Co-directors of Hitpig! talk developing the feature film and working with a cast of comedians

When a bounty-hunting pig is tasked with capturing a veracious elephant? You already know chaos is about to ensue. You'll have to see Hitpig! to find out! The film comes out in theaters on Nov. 1.

Hitpig! is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Berkeley Breathed’s New York Times bestseller Pete & Pickles. The film revolves around the titular character, Hitpig who sets out to capture Pickles, an elephant. The two end up going on an adventure together and meeting a few quirky characters along the way.

The full cast includes Jason Sudeikis as Hitpig, a bounty hunter pig; Lilly Singh as Pickles the elephant; Rainn Wilson as the Leapin' Lord of the Leotard; Anitta as Letícia dos Anjos, a Brazilian animal liberator; RuPaul as Polecat; Hannah Gadsby as Lola the koala; Charlie Adler as Super Rooster; Flavor Flav as the emcee for King Chef for the Day; Lorraine Ashbourne as Big Bertha, Hitpig's adopted mother and bounty hunter mentor; and Andy Serkis as a newscaster. Hitpig! is produced by Aniventure and distributed by Viva Pictures with animation by Cinesite.

What makes this film even more interesting is that it's set in a futuristic cyberpunk world, with backgrounds that'll make you and your little one do a double take. We spoke with co-directors Cinzia Angelini and David Feiss to learn more about the film ahead of its release. Read on to learn more about what makes Hitpig! such a special film to see with the whole family!

You both co-directed this and have worked together in the past. I’d love to hear about your relationship as directors in bringing this film to life and how you collaborate in your process.

Cinzia Angelini: First of all, we were friends before the film started. We met years ago at Sony at the ping-pong table, and David is a way better player! It was fun. I basically started the film first while I was already at Cinesight, working on the development of other projects. Berkeley Breathed’s creation Hitpig! came along, and Cinesite and Honey Venture, a sister company, basically presented the IP to me. I saw Berkeley's original paintings of Hitpig and his version of the story, and I fell in love with the characters and the painterly look of the artwork. With our production designer, Sylvie Lacroix, we tried to maintain some of that painterly feel, even if it was CG. So, I said yes—it wasn’t a tough decision; I loved it. We continued working together, of course, maintaining our friendship. It’s been fantastic.

David Feiss: I came on board about a year after Cinzia started. She was instrumental in setting the tone and look of the film. It has a different style; it’s more hip-hop and '80s cyberpunk. Berkeley really brought that to the table. When I started, that was already set, which was great. As Cinzia said, it was a no-brainer for me to come on. I was brought in by a guy named Dave Rosenbaum, whom we both knew from Illumination. I had spent a lot of time there, and he wanted me to infuse what I do. I have about 20 years in features, but my early career was in television, with a couple of shows on Cartoon Network. So I aimed to bring that energy and a bit more silliness into this film. That’s basically what our roles were on this project. We both have a 2D animation background, as he started as a 2D animator. I spent the first 15 years of my career as an animator. I really enjoy working with animators; I identify with them. It’s been a wonderful process.

You guys beat me to it! When I was watching the film, I took a real interest in the backgrounds. They felt atypical to me. I know you touched on it, but orchestrating that and the illustrations—what was that process like in getting the concept art together?

CA: We worked closely with Berkeley, especially on the first part of the film, and with Sylvie as well. We followed the story, trying to maintain the feel of Berkeley’s drawing style while applying it to a CG world. The same goes for the characters. It was a long back-and-forth process; it's not easy to maintain the feel of someone’s sketches with a very particular style and recreate that in CG. But it was a fun process. We also focused on the story when he came on board, particularly the style and bringing in the comedy he excels at. He was instrumental in the animation process with the team in Montreal. You can sketch on top of the computer monitors, so even though we were working remotely—at least 90% of the film was done that way due to COVID—it was incredible.

