Mel Brooks voices mobile phone in animated short Addicted To It
Mel Brooks has taken on a starring role as a mischievous mobile phone in Addicted To It, a seven-minute animated short film directed by LA-based Irish filmmaker Nigel Tierney.
Casting the Ultimate Agent of Chaos
The short film, which explores mobile phone addiction through a cautionary tale, features Brooks voicing the “Phoney Bunny”—an antagonist designed to resemble a white rabbit that lures the main character, Dace, down a digital rabbit hole of doom-scrolling. Tierney explained the casting choice by stating that the production needed someone who could deliver the message comedically while acting as an agent of chaos.
Rather than recording his lines remotely, Brooks arrived in person at the studio alongside his production partner and assistant. Tierney noted that the actor, who celebrated his 100th birthday last June, showed up wearing a suit with a red pocket square, spent time signing autographs, and took photographs with the crew after recording.
Addicted To It Qualifies for Oscar Consideration
Production on Addicted To It spanned Argentina, Ireland, and the United States, utilizing an international team of over 200 artists and musicians. The project features original music and lyrics by Tony Award winner Jeff Marx, alongside vocals by singer Dionne Warwick and singer Dixie D’Amelio.
The short film has qualified for consideration in the Animated Shorts category for the upcoming Oscars ahead of the final shortlist announcement. Its current global festival run includes screenings across multiple venues, featuring stops at the BITBANG festival in Buenos Aires, the Tampa Animation Festival in Florida, the Open World Animation Festival in Pennsylvania, the Coronado Island Film Festival in California, the Manchester Animation Festival in England, and the Anchorage International Film Festival in Alaska.
Human-Made Animation Facing Modern Irony
The end credits of Addicted To It explicitly state that the production was created entirely with “human hearts and human hands”, avoiding AI. Tierney acknowledged the central irony of releasing a project about reducing screen time that audiences will inevitably view on their mobile devices. The filmmaker expressed a modest hope that viewers might watch the short, laugh, and subsequently place their phones in a drawer to take a short walk.
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