Voice Actors Gabbi Kosmidis and Scott Thompson talk about the animated feature ‘Night at the Zoopocalypse‘ based on the Clive Barker graphic novel.
When a meteor crashes into Colepepper Zoo, a virus that transforms the animals into slobbering zombie-like mutants is unleashed. Gracie, a young quirky wolf, teams up with a gruff mountain lion named Dan to find a way back to her pack. As the zoo is overrun, they must come up with a plan to get all the animals back to normal. Together with the help of a motley crew of survivors—Xavier, the movie-obsessed lemur, Frida the fiery capybara, Ash the sarcastic, fabulous ostrich, and Felix the treacherous monkey—they embark on a perilous mission to rescue the zoo and defeat Bunny Zero, the deranged mutant-king determined to spread the virus beyond the zoo walls. Welcome to… THE ZOOPOCALYPSE!
‘Night at the Zoopocalypse‘ began with a concept that author and filmmaker legend, Clive Barker, had for a graphic novel about a zombie virus spreading in a zoo. That graphic novel was never made, but Clive allowed Copperheart producer, Steve Hoban, and writer James Kee to take the kernel of the idea and transform it into a family film told from the point-of-view of the animals dealing with a “zombie-like” virus. It had to be zombie-like because no animated animals could be harmed in the making of the movie.
We spoke to rising star Gabbi Kosmidis, the voice of Gracie the Wolf, and legendary comedic actor Scott Thompson, the voice of Ash, about their roles in the animated feature. Kosmidis got excited when I used a Greek term to describe Gracie’s character evolution, and the two joked about celebrating Easter together—where I would bring lamb to the feast!
As someone who grew up a huge fan of ‘Kids in the Hall‘, I made it a point to contain my excitement when speaking with Scott Thompson. After all, it’s not every day you get to chat with a comedic icon who shaped much of my sense of humor. I tried my best not to fanboy out, but it wasn’t easy! Thompson was down-to-earth and hilarious, making the conversation both a professional interview and a personal highlight. Talking to him about his role as Ash, I couldn’t help but feel a little starstruck, but I kept it cool—sort of!
It was clear from our conversation that both Kosmidis and Thompson brought their characters to life with depth and humor. Their chemistry was palpable, and it made me even more excited to see how they’d work together in the finished film. They were equally as passionate about their roles as they were about having fun with the concept of ‘Night at the Zoopocalypse‘, blending humor, heart, and a healthy dose of chaos.
‘Night at the Zoopocalypse‘ comes to theaters on Friday, March 7, 2025.
