Moviefone Editorial

Tag: animation

  • ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ Interview: Nick Offerman and More

    LUAQTThe

    Opening in theaters on March 20th is the new animated family film ‘The Pout-Pout Fish‘, which was directed by Ricard Cussó and Rio Harrington, and stars Nick Offerman (‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’), Nina Oyama (‘Utopia’), Miranda Otto (‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’), Jordin Sparks (‘Merry Little Mystery’), and Amy Sedaris (‘Is This Thing On?’).

    jnIeLvljhTwcvXcbUxuv1

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Nick Offerman and Jordin Sparks about their work on ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’, the screenplay, their characters, and the message of the movie.

    (L to R) Nick Offerman and Jordin Sparks star in 'The Pout-Pout Fish'.
    (L to R) Nick Offerman and Jordin Sparks star in ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Related Article: Nick Offerman and Janet McTeer Added to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’

    (L to R) Nick Offerman and Nina Oyama star in 'The Pout-Pout Fish'. Photo: Viva Pictures.
    (L to R) Nick Offerman and Nina Oyama star in ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’. Photo: Viva Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Nick, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to play Mr. Fish?

    Nick Offerman: Well, it’s funny. It’s a very strange luck that Mother Nature created me with my face and my dour, slow talking voice that got me to a place in my career that the business would say, “Hey, we think you would be perfect to play this ugly depressed fish in this beloved series of children’s books.” So thankfully, I’m able to see the good in that and not take it as a personal slight. So, I read it, and I was immediately taken with the story like the rest of the world. Everybody I mentioned it to that was familiar with it just was over the moon and said, “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re going to get to do this.” So, there wasn’t much about it that wasn’t a no-brainer. It was just being the lucky guy who had the right turned down face.

    MF: Jordin, what was your first reaction to this script and why did you want to be part of this project?

    Jordin Sparks: Honestly, I related to Shimmer a lot. I related to her on a personal level. She is kind of like this mythical creature, and everybody’s searching for her, and everybody has these ideas of who she is and what she can do. That’s a lot of pressure and expectation to have when nobody really knows who she is. So, for me, being in the spotlight from a very young age, I felt those kinds of pressures too. Obviously, different circumstances, but the pressure and the weight still feel the same of people having expectations of how I should be or what my art should be like or what I should talk like or how I should act. I think it was cool to be able to see the description of her, and I was like, “Wow, I really relate to that.” So, there’s an empathy that I feel like I have that I got to bring to it because even though Shimmer feels like there’s all these pressures on her, she still has the mind and the heart to be like, “How can I help?” I think that’s a beautiful trait to have, and I’m kind of the same way. Not kind of, I am the same way.

    A scene from 'The Pout-Pout Fish'. Photo: Viva Pictures.
    A scene from ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’. Photo: Viva Pictures.

    MF: Nick, did you give any suggestions to the animators as to how you thought your character should look?

    NO: Well, I don’t have anything to offer the genius of the animators, but they take my offerings. They always film you while you’re recording, and one of the things that’s fun about voice work is that I feel uninhibited by my physical body in a way that I obviously am inhibited on camera. I’m constrained by the natural world. I can’t do three back flips, or I can’t stick my thumb in my mouth and blow myself up into a balloon. So, when I’m doing an animated voice, I like to blow away the bounds of physical constraints so that I can sound like anything is happening. So, even though no one’s asked me for additional input, I like to try and inspire the animators with the noises that I make, and the faces that I make. It’s really fun because they really take cues from things that you do, and they work that into the animation. I mean, it’s so fun to watch the finished product because they’ve added so much magic and charm. They make me look a lot funnier and a lot more charming than I could ever be.

    MF: Jordin, how do you prepare for a voice role like this? Is it different than preparing for a live action role or going into a studio to cut a song?

    JS: That’s a good question. I think going in for a song, it’s kind of comparable to that because you do different takes, and then you try and figure out what it sounds like the best. When I’m on camera, there’s so many more details that must be considered like where my arm is, where I’m looking, or what the outfit looks like. With animation, you can kind of scale back a little bit on the pressure, but at the same time, whatever you’re saying must work and must be perfect because you are representing that character with just your voice. So, there is a little bit more nerves to that. But with this character, because I related so much, I was able to kind of drop into those feelings, and I was able to collaborate with the producers and the director. They were on Zoom because they were over in Australia. I was here in the States, and he’d be like, “Okay, try it this way,” and I would. Then, he said, “Okay, why don’t you try it the way that you think?” Then, we would come together and be like, “Okay, maybe here, it should sound a little bit more like what you were doing on this one.” So, it was a very collaborative process, but I think the thing that brought it all together was my ultimate mom voice. That really helped. With my eight-year-old, I say, “Okay, how do I calm him down?” So, I brought some of that into it as well.

    (Center) Nick Offerman stars in 'The Pout-Pout Fish'. Photo: Viva Pictures.
    (Center) Nick Offerman stars in ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’. Photo: Viva Pictures.

    MF: Nick, the film features some uplifting messages about community and working together. How important is it to you personally to work on a project that has something important to say about the world we live in?

    NO: Very much. I mean, whether it’s Shakespeare or something really timely, like this story that’s a lot more modern, I mean, that’s why I got into this business. It’s fun to be part of the medicinal side of storytelling. Human beings will always have weaknesses, we will always fail each other for reasons of selfishness or vulnerability or pain or fear. So, we will always need these stories to tell each other, to remind ourselves to choose love, to take care of each other instead of hurting each other, and to try and endeavor to hug one another rather than punch each other. So, a story like this that exemplifies the diversity of a neighborhood to say, we need to be open to each other’s different households, to rely on the strengths of that diversity to create a strong community rather than to shun one another. It’s great. I love being part of that kind of storytelling because we’ll always need it.

    MF: Finally, Jordin, the film teaches the lesson that you can be a self-reliant person, but you can also turn to other people for help if you need it. Was that a message that you responded to personally?

    JS: Yes, I relate on the one end of feeling like it’s so nice to have somebody to just lean on even if they might not understand exactly what you’re going through. But on the other side of being that person, you have one hand to help yourself and you have one hand to help others. Any way that I can do that, any way that I can help, any way that I can encourage the youth, kids, anybody is what I want to do. So, I have a lot of that intention in the art that I create in my music, in voiceovers, in acting different characters, in writing, so I’m always trying to leave people better than I found them. Whether it’s after three minutes of listening to a song or being able to see this movie, I want to make people feel and would hope that those things that I create or that I’m a part of can uplift them after they experience them.

    Editorial Note: Don Kaye conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

    A scene from 'The Pout-Pout Fish'. Photo: Viva Pictures.
    A scene from ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’. Photo: Viva Pictures.

    What is the plot of ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’?

    Living on a rundown shipwreck, Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) one day discovers a hyperactive young sea dragon Pip (Nina Oyama) – who had mistaken his home for a junkyard – pilfering his belongings. The heated argument that ensues leaves both their houses in ruin. But there is hope! Embarking on a seemingly impossible quest in search of the mythical “Shimmer” (Jordin Sparks) to grant them a wish, there’s only one problem: someone else is on the hunt.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’?

    • Nick Offerman as Mr. Fish
    • Nina Oyama as Pip
    • Miranda Otto as Marin
    • Remy Hii as Benji
    • Jordin Sparks as Shimmer
    • Amy Sedaris as the pink Dolphins
    • Nazeem Hussain as Archie
    • Mark Coles Smith as Hector
    • Mel Buttle as Shaz
    'The Pout-Pout Fish' opens in theaters on March 20th.
    ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ opens in theaters on March 20th.

    List of Jordin Sparks Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Jordin Sparks Movies on Amazon

     

  • Chris Pratt Returning for Sequel to ‘The Garfield Movie’

    Chris Pratt as the voice of Garfield in 'The Garfield Movie'. Photo By Trae Patton. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Chris Pratt as the voice of Garfield in ‘The Garfield Movie’. Photo By Trae Patton. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Preview:

    • Chris Pratt will return to voice Garfield for a sequel to ‘The Garfield Movie’.
    • The 2024 movie made more than $257 million worldwide last year.
    • There are no details on who will write or direct the sequel yet.

    Lasagna-scoffing feline Garfield has been a pop culture fixture for nearly 50 years by now, with Jim Davis’ iconic character adapted various times for screens big and small.

