| Animal Crackers | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster designed by Sava | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by | Ximo Romero |
| Music by | Bear McCreary[1] |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $17 million[2] |
| Box office | $14 million[3] |
Animal Crackers is a 2017 animatedfantasycomedy film directed byScott Christian Sava andTony Bancroft, written by Sava andDean Lorey and based on theanimal-shaped cookie (and also loosely on the graphic novel by Sava).[4] The film features the voices ofJohn Krasinski,Emily Blunt,Danny DeVito,Ian McKellen,Sylvester Stallone,Patrick Warburton,Raven-Symoné,Harvey Fierstein,Wallace Shawn,Gilbert Gottfried,Tara Strong,James Arnold Taylor,Kevin Grevioux, and Lydia Rose Taylor in her film debut. It tells the story of a family who comes across a box of magical animal crackers that turns anyone that consumes a cracker into the animal that the cracker represents and this animal handily saves the circus that the family was associated with.
The film premiered at theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2017. It was released in China on July 21, 2018.[3] It was released onNetflix on July 24, 2020, to mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.[5]
On November 8, 2024, it was announced a sequel originally titledAnimal Crackers 2 is currently in production and was set for 2026.[6] On November 14, 2025, it was announced that the film was retitled asAnimal Crackers 2: The Next Batch and it was delayed to 2027.[7]
In 1962, brothers "Buffalo" Bob and Horatio Huntington ran a successful travelingcircus, despite their vastly different personalities. After a show, the circus' residentRomani fortune-teller Esmeralda presents her beautiful niece, Talia, to her employers, asking them to give her a job. Bob and Horatio are immediately smitten with the lovely woman, but Talia is only interested in Bob. When the pair announces their plans to marry in 1964, Horatio becomes furious and gives Bob an ultimatum, asking him to choose between him and Talia. Bob marries Talia, and Esmerelda gives them a mysterious box as a wedding gift, which allows them to open a new circus. Buffalo Bob's Rootin' Tootin' Animal Circus is known for animals performing amazing and seemingly impossible feats.
Years later, Bob's nephew Owen marries his childhood friend Zoe at the circus, where they first met as kids. Following the initial excitement, Owen is soon browbeaten into working as a taste tester for Zoe's father, Mr. Woodley, at his dog biscuit factory to prove his worth to his future father-in-law. His co-worker Binkley is trying to create a new type of dog biscuit, which is constantly ruined by Mr. Woodley's assistant, Brock.
A few years later, Horatio, whose luck and success have taken a severe downturn since his fight and split with Bob, sneaks into Bob and Talia's dressing rooms, trying to find the secret to the magic animals, and accidentally starts a fire that seemingly kills Bob and Talia. Their funeral is attended by Owen, Zoe, and their daughter Mackenzie. Horatio unexpectedly visits and announces that he'll be taking over the circus. Huntington and his henchmen Mario Zucchini, Samson, Stabby, and El Diablo, start a fight, causing the Huntingtons to leave.
Before they leave, circus pets Old Blue and Zena give the Huntingtons the mysterious box, and they later discover it holdsanimal crackers. Owen eats one and turns into ahamster. The Huntingtons return to the circus to figure out how this happened. They learn from theclown Chesterfield that the animal crackers will turn the user into the animal they eat, but it contains only one human cracker to change them back. This is the secret to the circus' success; the human performers taking turns transforming themselves into animals to perform the acts. Later, he tells them they inherited the circus. Zoe is excited, but Owen, determined to please Mr. Woodley, decides to continue his job. Zoe restores the circus while Owen stays at the dog biscuit factory. Frustrated that Zoe quit her job, Mr. Woodley starts considering Brock for her replacement.
Buffalo Bob's Rootin' Tootin' Animal Circus reopens, but is a disaster upon the discovery of no animals. Owen reluctantly decides to eat the animal crackers and performs stunts as an animal. By the end of the day, Owen grows to like it and decides to quit his job. As he finishes packing up, though, Brock unwittingly eats one of the animal crackers and turns it into amandrill. To catch up with him, Owen turns into a lion, but Brock gets captured by Mario Zucchini, who also steals animal cracker pieces. Upon returning home, Owen soon discovers he has lost his human cracker and will remain an animal forever. He attempts to adapt to life as a different animal but has little success. Binkley discovers the animal crackers and aggressively persuades Mr. Woodley to attend the circus.
