The upcoming sequel to Peter Rabbit - simply titled Peter Rabbit 2 - has added David Oyelowo to the cast. Released by Sony Pictures, the film will be a continuation of Peter Rabbit’s tales based on the stories by Beatrix Potter.
The first Peter Rabbit film was written and directed by Will Gluck (Easy A) and released on February 9, 2018, pulling in over $350 million worldwide. The film gave an updated spin on the titular rebellious rabbit from the book series, including a star-studded cast. Peter Rabbit combined live-action and digital animation, with James Corden (Into the Woods) lending his voice to Peter Rabbit, as well as by Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne in live-actions roles, and Sia, Margot Robbie, and Daisy Ridley voicing additional animated characters. Now, the sequel will be adding yet another notable name to the cast.
Related: Frozen 2: Everything You Need To Know About the Disney Sequel
According to Variety, Oyelowo has been added to the cast, though his character details - as well as the official plot for the sequel - are still under wraps. That said, Corden, Gleeson, and Byrne are set to reprise their roles, and Oyelowo will star as one of the live-action characters in the film.
Oyelowo is known best for his work as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama. The classically trained stage actor has since been in high demand with his recurring role in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, as well as joining the BBC adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, which is set to air on PBS as a miniseries in April. He's also starring in the upcoming adaptation of Chaos Walking.
Aside from his voice work in Star Wars Rebels, Oyelowo's career isn't exactly fashioned after kid-friendly roles. Though he did also lend his voice in Ava DuVernay's adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time and starred in the Disney film Queen of Katwe, he's typically associated with decidedly more mature storytelling - starring in films like Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, A United Kingdom, and the aforementioned Selma. That said, his natural charm hasn't gone unnoticed, which makes him a perfect fit for something as light as Peter Rabbit 2. He'd also hardly be the first actor to pull this off. Aside from his co-stars in the film, Ewan McGregor recently acted opposite digital characters in Christopher Robin, and Colin Farrell and Michael Keaton star alongside an entire circus of digital animals in Tim Burton's live-action adaptation of Dumbo.
Next: New Dumbo Sneak Peak Spotlights the World-Famous Flying Elephant
Source: Variety
