Based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, The Magician's Elephant is a beautiful computer-animated film directed by Wendy Rogers.
Written by Martin Hynes and produced by Julia Pistor, the film boasts and all-star cast with characters voiced by Noah Jupe, Brian Tyree Henry, Aasif Mandvi, Mandy Patinkin, Benedict Wong and Miranda Richardson.
It is one of many Netflix Original movies to premiere in 2023, but what is it all about, and is it worth watching?
What Is The Magician's Elephant About?
Peter (Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place) is an orphan and is being trained to become a soldier by his guardian, Vilna Lutz, who has told Peter that his long lost sister Adele is dead.
But Peter believes she is alive and begins searching for her when he crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square.
Believing she may have the answers that he needs, there is only one question on his mind: is his sister still alive? And if so, how can he find her?
He is told that an elephant will lead him to the answers, but there's just one small problem. There are no elephants in his town.
That is until a magician conjures one up, and the Royal family takes it. But as Peter needs the elephant, he agrees to complete three seemingly impossible tasks in exchange for it.
What he doesn't know is that as he completes the tasks, they will magically change the face of his town forever before he can follow the mysterious elephant on his journey.
Meanwhile, Adele grows up not knowing her brother and living in at an orphanage where she dreams about an elephant coming to get her.
So can Peter complete all three tasks and find his sister? And if he does, how will their story end? Find out in The Magician's Elephant.
The Magician's Elephant Movie Trailer
Is The Magician's Elephant Worth Watching?
The Magician's Elephant is a beautiful story about hope and resilience and achieving things that you thought were impossible.
It is brimming with positivity with stunning animation that really brings award-winning author Kate DiCamillo's book to life.
Now normally, these films are aimed squarely at the kid's audience but in more recent years, animated films have also been produced with parents in mind. And this is no different.
With themes about determination, fighting spirit, love, and the belief that extraordinary things are possible, this is definitely a movie for all the family.
It's bright, colourful, and has enough funny moments to temper the story about long-lost siblings to be completely engaging for both children and adults.
If there were one criticism, it would be that I found the speed at which the characters speak to be very slow. I can only guess that was so it would be easier for kids to follow, so it does take a little bit of time to get used to.
That said, if that really is the only issue, then you're on to a winner if you're looking for a great movie to relax and watch as a family.
The Magician's Elephant Release Date
Actually getting this movie to the big screen has been quite an uphill battle. Back in 2009, it looked like Fox had plans to adapt the book into a film.
Then, basically nothing happened until December 2020 when Netflix announced it had acquired the rights for a feature film adaptation of the book.
Animated by Animal Logic, the movie was then confirmed to have a limited cinema release date of March 10th, 2023 in both the UK and the United States.
And as with most Netflix Originals, The Magician's Elephant would then be released on Netflix worldwide on March 17th, 2023.
Cast Of The Movie
Noah Jupe as Peter, a young boy searching for his long lost sister.
Benedict Wong as the Magician
Pixie Davies as Adele, Peter's sister
Sian Clifford
Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway)
Aasif Mandvi as the King who sets the tasks for Peter
Mandy Patinkin
Miranda Richardson
Cree Summer
Lorraine Toussaint
Natasia Demetriou
Dawn French