    The most recent version, last year’s animated outing ‘The Garfield Movie’, was a success, so it should surprise absolutely no one to learn that a sequel is now in development via producers Alcon Entertainment.

    vq1bGSQGNnm2pDkhPgP4m2

    While there is little to truly report about this one yet –– according to Deadline, no writer or director has made a deal to craft it at this point –– but we do know that Chris Pratt, who lent his vocal tones to the main character, will be officially back in the recording booth for the new one.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘The Garfield Movie’

    What was the story of ‘The Garfield Movie’?

    Chris Pratt as the voice of Garfield in 'The Garfield Movie'. Photo By Trae Patton. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Chris Pratt as the voice of Garfield in ‘The Garfield Movie’. Photo By Trae Patton. © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Garfield (Pratt), the world-famously lazy, Monday-hating indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure.

    After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie (Harvey Guillén) are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

    Mark Dindal directed the 2024 movie, with a screenplay that featured contributions from (deep breath) Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, David Reynolds, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky.

    (L to R) Odie, Vic and Garfield in 'The Garfield Movie'. Photo: DNEG Animation. Copyright: © 2023 Project G Productions, LLC.
    (L to R) Odie, Vic and Garfield in ‘The Garfield Movie’. Photo: DNEG Animation. Copyright: © 2023 Project G Productions, LLC.

    Reviews for the movie weren’t particularly positive, but audiences embraced it, with a worldwide box office haul of more than $257 million.

    And there is still plenty of source material to be mined: the original ‘Garfield’ comic strip debuted in June 1978, appearing in 41 newspapers, but its success and immediate popularity made it one of the fastest-growing comic strips of all time, ultimately appearing in 2,580 newspapers and journals, with an estimated readership of 260 million.

    ‘Garfield’ currently holds the record for being the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world.

    What we don’t yet know on the sequel front is whether any of the original creative team (or other cast) will be back; it’s early days on this one.

    When will ‘The Garfield Movie’ sequel be in theaters?

    While this is the sort of movie you expect to see racing to meet a release date that was set well in advance, it looks like Alcon and Sony are taking a slower approach on this one, with no date in place just yet.

    Probably a smart move given the lack of writer or director in place just yet.

    Chris Pratt stars in 'The Garfield Movie'.
    Chris Pratt stars in ‘The Garfield Movie’.

    List of Garfield Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy ‘Garfield‘ Movies On Amazon

    cmCl5xeQ

  • ‘The Cat In The Hat’ Press With Bill Hader and Directors

    0w6PbQNW

    The upcoming ‘The Cat in the Hat‘ is a new introduction to a beloved character that expands on the things we already know about him. Voiced by the talented Bill Hader, this animated theatrical feature film is an all-new, epic adventure where mischief, magic, and mayhem reign supreme.

    The film also includes the voices of Quinta Brunson (‘Abbott Elementary‘), Bowen Yang (‘Wicked‘), Xochitl Gomez (‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘), Matt Berry (‘What We Do In The Shadows‘), and Paula Pell (‘Summer of 69‘).

    A scene from 2026's 'The Cat in the Hat'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Moviefone was in attendance at a virtual press conference celebrating the release of the first teaser trailer for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ featuring actor Bill Hader, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation President Bill Damaschke, and writers/directors Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, to learn behind-the-scenes details of this new animated feature.

    Related Article: Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson and More To Voice New ‘Cat in the Hat’ Movie

    1) ‘The Cat in the Hat’ Is A Completely Original Take On The Character

    'The Cat in the Hat' Trailer Event Press Conference
    Warner Bros. Pictures Animation President Bill Damaschke. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Warner Bros. Pictures Animation President Bill Damaschke explains how ‘The Cat in the Hat’ might feature a beloved character, but it is an original take on him, which is something we have not seen before.

    Bill Damaschke: Animation’s always been a cornerstone of Warner Bros. but in this this next chapter called Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, we’re really doubling down on that commitment to original stories as well as really innovative takes on some of our beloved characters and worlds. And for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ to be our first film just seems like the perfect, perfect project because it’s actually all of those things at the same time. It’s a completely original take on a character that I think a lot of people have a connection to, but handled and brought to life by our filmmakers and by the very singular actor who plays the cat. It just comes out in a way that’s bigger, better, more amazing, and more whimsical than you could ever imagine.

    2) Bill Hader Says This Is The First Book He Remembers Reading

    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for 'The Cat in the Hat' trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Bill Hader recalls that the first books he remembers reading by himself are Dr. Suess books, and that he then read them to his kids, so he was thrilled to be a part of this story.

    Bill Hader: : Like everybody, I remember reading that book as a kid, and then reading it to my kids, and then, I’ve worked with these guys before on different projects, and I’ve known them forever, so the combination of these two and the chance to play such an iconic character? I was like, yes. The biggest thing was I’m a big reader and I think those were the first books I remember reading on my own. It’s a habit I had. I get in bed and read a book, and I started that with those books. I remember collecting them.

    3) Bill Hader Might Be Great At Improv, But Improvising Didn’t Always Work With ‘The Cat in the Hat’

    A scene from 2026's 'The Cat in the Hat'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Bill Hader is well known for his impressions and improvising skills, but when talking about ‘The Cat in the Hat’ he admits that this was not a movie where improvising worked in the booth.

    Bill Hader: They wrote this incredibly funny script and so you didn’t have [to improvise]. Sometimes you do these things and you’re like, oh man I gotta really improvise a lot and try to make it work somehow but this was not like that. The script was lso insanely funny and then on top of that, they were like, yeah, try stuff. So there was some little improvs here and there. It was funny. I would improvise sometimes, and you could just see them go, let’s do another one. Let’s do one as written, because it would go too far off. It’s weird because they have it in their heads and I’m just reacting to the words and so you try a lot of things and but they’re very good at communicating what the scene is and here’s the emotion of it and here’s what we need to try to convey.

    4) Expect More Things Than Just Thing 1 and Thing 2

    'The Cat in the Hat' Trailer Event Press Conference
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Thing 1 and Thing 2 are such an integrel part of the story of ‘The Cat in the Hat’. The fillmmakers did not want to say too much about them, but did confirm they will play a role in the movie and there will be more than you might expect.

    Erica Rivinoja: Well, they are not well-behaved, I will say. They are consistent with the Things that you meet in the book. And as you saw in the trailer, we have Thing 1, but we also have Thing 3, and many, many more. There’s many, many that come up. The Cat in the Hat is chaos, and the Things are extra chaos on top of that. And they’re so cute, too. So you get all that chaos from them, but you’re still like, oh, you’re cute.

    5) The New Characters All Have A Dr. Suess Asthetic

    'The Cat in the Hat' Trailer Event Press Conference
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    ‘The Cat in the Hat’ expands on the world that we all know and love, but these new characters will feel as if they perfectly fit into that world, complete with a Dr. Suess asthetic.

    Erica Rivinoja: Our art team was really amazing about using Seuss’s aesthetic and his iconic shape language and character language to really help design those. So they feel, there’s so many new characters in this movie, but they all feel like Seuss.

    Alessandro Carloni: Well, that’s the thing is that as we follow Cat at the end of the book and we discover that entertaining children and sad kids on a rainy day is his job, there’s a whole corporation. It was basically an institution to create this. And as we know, there’s Cat in a Hat, and we meet pig in a wig, yak with a pack, ox in a box, owl in a towel, goat in a coat. When you complain about the fact that, oh my god, Cat in a Hat makes such a mess, but you don’t want to get rat with a bat.

    6) Even Though It Is Rare, The Voice Cast Recorded In The Studio Together A Few Times

    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for 'The Cat in the Hat' trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    In animation, it is not very common for the voice actors to record in the booth together. For ‘The Cat in the Hat’ there were times that they were able to do this, which the filmmakers believe improved perfmances.

    Alessandro Carloni: It’s a rare thing, because the thing about animation is that you don’t get to book your actors all at the same time. But we still insisted in wanting to make sure that this Bill and his character had something to play against. So Xochitl Gomez, which plays our Gabby, one of our stars, that she’s such a breath of ffresh air when she comes in the room. But when Xochitl came in, when Quinta Bronson came in, watching these masters bring the scene to life is so exciting.

    7) Voicing A Character Is More Exhausting Than You Might Think, Says Bill Hader

    'The Cat in the Hat' Trailer Event Press Conference
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    When talking about his exprience in the booth, Bill Hader says that he felt like he was in good hands with the directors, but there are still challenges when it comes to voicing animation.

