2016 Super Bowl commercials: Christopher Walken, singing sheep could steal the show

Christopher Walken arrives for the premiere of "Seven Psychopaths" in 2012.

By Meg JamesStaff Writer

Feb. 7, 2016 7 AM PT

Sunday’s Super Bowl commercials feature hot guys, hot girls, hot cars and, yes, hot dogs in the form of flying Dachshunds. Also ready to roll are Clydesdales, singing sheep, “Kung Fu Panda” and loads of celebrities.

More than three dozen stars will appear in commercials during the big game, according to iSpot.tv, which analyzes Super Bowl ad trends. Look for Amy Schumer, Seth Rogen, Serena Williams, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Kevin Hart, Willem Dafoe and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Christopher Walken, though, could easily steal the show.

Walken pops up in a 60-second commercial for the new Kia Optima sedan called “Walken Closet.” The spot is a bit kooky — but would you expect anything less from a high-profile production starring Walken?

For the car company, the Academy Award-winning actor was a perfect “get.”

“Christopher Walken is a larger-than-life actor who transcends any specific genre,” explained David Angelo, chairman and founder of the El Segundo advertising agency David & Goliath, which created the commercial.

“And [Walken] really liked the scripts because they were authentic to who he is,” Angelo said in an interview with The Times.

Even before the Kia commercial was to appear on TV during the Super Bowl, it was scoring rave reviews. More than 70% of people who mentioned the ad on social media by week’s end were expressing a positive sentiment, iSpot.tv said.

Judge for yourself.

Curly crooners channel Freddie Mercury

Another crowd-pleaser is expected to be a commercial promoting the 2017 Honda Ridgeline called, “A New Truck To Love.” The spot is set to run during the third quarter of the Super Bowl, a marquee slot for advertisers.

Created by ad agency RPA in Santa Monica, this 60-second commercial features 40 live sheep and two sheep dogs. It was shot at Stevenson Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley late last year.

“They were stage Hollywood sheep and very well-trained,” according to RPA’s press materials. “The sheep took direction better than many Hollywood actors.”

Editing the commercial was a weeklong process. The more labor-intensive task was post-production, which involved bringing the musical number to life. That process took five weeks.

Producers used motion-capture to video record the faces of professional singers to help animate the sheep.

Not exactly a Hollywood cattle call.

“Turns out sheep really do move in a herd,” RPA said. “The group never left each other’s side.”

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Twitter: @MegJamesLAT

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