Is The One and Only Ivan a true story? An insight into the story & characters of the film

The One and Only Ivan is a fantasy film that made a direct to digital release on the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar. The film was released on August 21, 2020. This film features Ivan the gorilla who weighs 400 pounds. It showcases Ivan’s quest to learn about his past with the help of Stella who is an elephant. Further, the film also showcases the animals’ attempt to escape from captivity.

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The fantasy film, The One and Only Ivan is based on a children’s book of the same name. K. A. Applegate is the author of this novel. Are you wondering, “Is The One and Only Ivan a true story”? Here is an insight into the One and Only Ivan story.

The One and Only Ivan Real Story:

It is interesting to note that The One and Only Ivan is a fictional story that has drawn inspiration from a real-life gorilla named Ivan. Ivan was reportedly a western lowland gorilla born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unfortunately, he was captured and forced to live with humans. Over the years, Ivan grew enormously in size and was hence shifted to a public enclosure made of concrete. This enclosure was located in the B&I shopping centre in Tacoma, Washington.  The animal was forced to live in that condition for 27 years. Fortunately, Ivan was adopted by Zoo Atlanta in 1994.

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The One and Only Ivan story:

The One and Only Ivan features a 400-pound silverback gorilla who lives in a shopping mall. Ivan is accompanied by an elephant named Stella and a dog named Bob. The cage also houses various other animals. Ivan hardly has any memories of the past. However, Ivan feels differently when a baby elephant arrives in the enclosure. Ivan seems to have a connection with the baby elephant. The film showcases the ups and downs faced by the animals who ultimately reunite with those of their kind.

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More about the film:

Some of the celebrities who have lent their voice to this film include Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Brooklynn Prince, Chaka Khan, Ron Funches, Phillipa Soo, and Mike White. The film also starred actors Ramón Rodríguez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Bryan Cranston. While The One and Only Ivan has been directed by Thea Sharrock, it has been co-produced by Angelina Jolie, Allison Shearmur, and Brigham Taylor.

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Promo Image Source: Still from The One and Only Ivan