    Bill Hader: People think you roll out of bed and you get to go and voice a cartoon and animate a movie, and it’s really easy. It’s actually so exhausting afterwards, because you’re essentially just screaming for four hours. And then you’re saying the same lines over and over again, and they just start to lose meaning. They’ve watched me have a full-on existential crisis in the booth. And they’re like, all right, we’re all just going to leave. Just leave me in the booth. They turn the lights off, and I just sit there. No. But that’s the only thing is I just I have to very consciously pace myself because you do just get so tired just screaming.

    8) Bill Hader Has Played The Cat in the Hat Before… On SNL

    'The Cat in the Hat' Trailer Event Press Conference
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    ‘The Cat in the Hat’ will not be the first time that Bill Hader has played this character. He actually portrayed him on ‘Saturday Night Live’. While he does love the book, and wanted to play him, that was not the reason behind the sketch.

    Bill Hader: The ‘SNL’ thing was, they didn’t write that because I love ‘Cat in the Hat’. It was more, I think, the writers were going through an issue in their marriage and decided to use the Cat in the Hat as a way of indirectly commenting to their spouse at home, I think is what was happening.

    9) ‘The Cat in the Hat’ Book Is Used As A Jumping Point

    A scene from 2026's 'The Cat in the Hat'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    The story told in ‘The Cat in the Hat’ is still tied to the book, however it is used as more of a starting point, explains Alessandro Carloni.

    Alessandro Carloni: We used the book more of a jumping point for us in the sense that the book became a question for us, which is, is this cat really just out there to have a good time for himself and making a mess, or is there more to it? We look at the book and realize that at the end of the book, the kid seems to be a little more confident with himself. Could it be that the cat is actually the greatest child psychologist? So we basically used the book as our starting point, that’s how our movie starts, and then our movie becomes an expansion on that adventure. We decided to follow the cat at the end of the book to find out where does this guy go and discover, in fact, the truth about him.

    10) Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja Embraced The Uniquness Of The Book To Create A Whimsical World

    'The Cat in the Hat' Trailer Event Press Conference
    (L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Bill Hader attend a press conference event for ‘The Cat in the Hat’ trailer launch. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Alessandro Carloni explains that in ‘The Cat in the Hat’ one of Dr. Suess’ characters enters the real world and interacts with children, something that is unique to this story. They used that to their advantage while creating this animated film.

    Alessandro Carloni: The uniqueness about animation is that much like in live action, we have amazing performers creating the characters with us. But then it becomes about truly anything has to be created from scratch, which means that everything is open for us to imagine what could it look like, what could it imagine. In live action, you get a lot of stuff for free in a way. Like you shoot something, there’s a tree in the background, you get that tree for free because it’s there. You have to build a tree and shape each leaf and build everything in the world, which means that you can do anything you want, which also is daunting about what can you create. And then that’s why we end up creating movies like the one we have just created, which we’re so excited about, where we can actually get to explore fantastical, incredible worlds that we’ve never seen before. The uniqueness thing about this book, that Erica and I took advantage of is that it’s the only Seuss book where a Seussian, magical, whimsical character enters the real world to meet the children. And so we decided to try to embrace that and enhance that so that every time the cat enters from his world into the real world, and then we navigate into fantastical world, we created entirely different looks of picture, entirely different aesthetics, and entirely different animation styles. So our world in our movie is based on many, many different worlds and different aesthetics where we traverse through in our adventure.

    GICglO894wBo0e7UOq1n22

    What is the plot of ‘Cat in the Hat’?

    The Cat in the Hat (Bill Hader) attempts to cheer up a pair of siblings when they move into a new town.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Cat in the Hat’?

    • Bill Hader as the Cat in the Hat
    • Xochitl Gomez as Gabby
    • Tiago Martinez as Sebastian
    • Matt Berry as the Fish
    • America Ferrera as Gabby and Sebastian’s mother
    'The Cat in the Hat' opens in theaters on February 27th 2026. Photo: Warner Bros.
    ‘The Cat in the Hat’ opens in theaters on February 27th 2026. Photo: Warner Bros.

    List of Dr. Suess Movies and TV Specials:

    Buy Dr. Suess Movies On Amazon

  • Movie Review: ‘Dog Man’

    DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    ‘Dog Man’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.

    Opening in theaters on January 31st, ‘Dog Man’ is proof that there is surely no children’s book that DreamWorks Animation won’t try to adapt for its ever-hungry franchise machine.

    Yes, if you thought ‘The Boss Baby’ was the wildest source material the company could track down, you’ve clearly never seen 2017’s ‘Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,’ the first DreamWorks title to draw from Dav Pilkey’s particular style of books.

    Related Article: Lil Rel Howery Talks Comedy Mystery ‘Reunion’ and Working with the Cast

    Will ‘Dog Man’ arrest your family’s time?

    Chief (Lil Rel Howery) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Chief (Lil Rel Howery) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    How much you appreciate ‘Dog Man’ might depend on your tolerance for very loud, extremely wacky shenanigans that also try to cram in a little heart to make the story work. There are few concessions to convention here, but the idea that this is based on kids’ work –– after all, the ‘Dog Man’ books were, in canon of the books, at least, created by the young heroes of ‘Captain Underpants’ –– really shines through.

    Script and Direction

    'Dog Man' director Peter Hastings. Photo: DreamWorks Animation.
    ‘Dog Man’ director Peter Hastings. Photo: DreamWorks Animation.

    Peter Hastings pulled triple duty on this one, adapting Pilkey’s book into the script, directing and providing the voice for Officer Knight, Greg the dog and their eventual, post-accident combination, Dog Man.

    As a writer, he really has channeled the anarchic feel of the ‘Captain Underpants’ universe, where ‘Dog Man’ was first created. Younger children in particular will thrill to the wilder moments, such as giant buildings being brought to life and the idea of characters’ howls turning into letters that litter the ground after they fall.

    As director, he has conjured up the look of the ‘Dog Man’ books, adapted for 3D animation, in bouncy, squishy, hectic form. Again, the visual style will primarily appeal to younger audiences, while parents might at time regret bringing them to see this one.

    ‘Dog Man’: Performances

    Around Hastings’ main character, the cast is loaded with comedy talent.

    Peter Hastings as Dog Man

    Peter Hastings voices Dog Man in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Peter Hastings voices Dog Man in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    It’s perhaps sometimes stretching things to say Hastings performs as Dog Man, but he does infuse the character’s barks with solid heart and comedy value.

    Pete Davidson as Petey

    Pete Davidson voices Petey in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Pete Davidson voices Petey in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    While Davidson’s style in live-action might not to be to everyone’s taste, but he’s definitely the right person to voice the scheming, chaotic feline who is Dog Man’s nemesis in the books.

    He certainly embraces the wacky style of the voice characterizations in general and appears to be having a blast bringing the character to life.

    Isla Fisher as Sarah Hatoff

    Isla Fisher voices Sarah Hatoff in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Isla Fisher voices Sarah Hatoff in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    Ohkay City’s (where story is set), ace reporter, Sarah is firmly in the April O’Neil mold, forever chasing the next story, and becoming wrapped up in Dog Man’s story.

    Fisher brings a likeable, funny energy to the part.

    Lil Rel Howery as Chief

    Lil Rel Howery voices Chief in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Lil Rel Howery voices Chief in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    Dog Man’s forever frustrated boss, Chief is perpetually under pressure from city authorities including the Mayor, who makes big demands on his time.

    Howery is a shouty, entertaining presence in the movie.

    Stephen Root as Grampa

    Root, a comedy veteran, was a solid idea to play Petey’s delinquent father, and makes him an almost entirely unsympathetic character. It’s a testament to the movie that it doesn’t try to cram in an emotional arc for at least this character.

    Ricky Gervais as Flippy

    Ricky Gervais voices Flippy in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Ricky Gervais voices Flippy in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    A telekinetic fish who is dead when the story begins but is brought back to life by the Living Spray Factory (you really just have to embrace the weirdness here), Flippy is a major antagonist.

    And while, like Davidson, Gervais can be a divisive figure, he makes for a watchable villain, fully understanding the assignment.

