07-04-2025
The Land Before Time: Chester girl, 11, cast in remake of classic
An 11-year-old girl from Chester has been cast in the lead role of a remake of the 1980s classic, The Land Before Saunders will play the character Littlefoot in the reboot of Steven Spielberg's 1988 animated film was given the role after a successful second audition, in which she put pencils in her mouth to sound like she was "eating like a dinosaur".The new movie, Littlefoot, will be directed by British filmmaker Joey Lever, who is best known for creating fan film, Spiderman: Lost Cause in 2014.
Speaking about the audition process, Saunders said: "There weren't many actors in [the studio] because the actor I was with was from America, on a little computer."For some parts I had to put pencils in my mouth because I'd be eating like a dinosaur and there was lots of moving around."
Summer-Joules is the daughter of talent agent Joanne Saunders, who founded the Chester-based Majestic Academy of Performing Arts."I grew up in this and as I grew up with my mum's talent agency so I joined that.", Summer-Joules told BBC Radio Merseyside."When I'm older I still want to be an actress and a performer, but also a barrister."I'd like to use my acting to be a barrister because it's like you're on a stage and having to push your case to the judges."Her mum added: "I'm really, really proud. I just open doors and let [Summer-Joules] decide whether she wants to keep them open."This kind of environment helps raise confidence and self-esteem, all issues children are going though at the moment."
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