(NEW YORK) — This is the night, it’s a beautiful night — to share a plate of spaghetti and watch the new live action Lady and the Tramp on the newly launched Disney+.
The remake of the 1955 animated classic features Tessa Thompson voicing the elegant cocker spaniel named Lady while Justin Theroux lends his voice to the mischievous mutt Tramp. The cast also includes Yvette Nicole Brown as Aunt Sarah, Adrian Martinez as Elliot the dog catcher, and F. Murray Abraham as Tony.
“Our story and both the original film, the 1955 version, is a film about love, about family, about loyalty, about commitment, about the ways in which love allows us the capacity to challenge our own world views, to expand our horizons,” Thompson says.
She adds, “I think it tells kids and adults alike not to be afraid of the world, but also to really respect and honor what you have when you go home.”
The film used real rescue dogs as its canine stars, inspiring some cast members to adopt pets of their own. Brown adopted a dog named Harley right from set, and Thompson later adopted a dog named Coltrane. Martinez says his dog, Milo, passed away during filming and he now consider the movie a “tribute” to him.
One thing’s for sure: the pups got top billing.
“I’ve done some of the greatest roles Shakespeare ever wrote. King Lear, Richard the Third, I’ve played Bottom. I played many great roles,” F. Murray Abraham tells ABC Audio. “Suddenly you’re way second place after a dog. It’s as simple as that. And it’s okay because they’re good!”
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