At one performance, Horatio appears and offers Owen'smountain gorilla form his human cracker (which Mario had also unknowingly stolen) in exchange for the circus. Owen refuses, thinking that remaining an animal will at least keep his family together. Horatio initiates Plan B, where Owen is forced into the deal by Horatio's hybridized henchmen, who help Horatio force-feed him the human cookie. The circus performers then come across the scene, and a fight breaks out, with some of them assuming animal forms to fight.
As his henchmen are defeated, Horatio eats some animal crackers and turns into a six-limbedChimera. He is then confronted by Old Blue and Zena, who reveal themselves as Bob and Talia, alive but forever trapped in animal form due to the destruction of their human crackers in the fire. They ask Horatio to redeem himself, but he refuses despite being horrified by what happened. Horatio flies up while grasping them. Owen uses Bullet Man in hisblack rhinoceros form to shoot down Horatio as he, Horatio, and Bob land in the net while Mackenzie turns into aGolden snub-nosed monkey to save Talia. Afterwards, Owen's lion form, Zoe's elephant form, Mackenzie's monkey form, and the circus performers work together to subdue Horatio. As Horatio vows to have his revenge, Owen turns him into a hamster as Bullet Man quotes "In Memoriam A.H.H." fromAlfred Lord Tennyson.
As the circus performers, Owen, Zoe, and Mackenzie, regain their human forms, Chesterfield gleefully tells the caged henchmen that their human crackers are broken as a side effect of eating the broken pieces, and it will take him a while to figure out whose parts go to whom. Mario subsequently tells Chesterfield to take his time with the others in agreement. Horatio demands to be released from his hamster cage to no avail as he starts running on a hamster wheel. Having witnessed the performance and Brock still being in mandrill form, Mr. Woodley reevaluates his views on Owen and the circus. With Binkley, he creates a new circus souvenir using her failed experiments.
By the next show, they made animal crackers that caused the eater's skin to temporarily take on the color and patterns of the animal whose crackers they eat. Owen consumes a new animal cracker in the box and takes the stage as adragon.
Additional voices byCam Clarke, Lara Cody,Debi Derryberry, Jessica Gee,Grant George, Max Koch,Brianne Siddall, and Jennie Yee
In 2011, Scott Christian Sava wrote a comic book forAnimal Crackers but was unable to garner any interest. In June 2013,Harvey Weinstein had seen a short film of the screenplay made by Sava[22] and two months later the Weinstein brothers made an offer to buy the rights toAnimal Crackers.[23] Sava co-directed the movie withTony Bancroft and co-wrote the screenplay withDean Lorey.[23]
Financing the movie were executive producers Mu Yedong on behalf of Wen Hua Dongrun Investment Co., La Peikang, board chairman of China Film Co., and Sam Chi for Landmark Asia.[24]
Despicable Me character designer, Carter Goodrich, was hired in October 2014.[25]
The voice cast was completed by casting director Jamie Thomason who also serves as the voice director.[11]
In the last week of October and throughout November 2014, Sava via theAnimal Crackers Facebook page, there were sneak peeks to the look of some characters along with announcing the voice cast for those charactersKevin Grevioux as Samson the Strong Man,[20]James Arnold Taylor as Buffalo Bob,[19]Tara Strong as Talia,[18]Harvey Fierstein as Esmerelda the Fortune Teller,[16]Gilbert Gottfried as Mario Zucchini,[17] andRaven-Symoné as Binkley.[14]
On November 6, 2014, Blue Dream Studios announcedSylvester Stallone,Danny DeVito, andIan McKellen as lead voice cast.[11] On February 3, 2015,John Krasinski andKaley Cuoco joined the cast as Owen and Zoe Huntington, respectively.[8] On March 30, 2015,Emily Blunt replaced Cuoco due to a scheduling conflict.[10]
"When I was writingAnimal Crackers I had specific voices in my head. Certain characters I wrote with actors in mind. Horatio was always Sir Ian McKellen. Brock was totallyPatrick Warburton. Bullet-Man could be no one else but Stallone! To find out that each and every one of these actors have agreed to come on board this film and bring these characters to life… I'm flipping out," said Sava.[11]
It was announced via Sava's Facebook page that his son, Brendan, would play 12-year-old Owen Huntington and his wife, Donna, would play the Fat Lady.[citation needed] On May 22, 2015, it was revealed thatWallace Shawn had been cast as Mr. Woodley, Zoe's (Blunt) father.[15]
The film's animation was created inAutodesk Maya, and rendered withArnold. In an effort to save costs, it was produced at Blue Dream Studios Spain, a 5,000-square foot house inValencia that the director, Sava, founded in early 2014. More than 120 animators worked on the film.
