Big Bug Man
{{Short description|Unreleased American animated film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Big Bug Man
| image = Big bug man movie poster.jpg
| caption = Official poster
| director = {{ubl|Bob Bendetson|Peter Shin (animation director)|Marice Tobias (voice director){{cite web |date=July 22, 2004 |title=Yogis for Kerry |url= http://www.laweekly.com/columns/a-considerable-town/yogis-for-kerry/9121/?page=3 |publisher= | work =LA Weekly |access-date=2008-02-28 }}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}}}
| producer = {{ubl|Stuart Black{{cite web |title=Big Bug Man - Bios Page |url=http://bigbugman.com/Bios.html |publisher=bigbugman.com |access-date= 2008-02-28 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080225193034/http://bigbugman.com/Bios.html |archive-date = 2008-02-25}}|Patrick Durham|Jonathan Sachar}}
| writer = Bob Bendetson
| narrator =
| starring = Brendan Fraser
Marlon Brando
| music = Karyn Rachtman
| cinematography =
| editing =
| studio = Studio-Free Studio
| released =
| runtime =
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $20 million{{cite news|date=July 8, 2004 |title=Brando's last role: an evil old lady |url= http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Guardian/0,,1256568,00.html |work=The Guardian |access-date= 2008-02-28 |location=London |first=Archie |last=Thomas}}
| gross =
}}
Big Bug Man is an unreleased American animated television film starring Brendan Fraser and Marlon Brando. The film, a Studio-Free Studios Production, was written by Bob Bendetson, who also wrote episodes for the TV show The Simpsons. It was directed by Bendetson and Peter Shin.
It was originally scheduled for release between 2006 and 2008, but it was never released or distributed. The film is Brando's last known film work.
Plot
Candy company worker Howard Kind (Brendan Fraser) gains special abilities after being bitten by insects.
Production
The film is hand-drawn. The production of the film cost approximately US$20 million.
=Marlon Brando during the production=
Brando was originally asked to be the voice of Nicholas Dunderbeck, but Brando thought it would be fun to voice the old lady Mrs. Sour instead.
Mrs. Sour is only in three scenes, so it took only one day to record the voice of this character.{{cite news|date=July 14, 2004 |title=Brando's Last Role: An Old Lady|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brandos-last-role-an-old-lady/ |work=CBS News |access-date=2008-02-28}} According to the director Bob Bendetson, Brando wore a blond wig, a dress, white gloves, and full makeup while recording the voice of Mrs. Sour. Bendetson believes this was part humorous, and part wanting to get into character. Bendetson said "About halfway through he took off the wig because he was getting too hot." According to the film's executive producer Gabriel Grunfeld, Brando described the part as "the most fun I've had since playing Mark Antony in Julius Caesar." Grunfeld said that even though Brando was frail, he was full of energy and invention.
The recording took place in Marlon Brando's home, on June 10, 2004. By this point in his life, Brando was on oxygen six hours a day. He died the next month, on July 1, 2004.
Characters
- Howard Kind – voiced by Brendan Fraser. A soft and unfortunate employee of the candy factory, who accidentally gets bitten by bugs, and becomes the Big Bug Man
- Mrs. Sour – voiced by Marlon Brando. The founder, leader and matriarch of the big and corrupt Mrs. Sour Candy Company
- Petfarkin
- Nicholas Dunderbeck – runs the Mrs. Sour Candy Company
- Ellie Rose
- Sidney Looper
- Seen It All Jackson
- Heard It All Jackson, a dog
Michael Madsen also lent his voice to the movie in an unspecified role.
References
{{Reflist}}