New Trailer for 'The Book of Life' Enlists Biz Markie for Help

In the midst of all the big Hall H presentations at Comic-Con, Jorge R. Gutierrez's colorful animated comedy The Book of Life had one of the show's most memorable moments. With much of the cast on stage talking about the Mexican fairy tale, rapper Biz Markie stepped up on stage for a rendition of his worn out rap classic, "Just a Friend" (I maintain he hasn't done the full song in 20 years), hijacking star Channing Tatum to rap the lyrics right along with him. It was a cute moment and emphasized the movie's good-natured spirit, and you can find more of it in the latest trailer.

Produced by Guillermo Del Toro and featuring the voices of Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Ice Cube, Christina Applegate, Ron Perlman and more, the film centers on Manolo who is torn between his desire to be a musician and his bull-fighting lineage. Tatum voices Joaquin, a boisterous local hero and Manolo's rival for the attentions of Maria (Saldana), their friend from childhood.

Gutierrez came into town a few weeks ago to show us some footage from the film and while it looks great, the real selling point is the director's enthusiasm and the personal connection he has to the story. This is clearly a labor of love for him and hopefully The Book of Life will do well when it opens October 17th.  Check out the trailer plus Tatum rappin' with Biz Markie below.


The Book of Life Official Trailer #2 by itsartmag