On January 27, 2015, Sava announced on Facebook via theAnimal Crackers page that first day of "studio sessions with the actors" began in Los Angeles.[8]
The film's original score was composed byBear McCreary,[1] and its soundtrack includes original songs byToad the Wet Sprocket,Huey Lewis and the News,Howard Jones, andMichael Bublé.[26]
| Animal Crackers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Released | July 17, 2020 |
| Recorded | 2015–2016 |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Length | 46:25 |
| Label | Sony Masterworks |
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Welcome" (John Adair version) | Ian McKellen | 2:08 |
| 2. | "While We're Young" | Huey Lewis and the News | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Like That" | Fleur East | 3:08 |
| 4. | "The Tractor" | Chris McDougall, Leslie Austin, Dayan Kai | 2:39 |
| 5. | "Master of the Ring" | Connor Clark | 2:50 |
| 6. | "Could've Been Mine" | Ian McKellen,Gilbert Gottfried | 2:09 |
| 7. | "We're in This Together" | Howard Jones | 4:52 |
| 8. | "Don't Stop Me Now" (2011 remaster) | Queen | 3:12 |
| 9. | "One of Those Days" | Toad the Wet Sprocket | 2:42 |
| 10. | "Today (Is Yesterday's Tomorrow)" | Michael Bublé | 3:22 |
| 11. | "Lost and Found" | Katie Herzig | 4:43 |
| 12. | "Animal Crackers Overture" | Bear McCreary | 5:22 |
| 13. | "Papa Bear" | Bear McCreary | 2:57 |
| 14. | "Showtime" | Bear McCreary | 2:23 |
| Total length: | 46:25 | ||
| Animal Crackers: Original Motion Picture Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film score by | ||||
| Released | July 17, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Genre | Score | |||
| Length | 1:14:03 | |||
| Label | Sony Classical | |||
| Bear McCreary chronology | ||||
| ||||
All tracks written and composed byBear McCreary.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Animal Crackers Overture" (Extended Version) | 5:51 |
| 2. | "The Huntington Brothers" | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Life at the Circus" | 3:59 |
| 4. | "The Dog Food Factory" | 4:54 |
| 5. | "News of the Fire" | 1:45 |
| 6. | "Circus Memorial" | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Holy Moly" | 2:35 |
| 8. | "Zucchini Chase" | 4:16 |
| 9. | "Little Cookie Me" | 3:22 |
| 10. | "The Magic Is Gone" | 3:01 |
| 11. | "Brock and Woodley" | 3:43 |
| 12. | "Papa Bear" (Extended Version) | 3:13 |
| 13. | "A Helping Hoof" | 1:58 |
| 14. | "The Tiger" | 3:14 |
| 15. | "Monkeying Around" | 3:58 |
| 16. | "An Offer From Horatio" | 3:40 |
| 17. | "Freak Fight" | 3:54 |
| 18. | "Chimera" | 5:57 |
| 19. | "Showtime" (Extended Version) | 6:40 |
| Total length: | 1:12:58 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 20. | "Fanfare for Bulletman" | 0:45 |
| 21. | "Blue Dream Studios Logo" | 0:20 |
| Total length: | 1:14:03 | |
The film had its world premiere in competition at theAnnecy International Animated Film Festival on June 12, 2017.[27][28]
The film found it difficult to find a distributor in North America. It was originally set to be released on April 28, 2017, byRelativity Media, however, a financial crisis within the company prevented them from releasing the film. It was then set to be released on September 1, 2017, by upstart film studio Serafini Releasing before they also shut down.[29] A few months later, in November 2017, it was announced thatEntertainment Studios would distribute the film worldwide. In April, Sava posted on Facebook that the film was set for a release date of August 10, 2018.[30] The deal with Entertainment Studios was dropped in June 2018.[31]
Eventually, the distribution rights were bought byNetflix and the film was released on July 24, 2020, on the platform.[32][5] It was the second-most streamed film on its opening weekend.[33]
The film was released on digital and on-demand on April 18, 2023, byLionsgate andGravitas Ventures.[34] Allied Vaughn would later release the film on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 3, 2023.[35] These releases were not authenticated or approved by director Scott Christian Sava, and are presumed to be licensed through investor Mayday Productions or another unknown outside entity.[36]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 67% based on 22 reviews, with an average rating of 6.00/10. It had a critical consensus which read: "Animal Crackers is far from the most distinctive animated fare, but its wacky humor and zippy speed make it a decent diversion for younger viewers."[37] OnMetacritic, the film has aweighted average score of 60 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[38]
