The brainchild of director Dean Fleischer Camp and comedian, writer and actor Jenny Slate, “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” became an unexpected internet sensation when it made its YouTube debut in 2010. Marcel’s first starring role—with his distinctive voice, titular shoes, and endearing, ingenious ways of life at an inch high—earned millions of fans of all ages around the globe, spawning two more online shorts and New York Times-bestselling books. It was only a matter of time before Marcel went to the big screen in a live-action/ stop-motion feature.
Marcel (Slate) is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
Reviews
"If a tiny talking invertebrate exoskeleton can make you cry, is there anything cinema can’t do?" –Empire Magazine
As part of our See Change initiative, we strive to showcase the work of women and non-binary individuals and their behind-the-scenes involvement in a production.
This film was written and produced by Jenny Slate, produced by Elisabeth Holm and Caroline Kaplan, and has cinematography by Bianca Cline.
