UPDATE: Sandler will be joined in Hotel Transylvania by frequent collaborator Kevin James, and Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg, whose “Digital Shorts” are my reason for living. No news on the characters that James and Samberg will be voicing, but I think we can rule out the dashing hero on both counts.
EARLIER: Apparently, Adam Sandler fans are a dying breed…as everyone in my office just groaned at the news that he’s be voicing Count Dracula in the upcoming 3D family cartoon Hotel Transylvania. Am I the only one who remembers the 1990s with a reverent nostalgia? The only one who understands loyalty? Or maybe just the only one who still has the sense of humor of a twelve year-old. Probably that.
Sandler may be channeling his earliest days as a comedian — when he was recording comedy albums — to produce humor through voice alone. The last time he lent his voice to a film was for the Chanukah movie, Eight Crazy Nights, which was—okay, now I’m starting to understand the groans.
But there’s some universally good news: Genndy Tartakovsky will be directing. Not familiar with the name, maybe—but you’ve definitely seen at least one of his awesome contributions to the animated medium: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (awesome), Samurai Jack (more awesome) and Dexter’s Laboratory (shaped my world-view).
So, I’ll be staying true to my childhood self and maintaining faith in this production. It could be genuine optimism, it could be a veiled refusal to accept my mortality…I’m comfortable with either.
