Cynthia Erivo Joins All-Star Cast in CHARLOTTE'S WEB Special

Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo, Tony nominee Jean Smart, Amy Adams, and more are lending their voices to a new animated three-part special based on E.B. White’s Charlotte's Web. It will debut in its entirety on Thursday, October 2, exclusively on HBO Max.

Charlotte’s Web tells the story of the bond between Wilbur, a gentle pig, and Charlotte, a wise and selfless spider who vows to save him. The animated retelling of the children's novel is from showrunner Luke Matheny and executive produced in collaboration with Sesame Workshop. The 3D animation was brought to life by Guru Studios, the Toronto-based animation studio.  

Adams will voice the spider Charlotte, with Erivo as Goose, and Smart as the Narrator. The ensemble also features Elijah Wood as Adult Wilbur, Griffin Robert Faulkner as Young Wilbur, Natalie Chan as Fern, Danny Trejo as Gander, Randall Park as Templeton, Chris Diamantopoulos as Homer, Rosario Dawson as Edith, Ana Ortiz as Dolores, Tom Everett Scott as John, Leith Burke as George, Keith David as Old Sheep, Patricia Richardson as Widow Fussy, and Dee Bradley Baker as Animals.

“This adaptation has been years in the making, and every detail reflects our passion for E.B. White’s novel, which has touched generations,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, EVP, Chief Creative and Production Officer at Sesame Workshop. “With this extraordinary cast, we’ve created a retelling of this story that celebrates friendship, empathy, courage, and community. We can’t wait for families to fall in love with these characters all over again.”

This marks the third screen adaptation of the classic novel, following the 1973 animated musical with songs by The Sherman Brothers and the 2006 film starring Dakota Fanning. A stage musical, developed for schools and community theaters, was written by Charles Strouse.

Watch an official clip from the special below: