Based on Willems’ New York Times best-selling picture book of the same name, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience premieres 30 June on HBO Max’s Cartoonito.
The animated musical is a fun and funny tale about a sensitive, curious, and rockin’ Naked Mole Rat named Wilbur (voiced by Jordan Fisher) who “scandalously” decides to get dressed. The message of authenticity and acceptance completely resonates with Cartoonito’s Humancentric Learning Framework. Let’s see what happens when Wilbur’s newfound love of rocking outfits rocks Naked Mole Rat society to its core.
Joining the voice cast is Yvette Nicole Brown as Grande, a member of Mole Rat society’s popular crowd and front mole of the Tunnel’s Rock Band “The Mole-ing Stones”; Kate Micucci as Tall, a rule-follower with a heart of gold; Kevin Michael Richardson as Venti, a big lug that needs just two things in life: rocking out with his bandmates and being stark raving naked!; Carol Kane as Grand-Mah, the larger-than-life-but-smaller-than-expected matriarch of the Mole Rat society; Ron Funches as Les Pants, the Weather Mole; Thomas Lennon as Stark Naked, the Newscaster; and Jenna Ushkowitz as a jammin’ Secret Service Mole.
Willems and Tom Warburton co-wrote the script with original tunes by Willems (lyrics) and Deborah Wicks La Puma (music). Willems and Warburton executive produce alongside Stampede Ventures’ Greg Silverman and Jay Judah, with OddBot Animation Studios serving as animation house. Megan Alrutz is producer on behalf of the Mo Willems Workshop. Songs are produced by Dan Petty, Doug Petty, and Michelle Lewis.