In Annecy 2017 movie review, Jordan Mintzer ofThe Hollywood Reporter states that the story is "mostly predictable directions despite the limited pleasure of seeing those mighty morphin power crackers in action." He also noted that the filmmakers seem to have "put more thought into the livelihood of their snacks than they did into the main characters, who mostly come across as stock cartoon types." Overall, he stated about the film could be considered "passable enough, though it's far from the level ofSausage Party orCloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, to name some other edible animation tales."[39] Peter Debruge ofVariety Magazine wrote that it's "uniquely suited to the medium of animation, considering that live action (even heavily CG-embellished live action) simply wouldn't support all those dramatic transformations […] and the wonderfully anthropomorphic behavior each of those species requires." He also wroted that the film "asserts its own identity, combining some of the most distinctive voices with an ensemble of personality-rich, sequel-ready characters. And best of all: Absolutely no animals were harmed in the making of this film."[40]
Renee Schonfeld ofCommon Sense Media gave the film three stars out of five, describing a "fantastical tale has wacky characters, music, and cartoon peril."[41]Nell Minow ofRogerEbert.com rated the film three stars out of four, saying that thecharacter designs are "average" and the action scenes are "energetic and staged with a strong sense of space." She also noted that thesubplot "drags a little […] in the middle of Horatio's plot […]."[42] David Ehrlich ofIndieWire gave the film a rate 2.5 stars out of 5 (Grade: B−), stating that the movie is "turned out kind of…decent." He saids that the film is "something of a musical. Imagine the spirit of "The Greatest Showman" with the graphics of "Mario Kart 64" and you'll be on the right track." He noted that the animation is "low-budget kids fare," while the script is "decent" and "some delightful voicework." He also noted that the ending is "much like "The Odyssey," the long and bloodsoaked journey of "Animal Crackers" has a reasonably happy ending."[43] Jack Bottomley ofStarburst Magazine rated the film also three stars out of five, saying that it's "not perfect but it's a good directorial debut for Sava that is ultimately fun and offers families a wacky afternoon's viewing, with an uplifting final note and, in these tough times, that's a good thing to strive for and achieve." He says about the film's screenplay is "does not re-invent the wheel here, and it does take a little time to build up the steam it needs as it heads towards its cracker-induced animal shapeshifting concept." He also saws about a "few moments when it occasionally threatens to dampen some creatively exciting ideas with a few different sub-plots and techniques but eventually they bring it together nicely for a grandclimax…which is actually kind of appropriate considering the plot." He praised the climax, animation, and character designs that "remind a bit of the work of Laika." Likewise, the film's composer Bear McCreary called it "moments too and meshes well with some good visual colour and pop."[44] Patrick Gibbs ofSLUG Magazine reviewed the film about the animation is "notPixar level, but it's good enough, with its own style and sensibilities and lots of colorful imagery." He also noted that the voice cast is "delightful," and the "goofy premise allows for some very fun moments that are a blast for kids."[45] John Serba ofDecider wrote the film that it's "kind of a mess." He also wrote that the animation is "modest budget," the themes are "relegating any potential," and the plot is a "ill-defined amongst a lot of rubble." He enjoys how it's "blend of musical sequences and occasionally problematic depictions of circus artists reminded [him] of bothThe Greatest Showman andTod Browning'sFreaks."[46]
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