community. Born as a product of forbidden love between a hawk and a pigeon…Pierre is rejected by both the pigeon and hawk communities. Dejected and confused, Pierre sets out on a mission to find out where he belongs. During his adventure, he unites with a band of unlikely friends including a bear that has recently escaped from the Central Park Zoo, an owl whose genius is outweighed only by his madness, and a pair of rag tag, pop-cultured city squirrels with attitude. Amidst a journey of self-discovery, Pierre finds the courage to inspire animals from all backgrounds to change their ways and open their minds to a new way of thinking. It will take a hybrid bird to unite a hybrid world.
Mandel previously hosted NBC’s Emmy nominated “Deal or No Deal” and is currently a judge on NBC’s Emmy nominated “America’s Got Talent.” He has lent his voice to such films as Warner Bros.’ Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Animal Planet’s The Great Polar Bear Adventure.
Guzmán is known for roles in Steven Soderbergh’s Academy Awar winning Traffic, New Line Cinema’s Academy Award winning Boogie Nights, New Line Cinema’s Academy Award nominated Magnolia and Columbia Pictures’ Anger Management. His recent credits include Netflix’s Sandy Wexler, Warner Bros.’ Keanu and We’re the Millers and CBS’ “Code Black.” Recent voice-over work includes Twentieth Century Fox’s Turbo and Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
Blackthorne’s credits include Sony Pictures Classics’ Academy Award nominated Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Universal’s Dumb and Dumber To and The CW’s “Arrow.”
Actor, musician and social activist Trulove made his acting debut in A24’s critically acclaimed The Last Black Man in San Francisco, directed by Joe Talbot.
Actor and musician Ross’ film credits include: Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2, Mark and Jay Duplass’ Jeff, Who Lives at Home and Warner Bros.’ ATL.
Simpson’s acting credits include the animated Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon alongside Alicia Silverstone, The WB’s Emmy nominated “7th Heaven” and The CW’s “Melrose Place.” She has written and performed songs for M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender and Columbia Pictures’ The House Bunny.
