Oscar winners Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard and Vanessa Redgrave have joined the voice cast of "The Turning Door," an animated family fantasy feature written and directed by Nicholas Ashe Bateman ("The Wanting Mare"). The casting adds significant star power to the project, which already features Alicia Vikander, Jamie Dornan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bill Nighy and Gillian Anderson, and comes as sales agent Mister Smith Entertainment prepares to showcase new footage to international buyers at the upcoming TIFF market.

The film follows a young girl who discovers a mysterious box in her parents' closet that opens into a portal to a fantastical realm called The Turning, where she must undertake a magical quest to save her parents and return home. Also joining the cast are Swedish composer Anna von Hausswolff and newcomer Pippa Kelly, with the ensemble performing original songs written by Claire Givens and Bateman. Production is currently underway, with the film produced by Christine D'Souza, Hunter Hall and Bateman of Maere Studios alongside Laura Rister of Esme Grace Pictures.