| Night at the Museum | |
|---|---|
 Franchise logo | |
| Created by | |
| Original work | Night at the Museum (2006) |
| Owner | 20th Century Studios |
| Years | 2006–present |
| Based on | The Night at the Museum andAnother Night at the Museum byMilan Trenc |
| Print publications | |
| Novel(s) |
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| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) |
Night at the Museum is an Americanmedia franchise offantasy-comedy films based on the1993 children's book byMilan Trenc, directed byShawn Levy and written byRobert Ben Garant andThomas Lennon. StarringBen Stiller as a museum night security guard named Larry Daley, the first three films also star anensemble cast featuringRobin Williams,Owen Wilson,Ricky Gervais,Steve Coogan,Patrick Gallagher,Rami Malek,Mizuo Peck,Mickey Rooney,Bill Cobbs,Brad Garrett andDick Van Dyke, while thevideo game and4th film feature a recast ensemble of voice actors.
When Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), a divorced father who was having trouble finding a job, applies for a job at theAmerican Museum of Natural History, he is assigned as a night guard. However, a seemingly easy job turns out to be a wild ride when he finds that an ancient spell has caused the exhibits of the museum to come to life.
Three years after the first film, several of the exhibits are transferred to theSmithsonian in Washington, D.C., and Dexter the monkey steals the tablet of Ahkmenrah. Larry must break in and team up with his old friends, and new allyAmelia Earhart, to get it back from Ahkmenrah's resurrected evil older brother Kahmunrah before morning.
Five years after the second film, Larry discovers that the tablet of Ahkmenrah's magic is failing. He and his now-teenage son Nick, along withTeddy Roosevelt,Sacagawea, Jedediah, Octavius, Dexter,Attila the Hun, and a new caveman figure named Laaa (who looks like Larry) travel to theBritish Museum in London to undo the curse, with the help of Ahkmenrah's parents and the narcissistic Sir Lancelot of Camelot, before the tablet's magic disappears forever.
The story follows Nick Daley, the teenage son of Larry Daley (the former night guard of the American Museum of Natural History), as he takes on the role of night watchman at the museum. Like his father, Nick quickly discovers that the exhibits come to life at night thanks to a magical Egyptian tablet.
Nick struggles with anxiety and self-doubt but is determined to prove himself. His fears are put to the test when Kahmunrah, the villainous pharaoh from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, escapes his underground tomb. Kahmunrah has plans to unleash the Egyptian underworld and take over the world with an army of the undead. To stop him, Nick teams up with the familiar living exhibits, including Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Attila the Hun, Laaa the caveman, and Joan of Arc, in a comedic and action-packed adventure. Together, they must prevent Kahmunrah from opening a portal to the underworld and destroying the world.
Thomas Lennon hinted that another film could be developed and expressed interest in doing another live-action film with Ben Stiller. He added that the animated film "opens up a lot of new possibilities".[1]
In July 2025, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that a new live-action Night at the Museum film is in the works. The project is being produced by Shawn Levy's production company, 21 Laps Entertainment. Levy, will serve as a producer alongside Dan Levine and Emily Morris.Tripper Clancy, has been hired to write the screenplay. The film is expected to introduce a new set of characters and historical figures, marking a creative shift from the original films.[2]
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the series.
| Film | Director | Producer(s) | Writer(s) | Composer | Cinematographer | Editor(s) | Production companies | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night at the Museum | Shawn Levy | Shawn Levy Chris Columbus Michael Barnathan | Thomas Lennon Robert Ben Garant | Alan Silvestri | Guillermo Navarro | Don Zimmerman | 1492 Pictures 20th Century Fox 21 Laps Entertainment | 20th Century Fox |
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | John Schwartzman | Don Zimmerman Dean Zimmerman | 1492 Pictures 20th Century Fox 21 Laps Entertainment Dune Entertainment | |||||
| Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | David Guion Michael Handelman | Guillermo Navarro | Dean Zimmerman | 1492 Pictures 20th Century Fox 21 Laps Entertainment TSG Entertainment | ||||
| Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again | Matt Danner[3] | Shawn Levy[4] | Ray DeLaurentis William Schifrin | John Paesano[5] | — | Luc Perrault | Walt Disney Pictures[6] Atomic Cartoons Alibaba Pictures 21 Laps Entertainment | Disney+ |
| Title | U.S. release date | Budget | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening weekend (North America) | North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America | All time Worldwide | ||||
| Night at the Museum | December 22, 2006 (2006-12-22) | $110 million | $30,433,781 | $250,863,268 | $323,617,961 | $574,481,229 | #100 | #123 | [7] |
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | May 22, 2009 (2009-05-22) | $150 million | $54,173,286 | $177,243,721 | $235,862,449 | $413,106,170 | #221 | #220 | [8] |
| Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | December 19, 2014 (2014-12-19) | $127 million | $17,100,520 | $113,746,621 | $249,458,014 | $363,204,635 | #516 | #272 | [9] |
| Totals | $387 million | $101,707,587 | $541,853,610 | $808,938,424 | $1,350,792,034 | [10] | |||
The franchise has received mixed reviews from critics.
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore[11] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night at the Museum | 43% (136 reviews)[12] | 48 (28 reviews)[13] | A- |
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | 45% (167 reviews)[14] | 42 (31 reviews)[15] | B+ |
| Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | 47% (112 reviews)[16] | 47 (33 reviews)[17] | B+ |
| Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again | 71% (14 reviews)[18] | TBA | |
In April and May 2009,Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – The Video Game, anaction-adventurevideo game adaptation of thefeature film of the same name, developed byAmaze Entertainment andPipeworks Software, was published byMajesco Entertainment toBlackBerry,Wii,Microsoft Windows,Nintendo DS, andXbox 360.[19]Ben Stiller reprises his role in the film as the voice of Larry Daley.[20]
In April 2020,Alan Menken revealed that he is working as lyricist and composer for a stage musical adaptation ofNight at the Museum.[21] On September 11, 2020,Night at the Museum directorShawn Levy revealed that he is also working on the musical, which has been in development for "a year and a half" by that point.[22] Work on the musical had to be done remotely throughZoom due toCOVID.[21]
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