Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures Casts Alfred Molina as Marcellus

Sally Field stars as Tova, who forms a bond with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus voiced by Alfred Molina. Image Courtesy of Netflix

The voice behind one of the most unusual narrators in modern fiction has been revealed. Alfred Molina will voice Marcellus the octopus in the upcoming Netflix film Remarkably Bright Creatures, which begins streaming on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Directed by Olivia Newman, the drama stars Sally Field (Forrest Gump) and Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), with Colm Meaney (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Joan Chen (The Last Emperor), Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands), Beth Grant (Donnie Darko), and Sofia Black-D’Elia (The Night Of).

The film is based on the bestselling novel by Shelby Van Pelt, whose story places an unlikely narrator at the center of a mystery and an emotional journey. In the book and the film adaptation, Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus living in an aquarium who quietly observes the humans around him.

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The story follows Tova, played by Field, a widowed woman who works nights cleaning a small-town aquarium. During her late shifts, she forms a surprising bond with Marcellus while also meeting Cameron, a young man played by Pullman who arrives in town searching for family connections. As the three lives intersect, they begin uncovering a mystery that leads to unexpected discoveries and a renewed sense of purpose.

For readers of the novel, Marcellus is more than just an animal character. He serves as the narrator, offering a sharp and sometimes humorous perspective on the people around him. That makes the casting of Molina especially significant, as the actor’s voice will carry much of the film’s personality.

Van Pelt has said the idea for Marcellus came after watching videos of clever octopuses escaping their tanks or interacting with aquarium staff. The author later built the rest of the story around that unusual voice. According to Van Pelt, the larger themes of the story center on grief, connection, and the search for belonging.

Netflix viewers will be able to meet Marcellus and his human companions when the film arrives in May.

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