Charlotte's Webcast

Just found out the final casting decisions for this summer's Charlotte's Web. Check it out:

Dakota Fanning - Fern
Julia Roberts - Charlotte (voice)
Oprah Winfrey - Gussy (voice)
Steve Buscemi - Templeton (voice)
Kathy Bates - Bitsy (voice)
John Cleese - Samuel (voice)
Thomas Haden Church - Brooks (voice)
Robert Redford - Ike (voice)
Jennifer Garner - Susy (voice)

Let's review. I'm all about Thomas Haden Church getting more work. And Steve Buscemi as Templeton? (picture me closing together the tips of my fingers, bringing them to my mouth, and releasing them with a MWAHH sound). I'll try to wrap my brain around Robert Redford getting in there. Ditto John Cleese.

Now the screenplay is by Susannah Grant ("Party of Five" and Disney's "Pocahontas") and Karey Kirkpatrick ("Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy" and "Chicken Run"). I don't think I'm the only one here who's going to hope that there's a lot more of Kirkpatrick's hand in this work than Grant's. Kirkpatrick also adapted "James and the Giant Peach" and the recent "Curious George". So at least she has her literary credentials in order.