    Butler (Poppy Liu) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Butler (Poppy Liu) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    Poppy Liu as Butler

    One of the comic highlights of the movie, Butler is Petey’s sarcastic aide, always ready with a dry comment or quip, and the running joke about the money he owes her is one of the better examples in the script.

    Final Thoughts

    Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    ‘Dog Man’ really does evoke the look and comedy of Pilkey’s work. It’s certainly more approachable than, say, the confusing likes of the web series ‘Skibidi Toilet’ and blends zany antics with some decent gags (our favorite was probably the Indifferent Store, which remarks “meh” when brought to life).

    Though some kids were a little restless at the screening we attended, it should at least capture the imagination of the books’ fans.

    UzClpA8dbadoyNocuzzGx5

    What’s the plot of ‘Dog Man’?

    When a human police officer named Knight and his dog Greg are injured together on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history when Dog Man is born. Dog Man (Peter Hastings) must protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson), but the unexpected arrival of Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins) changes their dynamic

    Who is in the voice cast of ‘Dog Man’?

    • Peter Hastings as the vocal effects of Dog Man
    • Pete Davidson as Petey
    • Lucas Hopkins as Li’l Petey
    • Lil Rel Howery as Chief
    • Isla Fisher as Sarah Hatoff
    • Billy Boyd as Seamus
    • Ricky Gervais as Flippy the Fish
    • Stephen Root as Grampa
    • Poppy Liu as Butler
    (from left) Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins Calderon) and Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    (from left) Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins Calderon) and Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    List of Movies Featuring Dogs:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Dog Man’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pete Davidson Movies On Amazon

    Ndlu8zb6

  • ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ Interview: Philippa Boyens

    sLv4vjgr

    Opening in theaters on December 13th is the new animated movie ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘, which was directed by Kenji Kamiyama (‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’) and produced by ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy co-writer Philippa Boyens, who also helped develop the story. The voice cast includes Brian Cox (‘Succession’), Gaia Wise (‘Last Chance Harvey’), Luke Pasqualino (‘Snowpiercer’), and reprising her role as Éowyn from the Peter Jackson movies is Miranda Otto.

    Related Article: Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards Talk ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2

    'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' producer Philippa Boyens.
    ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ producer Philippa Boyens.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and producer Philippa Boyens about ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, returning to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, her vast knowledge of his work, the source material that inspired the movie, and the challenges of making an animated ‘Lord of the Rings’ film.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Boyens, Gai Wise, Laurence Ubong Williams, and director Kenji Kamiyama.

    A Scene from New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    A Scene from New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what was it like for you to return to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and how did your vast knowledge of his work help inform you while making this animated movie?

    Philippa Boyens: It’s been a joy going back. It’s been kind of a gentler sort of dipping my foot back in the waters kind of moment than having to stare down the barrel of a big, huge epic trilogy. So that was nice. Also getting to work with Kenji Kamiyama, who I think is a genius visual master, has been lovely because he had such a sense of what he wanted to reach for, but he was also, at the same time, collaborative. He’s a writer himself, and so that made the process of finding these characters, the process of looking at the pace of the film and the storytelling feel natural. He had a natural facility with it. So that side of it was easy. In terms of coming back into the world and bringing what knowledge I had of it with me, it was a sort of a little bit of a mixed bag. Because, sure, I had a depth of knowledge of how Tolkien tends to work on film, that heightened language and how to kind of use it, and what felt authentic and what didn’t feel authentic. Then said against that, I had absolutely zero understanding of anime, except beyond what a normal person would have received as an audience member. So that was a big learning curve for me, but it was kind of wonderful to experience. I must be honest and say there were lots of times when I would look at the boards and I was like, “I don’t know what I’m looking at. What am I looking at? I don’t understand.” There’s a different rhythm to cutting things in anime, which I’ve now fallen in love with and understand that process. I was coming very much with a live action eye, and then you begin to understand, “Oh wait, anime doesn’t work that way,” and that it’s more of a dance. It’s a dance that requires you to truly understand the form that you’re working in and that the way in which, you’re not going to be able to push in on live expression or eyes. So, it’s how Kamiyama moves the camera, how he moves the characters in relation to each other. Then I became obsessed with it because I would see these boards come to life, and it was slightly miraculous, and it was all so beautifully hand drawn.

    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about creating the story for ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ and specifically what source material you drew from?

    PB: So, we went into the appendices. Once they had asked us what we think about anime, this story immediately popped up into my mind. I went back to the appendices where there’s about two pages with a little bit more spread in a couple of other places in the appendices of this story of Helm Hammerhand. At the heart of this story, or at the very beginning of the conflict of this story, is an unnamed female character and, of course, immediately your mind starts thinking, “Wow, what if we named her? What if we followed her? What if we explored what she was going through?” Because she is the beginning of the conflict of the story. She starts as this point of contention between these two great Rohirrim Lords. One is a king, one is a pretender, probably, to the throne, or at least would see his son on that throne, and she has no agency in this moment. So, it was immediately, “Well, what would she feel? What is she thinking?” Then our next approach was to go back into some of the histories of women in medieval times, women who would’ve reflected some of the Anglo-Saxon nature of the Rohirric people that Professor Tolkien would’ve drawn threads from. As soon as we did that, there was a wealth of characters and women that you could look at and draw upon, and it just started to grow. I think a great story does that. It grows in the telling. Professor Tolkien, literally, said that himself. It’s the tale that grew in the telling.

    GYO4BMSEpp9Fo1JArD97W2

    What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?

    ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ adapts a story from the history of the kingdom of Rohan, described by writer J.R.R. Tolkien in the appendices to ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

    This movie is set around 200 years before the War of the Ring, a.k.a. the conflict against Sauron detailed in Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ films.

    We’re introduced to the legendary king known as Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox). When Freca (Shaun Dooley), the chieftain of neighboring Dunland proposes that his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) wed Helm’s daughter Hèra (Gaia Wise), Helm reacts badly. He strikes Freca dead with a single punch and Wulf vows revenge.

    A few years later, Wulf returns with an army of Dunlendings, and brings Rohan to its knees. Helm and his people seek refuge in the fortress that will one day be named Helm’s Deep in his honor.

    Who is in the voice cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?

    New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Movies and TV Shows in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Movies On Amazon

    kdeHxeW2

  • Movie Review: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’

    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Arriving in theaters on December 13th, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ transports us back to the world of Middle-Earth as brought to screens by Peter Jackson across six movies.

    More directly connected to Jackson’s adaptations than Prime Video’s ‘The Rings of Power,’ ‘Rohirrim’ takes as its basis a small chunk of J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices, which detail a clash between forces that happens nearly 200 years before Frodo and co. enter the story.

    Related Article: Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards Talk ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2

    Does ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ find honor?

    A Battle Scene from New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    A Battle Scene from New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    If you’re a fan of Peter Jackson’s work who didn’t find ‘Rings of Power’ to be the Tolkien hit you needed (though the TV series has plenty to recommend it), ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ could be what you’re after.

    While Jackson here is an executive producer alongside regular collaborators Phillipa Boyens and Fran Walsh,’ the new animated movie owes more to director Kenji Kamiyama, and writers Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (though Boyens did work on the story with them).

    It’s crafted in a style that should make fans of Miyazaki films in particular happy, and while the story is a fair bit more basic than anything from Studio Ghibli, it hits the right notes in terms of scale and adventure.

    Script and Direction

    'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' producer Philippa Boyens.
    ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ producer Philippa Boyens.

    The writers here have expanded upon what little about the earlier Rohirrim conflict they can, seizing on the unnamed warrior woman who is mentioned, and fleshing her out into the headstrong Hèra. She’s your archetypal, spirited young woman –– raised by a warrior king, she can ride a horse and swing a sword with the best of them, but is still limited by what she’s able to do (initially, at least) thanks to growing up in a patriarchal society.

    It’s a thematic idea that will likely have plenty of resonance for at least a swathe of the audience, while those who are here for some ‘Rings’–style action will also find what they’re looking for. The story even has some nuance and unexpected moments layered within a fairly standard story of fighting feudal types and mystical creatures.

    As director, Kenji Kamiyama guides his animation and technical team to impressively epic results, the sweeping landscapes of New Zealand (standing in, of course for Middle-Earth) are brought to life in effective form, while the characters are recognizably a blend of Tolkien and anime.

    Performances

    There is some impressive voice acting going on here, and while the focus is on a few characters, most of them have the chance to be rounded personalities.

