Disney and Angelina Jolie produce in UK

Pre-production is underway on The One and Only Ivan, the next major feature from Disney to film in the UK.

The American studio is adapting Katherine Applegate’s award-winning book as a mix of animation and live-action with the shoot broken down into blocks described as "hybrid" and "virtual".

UK director Thea Sharrock will be calling the shots from a screenplay by Mike White with Angelina Jolie and Brigham among the producers.

The One and Only Ivan was a New York Times best-seller and won several literary gongs including the Newbery Medal in 2013. It is narrated by the central character, Ivan, a silverback gorilla that has been living in a cage in a shopping mall for nearly 30 years.

Reports published last year said that that Jolie is among the cast too, providing the voice for an elephant called Stella. The US multi-hyphenate will be in the UK later this year to film her starring role in Disney’s Maleficent 2, also currently in pre-production.

Disney has made a second home in the UK over the last few years as it continues to adapt many of its classic animated films as live-action features.

Photo via Getty Images/FilmMagic/Axelle/Bauer-Griffin.