Ricky Gervais will narrate Bron Animation's upcoming feature The Willoughbys, based on the children's book of the same name by Lois Lowry, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Written and directed by Kris Pearn (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2) and co-directed by Cory Evans, the film is in preproduction at Bron's studio in Burnaby, B.C. Bron's Brenda Gilbert, Aaron L. Gilbert and Luke Carroll are producing. Gervais is an exec producer.

Published in 2010, the book follows the four Willoughby children, who are abandoned by their oblivious parents and must learn how to adapt their old-fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create a modern family.

"Ricky has such a distinctive voice, and his talents will make an exceptional contribution to the edgy tone that we are going for with The Willoughbys," said Brenda Gilbert.

Bron and Gervais previously worked together on Special Correspondents, which Gervais wrote and directed with Bron producing.

Currently in production at Bron is Henchmen, which features the voices of James Marsden, Thomas Middleditch, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion and Jane Krakowski. The Willoughbys co-director Evans is also head of story on this film.