    Gaia Wise as Hèra

    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Our main hero in the story, Wise makes Hèra a properly spirited young woman, who has a loving core but shields it with honor and practicality. She has a somewhat predictable arc, but she’s always compelling.

    Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand

    Helm Hammerhand voiced by Brian Cox in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Helm Hammerhand voiced by Brian Cox in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure’The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Cox knows how to exude power and authority, even just through his voice, and you’re never likely to confuse Hammerhand with, say Logan Roy.

    Luke Pasqualino as Wulf

    (L to R) Wulf voiced by Luke Pasqualino and General Targg voiced by Michael Wildman in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Wulf voiced by Luke Pasqualino and General Targg voiced by Michael Wildman in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Aside from Wise, Pasqualino has the most to do –– he’s in love with childhood friend Hèra, but his feelings curdle after his father is effectively punched to death by hers in front of him. He makes for a solid, sometimes surprising villain in the Tolkien mold of ambition turned to darker emotions.

    Lorraine Ashbourne as Olwyn

    (L to R) Olwyn voiced by Lorraine Ashbourne and Lief voiced by Bilal Hasna in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Olwyn voiced by Lorraine Ashbourne and Lief voiced by Bilal Hasna in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Ashbourne (who has a connection to the ‘Rings’ movies already since she’s married to Gollum actor Andy Serkis) is impressive as Hèra’s guardian, who reveals herself to be more than she initially appears (we won’t spoil it).

    Supporting cast

    A Battle Scene from New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    A Battle Scene from New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Miranda Otto narrates the opening chunk of the movie, letting us know where the story is set and introducing both Hèra and the concept of Shieldmaidens. The casting makes sense, since this is a return for Éowyn, as played by Otto in the ‘LOTR’ movies and feels like the character relating a story she herself would have heard. The rest of the ensemble all do good work bringing their various characters to life.

    Final Thoughts

    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Hera voiced by Gaia Wise in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    The story of a young woman whose exploits will be all but ignored by those who write the sagas about her family are certainly timely, and the movie brings Tolkien’s mythical tales back to the screen in a way that should please fans of the movies.

    It’s sometimes a little trope-heavy and there is a weird quirk where half the family has strong Northern English accents, whereas Hèra and some others speak more neutrally. It’s a minor quibble, though, for a film that should tide us all over until the Jackson-produced and promised future movies arrive.

    ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

    GYO4BMSEpp9Fo1JArD97W2

    What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?

    ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ adapts a story from the history of the kingdom of Rohan, described by writer J.R.R. Tolkien in the appendices to ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

    This movie is set around 200 years before the War of the Ring, a.k.a. the conflict against Sauron detailed in Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ films.

    We’re introduced to the legendary king known as Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox). When Freca (Shaun Dooley), the chieftain of neighboring Dunland proposes that his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) wed Helm’s daughter Hèra (Gaia Wise), Helm reacts badly. He strikes Freca dead with a single punch and Wulf vows revenge.

    A few years later, Wulf returns with an army of Dunlendings, and brings Rohan to its knees. Helm and his people seek refuge in the fortress that will one day be named Helm’s Deep in his honor.

    Who is in the voice cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?

    • Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand
    • Gaia Wise as Héra
    • Luke Pasqualino as Wulf
    • Miranda Otto as Éowyn
    • Lorraine Ashbourne as Olwyn
    • Benjamin Wainwright as Haleth
    New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Movies and TV Shows in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Movies On Amazon

    kdeHxeW2

  • ‘That Christmas’ Interview: Richard Curtis and Simon Otto

    kJcpOXJw

    Premiering on Netflix December 4th is the new animated holiday movie ‘That Christmas’, which was written by ‘Love Actually’ director Richard Curtis, based on his own book, ‘That Christmas and Other Stories’. Directed by Simon Otto, the film features the voices of Brian Cox (‘Succession’), Fiona Shaw (‘Star Wars: Andor’), Jodie Whittaker (‘Doctor Who’), and Bill Nighy (‘Living’).

    Related Article: Director Bobby Farrelly and Producer Peter Farrelly Talk ‘Dear Santa’

    'That Christmas'. Photo: Netflix.
    ‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer Richard Curtis and director Simon Otto about their work on ‘That Christmas’, adapting Curtis’ novel, Otto’s directorial debut, what he learned from working with Curtis, the challenges of making a Christmas movie, their favorite characters, and why they are excited to have audiences watch the film.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Netflix's 'That Christmas' writer Richard Curtis.
    Netflix’s ‘That Christmas’ writer Richard Curtis.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Richard, can you talk about how ‘That Christmas’ came to be?

    Richard Curtis: Well, I’ve got four kids, so I’ve read them 500 children’s books 500 times and eventually I thought I’d write one myself. So, I wrote one and then two years later had another idea. I wrote three books and then a producer friend of mine just said, “I think these might make a lovely film.” I was so delighted at the opportunity to make an animated film. It’s something I’d always wanted to do, but kind of never thought I would. So, it’s been a real Christmas present to me to get the movie made.

    MF: Simon, this is your directorial debut, can you talk about why you wanted to make a Christmas movie for your first film?

    Simon Otto: I mean, it’s always a bit happenstance in the way this works. I had really wanted to direct a feature after doing some television episodes. I’ve been talking to this company called Locksmith Animation who did ‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ during this time, and they wanted me to be head of animation on one of their projects. I said, “Really, my next step is directing, and I’d love to see if there’s something that can happen there.” So, I was working on multiple projects, and they came back to me with this children’s book called ‘The Empty Stocking’, which they thought would make a lovely Christmas special. I thought, “Yeah, that sounds interesting. Let me have a look.” Very quickly we realized there was a second book and a third book on its way and that Richard Curtis was interested in maybe writing the screenplay. Then for me it was like, “Okay, yes, where can I sign? Where do I need to go?” In this early period, we very quickly realized that instead of doing Christmas specials, to intertwine them into one giant cinematic kind of Christmas movie, and that pitch was very easy to take around town. Netflix was immediately interested.

    'That Christmas'.
    ‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

    MF: Simon, what was it like working with a filmmaker like Richard Curtis on this project?

    SO: It was so many things, and first and foremost, it was like a free film school for me to be collaborating with somebody with so much experience. But in talking with him, it was the same thing. To him it was a discovery of a completely new way of developing story, script and animation because the timeline is so different. So usually, he would write the screenplay with a producer and then find the director and then make the film. We developed this story based on his books as we were developing the visuals and the storyboards, and they were writing the script alongside our development work. So, I was able to collaborate with him on it over the first year and a half. For me, it was such a tremendous privilege to be doing this. What makes it really interesting for me was that from the get-go, not only was it going to be a movie written by one of my favorite screenwriters, but it was also an unusual type of story for animation because in animation, generally you have a single hero journey against the villain in a fantastical world. This is a multi-threaded storyline with multiple protagonists, no villains, about these three charming children’s books that told quite small moments, and we had a chance to make it big and bring the power of animation to it and make it sweeping and cinematic. What I love about Richard’s writing is, besides a sense of wish fulfillment and a real great study of characters and caricaturing real life, is that he has a way of making small moments feel big. I love that about his films, and I thought that there was something unique that we as animators could bring to that storytelling.

    MF: How important was it to you to make this a family film and not just a movie for kids?

    RC: Well, it’s funny. I think I’ve always been quite a sort of age democrat. When I meet people who are six and seven, I don’t think they’re stupid. In fact, I often assume they’re smarter than me. So, I think it didn’t occur to me that you would write a story and try and oversimplify emotions for kids. I feel as though if you’ve got an interesting story to tell, they will probably enjoy it as much as an adult would. So, I tried to make something that would make, as it were, my daughter and me both happy. As all the filmmakers didn’t think we’re making something for kids. They thought they’re making something as it were for us and us when we were kids.

    'That Christmas'. Photo: Netflix.
    ‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

    MF: Simon, how important was it to you to really make a film for the whole family?

