According to The Hollywood Reporter, the late Orson Welles will narrate a holiday feature film thanks to a recently discovered recording by Welles narrating a self-published children’s novel, “Christmas Tails.”
In 1985, just a few months before Welles’ death, author Robert X. Leed (who was friends with Welles) persuaded him to record the narration for his book, but it was never released commercially.
“Christmas Tails” is planned as a live-action/CG hybrid feature for a 2011 holiday release, directed by Todd Tucker and produced by Drac Studios (upcoming hybrid films “Monster Mutt” and “The Smurfs”).
Drac president Harvey Lowry says, “It’s a movie about how Santa’s dog saves Christmas, but on one level, this a story about the discovery of Orson’s lost tapes. This is a substantial find. It’s something that a filmmaker dreams of.”
Lowry had heard a rumor in December 2008 of Welles’ “lost tapes” which were “believed to be Welles’ last professional recordings.” He soon contacted the author (Leed) who confirmed the story and said the tapes had been gathering dust in a closet in his Las Vegas home for 25 years.
“We worked out a deal to option the book, and I got the recordings from him,” Lowry said. He added that the tapes were in such poor condition that they had to be treated with a “chemical bath and baking process at Chemical Records so they could be digitized.”
Some noted Hollywood actors have already expressed interest in being involved with the film.