Dwight Howard to Play a Turkey in Upcoming Children's Movie 'Free Birds'

Prepare to dust off some shelf space in between your Space Jam and Kazaam VHS tapes, because Dwight Howard is coming to the big screen.

That’s right, you wide-eyed dreamers—this offseason, according to DeadLine, Dwight Howard will be starring in a children’s movie. Does it get better? I submit it does.

The movie is called Free Birds, and it’s like that Lynyrd Skynyrd song, but not at all. 

The film is about a band of time-traveling turkeys (yes) who journey back into the back into the past in the name of wiping their breed off the Thanksgiving menu for once and all. 

Howard will play the voice of “Cold Turkey,” a fowl who we can presume has dropped his crabapple habit cold and struggling to stay clean by sticking to beech nuts from now on—like Pookie with feathers.

Other members of the voice cast include Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, so it’s no Thunderstruck, and Howard likely won’t have to do the majority of the (voice) acting. 

The film is being produced by Relativity in collaboration with Reel FX. Howard was introduced to the project via his relationship with Relativity Sports, who represents him in his athletic career. 

It’s by no means the first time Howard has tried out acting, and he’s done a short film with other athletes represented by Relativity.  

Yes, they crush acting at Relativity. 

So get excited, folks. Free Birds is slated to come out in theaters on November 1—just in time for your nieces, nephews and extended family to come into town and drag you out to see it.

I’ll see you guys at the cineplex—bring a flask of cider and a closed mind.