    SO: I’ve always felt that I’ve loved animation ever since I was a kid, and by love, I mean I started drawing and copying drawings of the old Disney movies and really loved the world and loved the fact that this could come to life and become something real. So, the idea that you caricature the world as it is and try and be authentic and realistic about it so it’s grounded, that was important to us that we felt like it’s a place you could go visit, these are characters that you know, and these are characters that you recognize from your own life. So very early on, we very quickly agreed that we’re not making a cartoony movie that had cartoony ideas where things could happen that wouldn’t happen in the real world, with the exception of course of Santa and the reindeer, and who’s to say they’re not real? But the idea that we really wanted to believe in this world, and therefore our approach to it was all about the things that we see in our own lives and what amuses us and the idea that our movie is essentially a story where the mess up of our parents, that feels relatable to us as parents: looking away and your toddler is gone or driving into bad weather and not turning around. Some of the mistakes that the parents make are completely relatable and believable mistakes, but it’s the kids that suffer the consequences. But in our world, they’re creative kids and find a way to come around. So, telling stories that are inherently familiar and truthful but sort of combining them and trying to find funny ways to tell them is how we went about it. We never really thought about it as an animated movie, really. I mean we did. Of course, I did for sure, but in terms of writing, we didn’t.

    MF: Richard, which character was the most fun to write?

    RC: Do you know, it’s funny you say fun? In the book about the little boy called ‘Snow Day,’ we just sort of had a slightly sad little boy, and when we made the movie, we made him a latchkey kid with a mom who’s a nurse, who must work too hard in the local community. We had the story about his dad who lets them both down. So, I think for me, in the journey from book to screen, making that character saying, if a kid is a bit lonely and shy, what’s the three-dimensional story about how they got there? I think we found that very satisfying.

    'That Christmas'. Photo: Netflix.
    ‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

    MF: Simon, do you have a favorite character in this movie other than Santa Clause?

    SO: I think I’m really connected with Little Danny, and the reason for that is of course, because who doesn’t understand and identify with a kid who’s left alone at Christmas? But I took my family from LA to London to make this film, and I had to take my twelve-year-old kid out of his school and stick him into an international school in London where he was the outsider, he didn’t quite have any friends. He was sad that he had to leave his life behind in LA. Seeing the journey from outsider to having friends and really loving it was close to me, and there’s a lot of tiny little things in the film that I feel close to. Then of course, we had to decide on who plays the villain as father, which you can’t really hear, but if you know it, you hear it. But the dad, when he calls to tell Danny that he’s not going to make it, that’s me. It’s my voice. So, I had to play the villain of the story, which is not really a villain at all, of course.

    MF: Richard, what are you most excited for people to see with this movie?

    RC: Well, I put all my work into it, but in every film the wonderful things are the things I don’t do. So, it’s just the detail in the little faces. There are things that animation can do where a child’s face can have four emotions, joy, worry, excitement, nervousness, all in a second. So, the thing I’m most excited is by people being able to, as it were, admire the art and enjoy the depth of some of the characters and their beautifully animated faces.

    'That Christmas'. Photo: Netflix.
    ‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

    MF: Finally, Simon, what are you most excited for audiences to see with this movie?

    SO: I really love what our production design and character design state in terms of authenticity. I feel like it’s rare that in a movie you feel like this is based on something real and something that you could go visit. Our production designer, Justin Hutchinson-Chatburn, came from live action. He’s done both animation and live action, but he paid so much attention to the set dressing of the world, so every room of every kid tells a quite intricate story about the characters. Because it’s a multi-threaded storyline, which is unusual in animation, the fact that you can pretty much quickly understand who these characters are. Danny just recently moved into his house, so the house is not decorated. Paint swabs are still up, but it’s only his room that’s decorated because that’s the nucleus of what the mother cares about. Then Simon/Charlie stories, they have this divided bedroom. One’s naughty, the other one’s nice. One’s nice and clean, the other one’s chaotic with lots of other things. Bernadette’s world is a world of chaos and rainbows and colorful and reinvention, and I just love the authentic place and the world. I’m quite proud of that.

    Interviews conducted by Krisily Fernstrom

    NVzOzwMS9UslvZbPlGgNp5

    What is the plot of ‘That Christmas’?

    ‘That Christmas’ follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus (Brian Cox) making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!

    Who is in the voice cast of ‘That Christmas’?

    • Brian Cox as Santa Claus
    • Fiona Shaw as Miss Trapper
    • Jodie Whittaker as Mrs. Williams
    • Bill Nighy as Lighthouse Bill
    • Lolly Adefope as Mrs. McNutt
    • Alex Macqueen as Mr. Forrest
    • Katherine Parkinson as Mrs. Forrest
    • Sindhu Vee as Mrs. Mulji
    'That Christmas'. Photo: Netflix.
    ‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

    Other Christmas Movies:

    Buy Richard Curtis Movies On Amazon

    DxVUTQyn

  • ‘Piece By Piece’ Interview: Director Morgan Neville

    l9o5RJDB

    Opening in theaters on October 11th is the new documentary/biopic about the life and career of Pharrell Williams called ‘Piece By Piece’, which was completely animated with LEGO.

    Directed by Morgan Neville (‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’), the film features LEGO animated interviews with Pharrell, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg.

    Related Article: Marisa Abela and Director Sam Taylor-Johnson Talk ‘Back to Black’

    Director Morgan Neville in 'Piece By Piece, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
    Director Morgan Neville in ‘Piece By Piece, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with filmmaker Morgan Neville about his work on ‘Piece By Piece’, collaborating with Pharrell and LEGO on the groundbreaking project, making an animated movie for the first time, whether the film is a documentary or a biopic, conducting the interviews, becoming a LEGO figure himself, and the emotional connection the audience has with the characters in the movie.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

    Director Morgan Neville discusses 'Piece By Piece'.
    Director Morgan Neville discusses ‘Piece By Piece’.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how this unique project came together and what it was like working with Pharrell Williams to tell his story on screen?

    Morgan Neville: This crazy idea came from Pharrell, where he apparently had the idea that if he was ever going to do anything like a documentary, it would be in LEGO. Apparently, everybody he told this to said, “That’s a terrible idea,” or “It’s a crazy idea. It’s an unattainable idea.” Fortunately, he was a big fan of my films, and he said, “I want Morgan to do it.” I met him, and the way he pitched me was, “It would be interesting if you made a documentary about my life, and when you were done with it, you threw out all the images and just replaced it with LEGO.” When he said that, I got excited. I didn’t think it was crazy. Well, maybe I did think it was crazy. But the craziness of it is what I thought was interesting because it was so unusual. I didn’t even know what it would mean, and we just spent years in production figuring out what it could mean. But it felt like it opened so many creative doors. From that, we just had this incredible burst of creative freedom, which is what you want. I felt like that was Pharrell producing me, like, “Here are the ingredients. Now you go make it.”

    Pharrell Williams stars in director Morgan Neville’s 'Piece By Piece', a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
    Pharrell Williams stars in director Morgan Neville’s ‘Piece By Piece’, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    MF: Before making this movie you were primarily a documentary filmmaker, what was it like for you to direct an animated movie and work with LEGO on this project?

    MN: The documentary process and the animation process are opposites. The documentary process is revision and looseness. You don’t have a lot of control. You’re just trying to kind of stitch together the messiness of reality into something. In animation, you’re God. You get to build the world. You get to put everybody wherever you want them and make everybody say whatever you want them to say. So, there was a tension between those two things that I really wanted to keep. I think it was interesting. Rather than erasing the imperfections, I wanted to embrace the imperfections and keep the grammar of documentary going. There were many times in working on the film with my animation director, who is fantastic, and our studios, that they would say, “Well, you don’t do it that way in animation.” I was like, “Oh, but we are. We are. We’re going to try.” Whenever they said, “Oh, you don’t do it that way,” I’m like, “Why not? Why can’t we do it that way?” So, there was an interesting tension there that I think bore incredible fruit. It was the kind of thing where I knew my ignorance could be a bit of an asset, like let me insist on doing things this way just to see what it brings, and at the same time, also embracing the freedom of animation where, particularly when songs come in in the movie, anything can happen. So, me saying, “Well, we’re not in a documentary anymore. We’re in his head and in his head, anything can happen. We can be underwater, and we can be floating. Let’s embrace that too.” That, for me, having done this for a long time, was so incredibly liberating.

    (L to R) Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams in director Morgan Neville’s 'Piece By Piece', a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
    (L to R) Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams in director Morgan Neville’s ‘Piece By Piece’, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    MF: While the film is an animated documentary, it’s also an animated biopic about Pharrell’s life. Was that the goal or something you found naturally through the process of making this movie?

