Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon join animated comedy 'Sing'

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Actors Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Seth MacFarlane will join Matthew McConaughey as the voices of upcoming animated comedy, Sing.

The Universal and Illumination Entertainment flick follows the fictional story of a group of talented animals who join a singing competition. Already signed up are John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and singer Tori Kelly.

McConaughey will play a koala bear named Buster Moon who comes upon proprietary troubles when his theater faces hard times, USA Today reports. In an effort to save his struggling business, Moon decides to stage a singing competition, drawing a diverse group of mammals including a mouse (MacFarlane), a shy elephant (Kelly), a pig mother (Witherspoon), a rocker porcupine (Johansson) and a young gorilla (Egerton).

Sing is directed by Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy), who also penned the comic script. The Illumination and Universal film will follow this year's Minions and next summer's The Secret Life of Pets for a December opening.