VOD Spotlight: “Hop” gives the Easter Bunny a son and a backstory

Easter Bunny in Hop movieFor years the cotton-tailed bringer of colored eggs and candy languished as a second-rate legend, far behind the red-clad bringer of holiday toys, Santa. No more!

The family film Hop — which seamlessly blends animation with live action — changes all that, giving the Easter Bunny a workshop, a charming mythology and a host of helpers covered with fur and feathers.

The film explains that off the coast of South America, on the island of Rapa Nui — fondly known as Easter Island — the most magnificent candy factory in the world can be found under the giant stone heads. Three hundred and sixty five days a year, the Easter Bunny reigns over a team of bunnies and chicks who prepare the candy-filled baskets that are delivered to children around the world on Easter morning.

A rebellious adolescent bunny named E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand, who lends his signature insanity to the role) refuses to take on the duties of succeeding his father and becoming the Easter Bunny. Instead, he leaves his home on Easter Island and heads to Hollywood to become a drummer in a rock band. There he moves in with Fred (James Marsden) and soon the two are caught up in a hilarious struggle to save the holiday.

To give the Easter Bunny and his friends a rich universe in which to play, the writers needed an innovative world in which the spring holiday is fully explained, along with a mix of animation and live action that makes the story believable. For both, they turned to the talents of Illumination Entertainment, whose staff worked on Despicable Me.

Illumination executive John Cohen says of Hop, “The world of Easter has never before been brought to life on film. [We] answer questions like, ‘Where is all this candy made, who paints the eggs and how does the Easter Bunny travel from town to town?’”

Hop is available starting March 30 on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.

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© 2012 Universal Pictures