    MN: It’s a natural process and I feel like this is true of a lot of my filmmaking storytelling in documentary, is that it’s not so much that I want to give you all the achievements of Pharrell Williams, because that is an eight-hour film. It’s more like, how do I tell a story about a Black nerd from the projects who doesn’t fit in, and then suddenly he completely fits in, and what does that mean to his own creative voice, and how does he stay in touch with it? It’s a story of a creative person on this journey. That gets me excited, and that is a story that I identify with as a creative person. So that part of it, I kind of fully embraced, that we were making a movie that way. The other layer to it is that it’s a musical in that I really listened to all the music he did. In my Spotify, I have 10 playlists of Pharrell songs he sang, songs he wrote, songs inspired by, songs with his solo albums, and songs with N.E.R.D. and The Neptunes. I spent a lot of time listening to everything and trying to find songs that spoke to me or felt like they were telling a story about Pharrell’s life and then trying to really use the music to tell the story as much as we could too, which is great. Then on top of that, being able to then show the film to Pharrell and say, “Okay, Pharrell, why don’t you write some new songs based on my view of your story?” He said to me that because he was looking at himself through my eyes, it made it way easier for him to write music as opposed to if somebody just said, “Hey, why don’t you write a song about your life?” But the fact that he was able to see it through my eyes gave him a focus that allowed him to do it. I love all that. I love that creative feedback loop that we created.

    Snoop Dogg in director Morgan Neville’s 'Piece By Piece', a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
    Snoop Dogg in director Morgan Neville’s ‘Piece By Piece’, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    MF: Can you talk about the interviews you did for this film and how did people react when you told them they would be depicted as LEGO figurines?

    MN: Well, we didn’t tell anybody in the beginning that it was going to be LEGO. It was kind of a secret. It’s not that we were trying to deceive people, but we told people it was going to be a documentary and we were going to animate it. Five years ago, we started these interviews, and we didn’t want it getting out, but we also didn’t want people necessarily performing or thinking, “Oh, I’m talking as a LEGO minifigure.” So, we just tried to keep it organic like I normally would on a documentary. Then over years of animation, we started to tell people. I started to show some of the people in the film their character designs. I have to say, every single person was excited. Who doesn’t want to be a minifigure in LEGO? So, a lot of people, even people who were kind of like, “What? Really? Is this going to work,” every one of those people now wants their own minifigure. So, I think it was something that just clicked so well that turned out better than I could have expected. It was exciting.

    (L to R) Pharrell Williams and director Morgan Neville in their film 'Piece By Piece', a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
    (L to R) Pharrell Williams and director Morgan Neville in their film ‘Piece By Piece’, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    MF: You are also featured in the film. What was that like for you as a filmmaker to be a character in the movie and what did you think about your own LEGO representation?

    MN: Yeah, I’m not normally a character in my movies, but this was such an unusual movie that I felt like if I was honest about my role in the film, it helped the audience understand how we got here. So really it was a way of me solving a story point, but it’s real. That’s really me trying to figure out what this movie is. So, in that way, even though the film is a documentary, it also plays like a film about a guy trying to make a documentary about Pharrell too. All those different gears, the lines of what’s documentary and what’s musical and what’s a biopic, to me, you have a lot of those questions going in, but hopefully when you come out, it just makes sense.

    (L to R) Director Morgan Neville and Pharrell Williams in their film 'Piece By Piece', a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.
    (L to R) Director Morgan Neville and Pharrell Williams in their film ‘Piece By Piece’, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    MF: Finally, have you been surprised by the emotional connection audiences are having with these plastic characters?

    MN: Yeah. I was worried because a LEGO minifigure is very reductive. Characters have no nose; they have no ears. You can’t see them cry or sweat. There’s a lot of restrictions. The question was, if I’m showing close-ups of a minifigure in an interview, is that compelling? Is it going to be emotional? Is it going to connect? Right when we started doing tests, it started to work. Kind of my own theory on it is that you project a lot of yourself into LEGO because it’s low resolution in that way, that you can see yourself in characters more. Now a lot of people who see the film say, “I forgot I was watching a LEGO movie,” and I love that. There are a lot of people saying that they get emotional watching it, and I felt emotional about making it, but you never know if that’s going to translate. So that’s been one of the best things to come out of finally being able to show people this film is just seeing how it connects so deeply with folks.

    aTbMoBvwrLTncbSlI2r7L1

    What is the plot of ‘Piece By Piece’?

    The film documents Pharrell Williams’s life and musical career, incorporating Williams’s faith and expressing his artistry by means of LEGO.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Piece By Piece’?

    • Pharrell Williams as himself
    • Morgan Neville as himself
    • Gwen Stefani as herself
    • Kendrick Lamar as himself
    • Timbaland as himself
    • Justin Timberlake as himself
    • Busta Rhymes as himself
    • Jay-Z as himself
    • Snoop Dogg as himself
    (L to R) Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams in director Morgan Neville’s 'Piece By Piece', a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams in director Morgan Neville’s ‘Piece By Piece’, a Focus Features release. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2024 Focus Features LLC.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Piece By Piece’:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Piece By Piece’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pharrell Williams Music on Amazon

     

     

  • Where To Watch Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’

    Pixar's 'Inside Out 2'.
    Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    Nearly nine years after ‘Inside Out,’ Pixar Animation Studios reunites audiences with Riley in the sequel ‘Inside Out 2,’ who is entering her teenage years. The original emotions—joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust—are back to guide Riley through the next chapter of her life—but not without a few new challenges and emotions.

    ‘Inside Out 2’ introduces Anxiety (Maya Hawk), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who are now sharing Headquarters with the original emotions. When Riley is selected to go to a summer hockey camp, Joy (Amy Poehler) and Anxiety butt heads on the best way to navigate her through new social situations.

    Kelsey Mann is photographed on September 25, 2013 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar.
    Kelsey Mann is photographed on September 25, 2013 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar.

    Director Kelsey Mann is at the helm for the sequel and went to great lengths to retain the same look and aesthetic as the 2015 film. The sequel deeply explores the self-doubt and self-consciousness of a teenager, which will make for a ton of puns and laughs.

    Returning alongside Amy Poehler are Phyllis Smith as Sadness and Lewis Black as Anger. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira join the cast as the voices for Fear and Disgust.

    Where Can I Watch ‘Inside Out 2’?

    Pixar's 'Inside Out 2'.
    Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    The film premiered at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles on June 10, 2024, and arrived in theaters on June 14. The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and a 95% from the audience. The film opened to $154.2 million domestically and has since raked in over $620.1 million. ‘Inside Out 2’ has a runtime of 1 hour and 37 minutes.

    Buy Tickets: ‘Inside Out 2’ Movie Showtimes

    Did you miss it in theaters? Don’t be sad. The movie is available for rent or purchase on digital starting August 20. Rent for $24.99 or purchase for $29.99 on platforms such as Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, Vudu, and more.

    The movie premiered on Disney+ for subscribers on September 25th and is currently available to watch.

    Where to Stream: ‘Inside Out 2’

    Highest Grossing Animated Movie of All Time

    Pixar's 'Inside Out 2'. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    After debuting at $154.2 million domestically, ‘Inside Out 2’ has since surpassed ‘Frozen II’s box office record, raking in a total of $620.1 million domestically and $1.6 billion worldwide. As far as ticket sales go, ‘Inside Out 2’ passed ‘Barbie’ by taking its spot as the 13th biggest movie of all time.

    When Can I Get ‘Inside Out 2’ On Blu-Ray?

    (L to R) Envy (voice of Ayo Edebiri), Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke), Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith). Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, 'Inside Out 2' releases only in theaters June 14, 2024. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Envy (voice of Ayo Edebiri), Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke), Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith). Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, ‘Inside Out 2’ releases only in theaters June 14, 2024. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    For physical media lovers, ‘Inside Out 2’ was released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Ultra HD on September 10th. A steel book Blu-Ray edition is also available, and you can order it at Target or Walmart.

    Buy ‘Inside Out 2’ on Amazon

    The home release includes bonus features such as a behind-the-scenes look at how the animators created the new emotions, the making of the hilarious “The Vault” scene, a three-minute alternate opening scene, and deleted scenes.

