Bron Animation has added Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski and Sean Cullen to the cast of its production of “The Willoughbys,” based on the popular children’s book of the same name by Award winning author Lois Lowry, it was announced today by Bron Animation President Brenda Gilbert.

Rudolph will be the voice of Nanny, who looks after the Willoughby children. Crews is voicing the candy mogul, Commandor Melanoff, and Short and Krakowski give voice to Father and Mother Willoughby, parents so in love with each other they forget they even have children. Cullen voices the twin boys Barnaby A and B. They join previously announced Ricky Gervais, who will serve as the film’s narrator.

Published in 2010, the story follows the four Willoughby children – Tim, Jane and the twins, Barnaby A and B. When abandoned by their selfish parents, they must embark on a wild adventure through the modern world, colliding with a cat, an orphan, a nanny and a candy mogul, to reunite with the “family they were born into,” only to discover along the way the value of love in the “family they choose.”

“The Willoughbys” is being written and directed by Kris Pearn with Cory Evans co-directing, and is currently in pre-production at Bron’s studio in Burnaby, BC. Bron’s Brenda Gilbert, Aaron L. Gilbert and Luke Carroll are producing. Gervais serves as an executive producer on the project, alongside Jason Cloth of Creative Wealth Media.

“We’re so excited to have this amazing cast, some of the funniest actors in the world adding their distinctive voices to the Willoughbys,” said Kris Pearn, “It’s a very special movie with a timely message and I know Ricky, Maya, Terry, Martin, Jane and Sean are going to have so much fun breathing life into these characters.”

Writer-director Kris Pearn’s credits include: Head of Story on “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs;” co-director of “Cloudy 2”; Story Supervisor on “Arthur Christmas”; as well as credits on “Surf’s Up,” “Shawn the Sheep,” “Home” and “Pirates: Band of Misfits.” He has been nominated twice for an Annie Award for his work on “Open Season” and “Arthur Christmas.”

Additional casting is currently underway on the film, which is being repped by WME Global.

Bron Animation, a subsidiary of Bron Media Corp., is an award-winning producer of animated motion pictures and series television. Bron is currently in production on its original animated motion picture “Henchmen,” which features the voices of James Marsden, Thomas Middleditch, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Jane Krakowski, Rob Riggle, Craig Robinson, Will Sasso, and Bobcat Goldthwait.