#FIRSTLOOK: “LYDIA AND THE MIST RIDER” CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT

Maison 4:3 and 10th Ave Productions are proud to announce the English voice cast for the animated feature Lydia and the Mist Rider. Sophie Nélisse lends her voice to Lydia, the apprentice astromage, alongside Mizinga Mwinga, Hasani Freeman, and Sarah Booth.. The sixth feature film from 10th Ave Productions, Lydia and the Mist Rider, will hit theatres on February 20, 2026.

Sophie Nélisse also lends her voice to the heroine in the French-language version of the film, Lydia et le vaisseau des tempêtes, which also features Anthony Kavanagh, Eveline Gélinas, Guy Nadon, Gildor Roy, Dorothée Berryman, Alexandre Bacon, Lyndz Dantiste, Kevin Houle, and Philomène Bilodeau.

After more than two years of work, under the direction of screenwriter and co-director Émilie Rosas, sound designer Jérôme Boiteau of Studio Expression, and producer and co-director Nancy Florence Savard of 10th Ave, the performers brought life to the digital characters created entirely by local artists.

Voice recording sessions began in Québec City in October 2023 and were completed last week in Montréal and in Canton-de-Hatley, where the songs were recorded under the direction of composer Jean-François Racine. “We called on artists who truly embody the characters created by artistic director and co-director Philippe Arseneau Bussières,” noted producer and co-director Nancy Florence Savard.

“At the very beginning of the recording process, I didn’t have any visual references; everything existed only on paper. I had the full script, all the lines, all the dialogue, but it was really up to me to create Lydia’s character. The first time, when we recorded the English version, I worked a lot with the actors playing Lucas (Hasani Freeman) and Thaddeus (Nico DeCastris). What’s really special is that we were face-to-face, it almost felt like a theatre scene, but in audio form. It brought a lot of energy, authenticity, and spontaneity to my performance. It was truly fun,” says Sophie Nélisse.

Lydia and the Mist Rider takes audiences on a journey through a completely fantastical universe. When her older brother Thaddeus is mysteriously kidnapped by the Spellbinder, 11-year-old Lydia sets off to find him in the Misty Sea. Picked up by the crew of a flying ship, the Dolphin, Lydia becomes the apprentice of Ambrosia, an Astromacer. Ambrosia is trying to find other children who have disappeared, including her own son. Determined to solve the mystery, Lydia must learn stargazing magic and ready herself to confront the Spellbinder.

The screenplay, written by Émilie Rosas, is a loose adaptation of Yves Meynard’s novels Le vaisseau des tempêtes and Le prince des glaces, published by Médiaspaul.

The production of this sixth animated feature by 10th Ave was made possible thanks to the support of Telefilm Canada, SODEC, the Canada Media Fund, the City of Québec, the Shaw Rocket Fund, Bell Media/Crave, CBC/Radio-Canada, the Harold Greenberg Fund, and Investissement Québec, as well as provincial and federal tax credit programs. The film is distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3. Attraction Distribution, in collaboration with 10th Ave Studio, handles international sales.

Link to full French and English voice cast

About 10th Ave Productions

10th Ave Productions is the Québec-based studio behind 100% Canadian animated features such as Katak, the Brave Beluga; Félix and the Treasure of Morgäa; Nelly and Simon: Mission Yéti; The Rooster Of St-Victor; and The Legend of Sarila. Based in the Quebec Capitale-Nationale region, 10th Ave’s animated films have been distributed in over 170 countries and territories worldwide.

About Maison 4:3

Founded in 2014, MAISON 4:3 is a boutique film distribution company that puts its expertise at the service of filmmakers and their works, developing customized release strategies and supporting films through every stage of their life cycle. MAISON 4:3 champions deeply human, distinctive, and meaningful projects.