All-star cast set for 'March of Penguins' spoof

Samuel L. Jackson

LOS ANGELES - Actor Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to narrate an upcoming spoof of the Oscar-winning documentary "March of the Penguins" with an all-star supporting voice cast.

"Farce of the Penguins," mixing archival wildlife footage with an R-rated screenplay written and directed by comedian Bob Saget, is aimed for a late-summer theatrical release, ThinkFilm studio spokesman Alex Klenert said.

In press materials, ThinkFilm described "Farce of the Penguins" as the story of "one penguin's search for love while on a 112-km trek with his libidinous buddies on their way to a hedonistic mating ritual."

Saget will supply the voice of several characters, including the lovelorn penguin at the center of the story, with Tracy Morgan, Lewis Black and Mo'Nique as some of his pals.

Saget, who hosted the popular TV show "America's Funniest Home Videos" for several years after starring on family sitcom "Full House" from 1987 to 1995, also has rounded up a group of well-known friends for cameo voice roles in the film. They include Jason Alexander, James Belushi, Norm Crosby, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Jon Lovitz, Norm Macdonald and Abe Vigoda.

Jackson, an Oscar nominee for his role in "Pulp Fiction," will narrate the picture, a takeoff on the French-made nature film that became worldwide box office hit and won the Oscar for best documentary.

The original film, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman for the US release, chronicled the journeys of emperor penguins across the frozen wasteland of Antarctica to mate, lay their eggs and bear their young.

Saget said he got the idea for the film while watching the original "March of the Penguins" at a friend's house.

"I couldn't stop doing the voice-overs of the penguins, reminiscent of when I did those animal voices on that video show back in the day," he said.

Privately owned ThinkFilm also was a distributor behind the Oscar-nominated documentary "Murderball" and the film featuring Saget and other comics performing various renditions of the off-color "Aristocrats" joke.

- REUTERS/VNU