    Watch the official trailer for ‘Inside Out 2’ below:

    i6Mks2KB

    The synopsis for ‘Inside Out 2’ is below:

    Following the 2015 movie, ‘Inside Out 2’ will return to the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman) as she enters her teenage years. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Fear (Tony Hale) have their hands full as Riley experiences life-changing moments, along with Headquarters going under a sudden demolition to make room for something completely unexpected – brand new Emotions. Experience an emotional rollercoaster as the sequel introduces Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who will share Headquarters with the original 5 Emotions.

    fU4L404ZwBeJA3cbXNCT82

    Who’s In the Cast of ‘Inside Out 2’

    • Amy Poehler as Joy
    • Phyllis Smith as Sadness
    • Lewis Black as Anger
    • Tony Hale as Fear
    • Liza Lapira as Disgust
    • Maya Hawke as Anxiety
    • Ayo Edebiri as Envy
    • Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui
    • Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment
    • Kensington Tallman as Riley Andersen
    Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' logo.
    Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ logo. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Pixar Movies:

    To watch our interviews with the cast of ‘Inside Out 2’, please click on the video player below:

    ay4cnjWA

  • Movie Review: ‘The Wild Robot’

    Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    Opening in theaters on September 27th, ‘The Wild Robot’ is the latest release from ‘Shrek’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ studio DreamWorks Animation and director Chris Sanders, who here adapts Peter Brown’s children’s book to winning effect.

    The tale of a robot whose delivery container crash lands on an isolated island populated entirely by animals, it embraces themes such as figuring out who you really need to be beyond who you’re told to be, and kindness as a survival method.

    Related Article: ‘Black Panther’s Lupita Nyong’o to Star in ‘A Quiet Place’ Spin-Off ‘Day One’

    Does ‘The Wild Robot’ fly?

    (from left) Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders.
    (from left) Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    DreamWorks has, like every other animation studio of late, been a little hit-and-miss when it comes to its output. Recognizable properties such as the latest ‘Kung Fu Panda’ offering and ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (the latter showing a healthy willingness to experiment, particularly with animation style) have been successes while branching out into newer territory such as ‘Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken’ have seen less of a profitable return (it didn’t help that the latter was more blandly generic than even the latest ‘Shrek’ spin-off).

    So it’s good to see that the studio is still willing to take risks, including this adaptation of Peter Brown’s book. It’s a relatively simply narrative, but it does have a lot of heart. A few issues here and there aside, ‘The Wild Robot’ is a welcome, stylish addition to the company’s roster, though seems less likely to generate multiple spin-offs (but don’t count out the franchise-happy team out entirely, particularly if this scores at the box office).

    Script and Direction

    'The Wild Robot' director Chris Sanders. Photo: © Universal Pictures.
    ‘The Wild Robot’ director Chris Sanders. Photo: © Universal Pictures.

    Chris Sanders is a reliable, experienced filmmaker for both DreamWorks and, before that, Disney, and here his talent for finding relatable stories in offbeat places remains fully intact. After all, this is the man who (along with Dean DeBlois, who would run the franchise) helped turn ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ into a sensation.

    ‘The Wild Robot’ also feels of a piece with one of Sanders’ earlier movies –– ‘Lilo & Stitch’ with its combination of family themes and physical comedy. It’s not as anarchic as that film, but there are plenty of entertaining characters, and while the writer/director’s script sometimes falls into schmaltziness, there’s enough of an edge that it is largely undercut by something funny.

    (from left) Fink (Pedro Pascal) and Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    (from left) Fink (Pedro Pascal) and Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    There are few surprises here in the storytelling about a robot who crash lands on an island, learns to interact with the local wildlife and ends up taking care of an orphaned runt of a gosling with the help of a fox. Bonding and learning new ways to live are at the forefront, along with overcoming prejudice.

    Yet it’s in the visuals that the movie itself really soars. DreamWorks has, in the post-Spider-Verse world, shown a willingness to try new styles as first glimpsed with ‘The Bad Guys’ and with ‘Wild Robot,’ that is taken to the next level, its painterly beauty a thing to behold. It really does look like a beautiful children’s tome brought into animated existence and there are some jaw-dropping shots to be found here, not to mention some appealing character designs.

    Performances

    Built around a superb central voice role from Lupita Nyong’o, the film has a few performances worth noting…

    Lupita Nyong’o as Roz/Rummage

    Lupita Nyongó voices Roz in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    Lupita Nyongó voices Roz in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    Playing the robot of the title, Nyong’o strikes several sympathetic tones here, working with Sanders to modulate her performance to perfection. When we first meet Roz, she’s the enthusiastic corporate spokes-bot, eager to engage in any task and not realizing how much she’s freaking out the fauna surrounding her. It’s a role ripe with comic potential and Nyong’o fully embraces it. As Roz learns to better understand the animals and unexpectedly bonds with Brightbill the gosling, the story changes with her, maintaining its comic touch but also developing more authentic heart.

    The actor also has a smaller, supporting part as Rummage, a fellow robot that Roz builds from the parts of the other machines that crashed with her, though that’s mostly a channel for exposition.

    Kit Connor as Brightbill

    Kit Connor voices Brightbill in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. Photo: Tyler Curtis/ABImages. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    Kit Connor voices Brightbill in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. Photo: Tyler Curtis/ABImages. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    Brightbill the gosling forms the second pillar of the emotional triangle at the heart of the film, and he’s filled with goofy enthusiasm. Connor brings a freshness and real emotion to the role, able to handle the requirements of the young bird’s arc.

    Pedro Pascal as Fink

    Pedro Pascal voices Fink in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    Pedro Pascal voices Fink in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    The crafty, yet ultimately good-hearted fox that Roz meets when he tries to steal Brightbill (while still in his egg) is another great role for an actor, one that Pascal brings to life with spirit and a cheekiness that works for the animal.

    Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail

    Catherine O’Hara ADR for 'The Wild Robot' at DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, CA on Monday, April 24, 2023. Photo: Al Seib/ABImages. © DreamWorks Animation LLC.
    Catherine O’Hara ADR for ‘The Wild Robot’ at DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, CA on Monday, April 24, 2023. Photo: Al Seib/ABImages. © DreamWorks Animation LLC.

    The possum parent constantly trying to teach her kids the value of a fake death is a comic highlight of the film who also has weary parenting advice for Roz once the robot starts trying to care for Brightbill. O’Hara, an expert at getting laughs, also infuses the part with some healthy heart and kudos also to the various young actors who play her mischievous kids.

    Supporting cast

    Mark Hamill voices Thorn in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    Mark Hamill voices Thorn in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    There are various other standout voices to be found here –– Mark Hamill plays a grumpy bear who ultimately becomes more than that, Matt Berry’s imperious tones just sound right coming from a beaver who is obsessed with chewing down a giant tree, while Bill Nighy is great in a smaller role as Longneck, the wise older goose who takes Brightbill under his wing when it’s time to migrate. And finally, shout outs to Stephanie Hsu (as Vontra, the cheerily evil retrieval operative droid who arrives to take Roz back to her makers) and Ving Rhames as hawk Thunderbolt, who teaches Brightbill how to fly.

    Final Thoughts

    (from left) Fink (Pedro Pascal), Roz (Lupita N’yongo), and Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.
    (from left) Fink (Pedro Pascal), Roz (Lupita N’yongo), and Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘The Wild Robot’ may not completely push the boundaries of what an animated movie should be (a lot of the “believe in yourself and become more than you thought you could” messaging will be awfully familiar, particularly to parents or guardians who have brought kids to many of these sorts of films), but it has enough genuine heart and invention to succeed.

    And visually, it’s absolutely stunning in places, letting the imagery do the work but never skimping on the storytelling.

    ‘The Wild Robot’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

    qkz7nE8gcV5r1TIQtYQ2n

    What’s the plot of ‘The Wild Robot’?

    ‘The Wild Robot’ follows the journey of a robot –– Rozzum unit 7134, “Roz” (Lupita Nyong’o) for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Wild Robot?

    • Lupita Nyong’o as ROZZUM unit 7134 (“Roz”)
    • Pedro Pascal as Fink
    • Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail
    • Bill Nighy as Longneck
    • Stephanie Hsu as Vontra
    • Mark Hamill as Thorn
    • Matt Berry as Paddler
    • Ving Rhames as Thunderbolt
    (from left) Brightbill (Kit Connor) and Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'The Wild Robot', directed by Chris Sanders.
    (from left) Brightbill (Kit Connor) and Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders. © 2024 DreamWorks Animation. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Lupita N’yongo Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Wild Robot’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Lupita N’yongo Movies on Amazon

    yO0umo4Z