DF: It was pretty cool. I’m a 2D animator, not a 3D animator. I got into story after animation. The animators would do rough CG animation—just basic forms—and then I could draw right on top, maybe pushing the pose or expression a little bit. The animators were really awesome about taking the essence of what I did and incorporating it into their 3D animation.

What was the casting process and what it was like to work with these heavy hitters in comedy?

CA: I loved working with all of them. It was incredible; they bring so much to the table. We had super experienced actors like Jason [Sudekis] and Rainn [Wilson], as well as RuPaul. Hannah Gadsby voiced the Australian koala for the first time, and she did an incredible job.

DF: When I was brought on, the cast was already set. However, I was able to bring in Charlie Adler, with whom I had worked in television. He was a close friend, and he ended up voicing three main characters: Super Rooster, Lobster, and a nuke tech character. When he comes on screen, his voice immediately says, “Okay, we’re going to have fun!” As Cinzia mentioned, Hannah Gadsby had never acted before; she’s a stand-up comedian, and there was a bit of a learning curve for her, but she nailed it. RuPaul, of course, surprised us all; everyone knows who he is, but he’s an amazing voice actor and so much fun to work with. I was also able to bring in Flavor Flav. I met him 12 years ago when he was my neighbor. He was the first person to welcome us to the neighborhood. When he asked what I did for a living, I told him I worked in animation. He mentioned that he always wanted to do voice work. Coincidentally, I had a part for him in a 52-episode series, so we became close over the years. When this film came up, there was an opportunity for a cameo, and he was perfect. His voice shines through because he’s such a character!

There are important messages in animation. When you were collaborating with Berkeley, did you discuss what these messages might mean for kids and their caregivers? I’d love to hear more about that.

CA: Absolutely. We always kept the audience in mind and who the film is for. From the beginning, we aimed to create a family film, so that was a constant consideration. We had a lot of conversations, with everyone sharing their opinions. The room was filled with a mix of people—some with kids, some without, from different generations. By the end, as long as there was communication, we found the right balance.

DF: Films evolve. When we first started, there was a tone that perhaps wasn’t very family-friendly. We would say, “Oh, okay, let’s rethink that,” and we kept honing it. People would review it and say, “Well, that seemed pretty violent.” We’d respond, “Oh, yeah, you’re right. I thought it was funny, but it’s not.” It’s important to consider. Cinzia and I are both parents. While not everyone is a parent, we all appreciate what it takes to care for children. We wanted to create a film that both children and parents would enjoy, so parents wouldn’t feel bored thinking it was solely made for kids. We aimed to make it a film for families, and I feel like we accomplished that.

CA: The beauty of animation is that we storyboard extensively. We spend a long time on these films, but we also brainstorm ideas beyond the script. Our board artists are incredible, and they write a lot of material. Sometimes, a line we think works will be reviewed in storyboarding, and they might say, “Maybe it’s too violent; let’s rethink that.” So visually, we get a lot of help from storyboarding to understand how things can be perceived.

A bounty hunter pig might seem surprising, but it feels accessible to a young audience, like elementary school kids, as well as to people in their twenties. I found it hilarious and relatable. Do you have a specific character that’s your favorite within the cast?

CA: I really like Hitpig, but some of the secondary characters are also super fun, like Rooster and Lobster. I think the beauty of the film lies in having great main characters as well as very strong secondary characters that help support the story.

DF: If you watched the beginning, you’d see Super Rooster mixing things up later on. Charlie [Adler] voices these two characters in a unique way. Lobster has this innocence about him; he thinks he’s going to be on a cooking show, completely unaware that he’s actually on the menu.

CA: Also, the villain is so different and silly in his own unique way.

DF: Yes, the villain isn’t really scary. There’s one scene where he’s a little intimidating, but for the most part, he’s a bit of a buffoon. He was fun to play with, too. That’s Rainn Wilson—he brings so much to this role.

Watch the official trailer for Hitpig! on Viva Pictures' official YouTube channel:

Make sure to hit up your local movie theater once Hitpig! comes out in theaters on Nov. 1.