The animated feature adaptation of George Saunders' acclaimed novel Lincoln in the Bardo is assembling a formidable voice cast, with Meryl Streep, Colman Domingo, and Bill Hader joining the project, according to sources familiar with the production.

The trio will lend their talents to a roster that already includes Tom Hanks as the sixteenth president, alongside André Holland, Willem Dafoe, Peter Dinklage, and others. Starburns Industries, the studio behind the project, has not yet disclosed which specific roles Streep, Domingo, and Hader will voice, leaving fans to speculate on how they fit into the novel's sprawling supernatural landscape.

A Unique Blend of History and the Supernatural

Set in 1862, the story follows Abraham Lincoln as he visits the grave of his young son Willie at Oak Hill Cemetery. What begins as a moment of profound paternal grief becomes something stranger, as the president's presence stirs the spirits lingering in the "bardo" - a Tibetan Buddhist term for the intermediate state between death and rebirth. These ghosts, trapped by their unfinished business, must intervene to help Willie's soul move on before he becomes permanently lost.

Duke Johnson, best known for his Oscar-winning stop-motion work on Anomalisa, is directing the feature. His involvement suggests a technically ambitious approach, one that would need to balance the novel's historical grounding with its metaphysical flights of fancy. The source material itself is formally daring, constructed from a collage of historical documents, fictional accounts, and direct dialogue between characters, which presents unique challenges for translation to the screen.

Star Power Meets Indie Craft

The casting of Streep, Domingo, and Hader represents a blend of different performance traditions. Streep, of course, needs no introduction - her ability to disappear into any role, live-action or voice-over, is legendary. Domingo has risen rapidly through the ranks of working actors to become one of the most sought-after performers in Hollywood, with recent acclaim for his dramatic range. Hader, meanwhile, brings a comedic sensibility honed on years of sketch work but has proven increasingly capable of dramatic depth in his recent film roles.

Their addition complements an already eclectic ensemble. Hanks taking on Abraham Lincoln is itself notable casting, given the actor's status as an American institution. The supporting cast includes some of the most respected character actors working today, suggesting that Starburns Industries is aiming for a production that treats Saunders' novel with serious artistic ambition rather than a straightforward children's cartoon or a merely commercial venture.

A Long-Gestating Adaptation

The road to bringing Lincoln in the Bardo to the screen has been lengthy. The novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2017, immediately sparking interest from studios and directors. However, adapting a work that defies conventional narrative structure - relying instead on a polyphonic chorus of voices, often arguing with one another across a fragmented timeline - proved daunting.

Animation offers a potential solution to the book's formal challenges. By moving away from live-action realism, Johnson can explore the ghostly realm of the bardo without the visual compromises a conventional production might demand. The medium allows for the kind of expressive distortion and stylistic flexibility that could capture the novel's uncanny atmosphere while keeping the emotional core centered on Lincoln's grief.

The production does come with certain uncertainties. A release date has not been announced, nor has the running time been confirmed. The pacing of the project suggests that Johnson and his team are taking their time to get the details right rather than rushing a complex adaptation to meet a studio deadline.

What This Means for the Genre

Animated films dealing with death and the afterlife are rare, particularly ones aimed at adult audiences. The subject matter here is heavy - a president's grief, a child's death, the nature of consciousness itself - but the creative team clearly sees potential in treating these themes with the tools of animation. If successful, this could open doors for other literary adaptations that might benefit from the medium's capacity for abstract storytelling.

For now, the addition of Streep, Domingo, and Hader is a strong signal. Their willingness to participate speaks to the quality of the source material and the confidence they have in the creative direction. Starburns Industries has a reputation for taking risks on unconventional projects, and assembling a cast of this caliber suggests they believe Lincoln in the Bardo can reach a wide audience while staying true to the strange, sad, and surprisingly funny novel that inspired it.

As production continues in Hollywood, audiences will have to wait for further details on release plans and full casting announcements. What is clear is that this project represents an ambitious meeting of literary prestige, independent animation, and outright star power - a combination that could make it one of the more talked-about animated features in development.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter