Utopai Studios Taps ‘The Simpsons’ Casting Director Scott Muller and ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Story Artist Andy Brooks for ‘The Most Serious Fart’

Brooks joins Oscar-nominated ‘Shrek’ screenwriter Joe Stillman, former Pixar art director John Lee and original-book illustrator Chuck Dillon on the animated feature from writer-director Mike Bender

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Utopai Studios today announced that Scott Muller, the casting director known for The Simpsons, Futurama and King of the Hill, will lead voice casting for The Most Serious Fart, the studio’s animated feature based on Mike Bender’s bestselling children’s book. Coyote vs. Acme story artist Andy Brooks has also joined the production as key story artist.

Brooks joins a creative team that includes Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning Shrek screenwriter Joe Stillman as co-executive producer; former Pixar art director John Lee as production designer; and Chuck Dillon, illustrator of the original book, as creative art director. Bender will write, direct and produce the film, with Russell Hollander producing alongside him. The film is planned for a wide theatrical release in 2027.

The Most Serious Fart follows Siegfried, an uptight fart who is ashamed of who he is and determined to change farts into something respectable. Siegfried sets out on a journey that ultimately teaches him to accept himself, find friendship and discover fun along the way.

“Voice casting will define how audiences first connect with Siegfried and the world around him,” said Muller. “Mike has created characters that invite bold comedy but also have a genuine emotional point of view. I am excited to find the voices that can make the humor land while giving the story the warmth and humanity at its center.”

“From the beginning, our goal has been to make a film that feels as distinctive as the book,” said Bender. “Scott understands how much performance shapes an animated world. Andy brings a remarkable ability to tell stories through character, expression and movement. Together with the rest of our creative team, they will help make Siegfried’s world feel completely original while keeping its heart intact.”

Carlos Lutterbach, head of animation at Utopai Studios, is working closely with Bender to assemble the film’s creative team. “The story, art and animation teams collaborate from the moment pencil touches paper,” said Lutterbach. “Every choice supports Mike’s vision for the movie.”

Brooks brings more than 30 years of experience as a character animator, visual development artist and story artist, with work for Disney, Paramount, Aardman Animations and Warner Bros. His credits include Tom and Jerry, The Chronicles of Narnia, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Coyote vs. Acme and the Academy Award-winning animated short The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

Muller currently serves as casting director for The Simpsons and previously worked on Futurama, King of the Hill and the animated Napoleon Dynamite series. Stillman co-wrote Shrek and Shrek 2, earning an Academy Award nomination and BAFTA Award for Shrek, as well as two Emmy nominations for King of the Hill.

Lee has designed at Disney Feature Animation, Pixar and Skydance Animation, with credits including the Cars, Toy Story and The Incredibles franchises, as well as Finding Dory, Inside Out and Ray Gunn. Dillon has worked as an illustrator for more than three decades, creating award-winning work for clients including Highlights for Children. As creative art director, he will help carry the book’s distinctive visual identity into the feature.

Bender and Hollander developed the project over several years before partnering with Utopai Studios to bring it to the screen through the studio’s artist-first, AI-assisted production model. Bender and the creative team will retain control of the writing, design, direction, performances and final creative decisions.

Human animators and illustrators will lead the creative process and originate the film’s artwork. AI will be used selectively as a production tool to support iteration under their direction.

Bender previously co-wrote and co-produced the Sony Pictures comedy Not Another Teen Movie. He is also the award-winning author of the children’s books Bored Panda, The End Is Just the Beginning and The Book About Nothing, and the co-creator and No. 1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Awkward Family Photos.

Hollander’s producing credits include Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg; Adulthood, starring Josh Gad; the ensemble romantic comedy Valentine’s Day, directed by Garry Marshall; and the upcoming Honeymoon With Harry, starring Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal at Amazon Studios.

About Utopai Studios

Utopai Studios is a next-generation, AI-native global entertainment studio creating original intellectual property (IP) and building new franchises across film and television. The company develops, finances, and produces its own projects and partners with filmmakers, studios, and rights holders on co-productions, bringing filmmaker-led production, creative infrastructure, and proprietary technology together under one roof. Utopai Studios also develops and localizes IP rooted in individual markets for audiences worldwide. Directors, producers, writers, actors and artists lead its productions and retain creative control throughout the process. The company develops PAI, its proprietary cinematic storytelling engine for long-form productions, designed to maintain consistency and control across characters, worlds, scenes and sequences. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Utopai Studios’ international footprint includes Utopai Studios APAC and Utopai GmbH in Germany. For more information, visit www.utopaistudios.com.