ScarJo rocks as a porcupine in ‘Sing’
In the newest animated film “Sing,” Scarlett Johansson voices Ash, the brokenhearted teen porcupine rocker.
“Once Ash understands that all of the attention, effort and energy she’s been giving her worthless boyfriend has been standing in the way of her own musical gifts, she transforms into a badass,” the actress says.
“Ash eschews outdated expectations that she should deliver a pop-princess act on the stage and just rocks it out with original music. I adore her.”
Not only does the “Lost in Translation” actress cover Carly Rae Jespen’s “Call Me Maybe” in the movie, she also sings an original tune called “Set It All Free.”
Johansson previously said that she wasn’t sure about showing “Sing” to her two-year-old daughter Rose. “I think it would blow her mind,” she said with a laugh. “I imagine everything in her mind is a little bit sort of trippy to begin with, so I think just seeing my voice coming out of a porcupine like that, especially a punk rock porcupine, it might be a little overwhelming for her.”
“Sing” is up for two major honors at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards happening on January 10.The critically acclaimed and boxoffice smash film is vying for Best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Song with Stevie Wonder’s “Faith.”
Just like Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” from Illumination’s “Despicable Me 2,” “Faith,” performed by Wonder featuring Ariana Grande, is as powerful as it is infectious. Produced by multiple Grammy Award-winning producers Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco, the film’s end title song is synonymous with never giving up.
“Sing” also stars Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, alongside Seth McFarlane, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Grammy Awardnominated Tori Kelly.
Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, “Sing” stars Buster Moon (McConaughey), a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it.
Now faced with the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.
Five lead contestants emerge: Mike (MacFarlane), a mouse who croons as smoothly as he cons; Meena (Kelly), a timid teenage elephant with an enormous case of stage fright; Rosita (Witherspoon), an overtaxed mother run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets; Johnny (Egerton), a young gangster gorilla looking to break free of his family’s felonies; and Ash (Johansson), a punkrock porcupine struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo.
Each arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life. And as Buster coaches each of his contestants closer and closer to the grand finale, he starts to learn that maybe the theater isn’t the only thing that is in need of saving.