| Playdate with Destiny | |
|---|---|
 Disney+ promotional poster | |
| Directed by | David Silverman |
| Written by | |
| Based on | The Simpsons by Matt Groening |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Chris Edgerly |
| Music by | Jim Dooley |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
Release dates | |
Running time | 5 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny", also known asPlaydate with Destiny, is a 2020 American animatedshort film based on the animated television seriesThe Simpsons. The film featuresMaggie Simpson.[1] It is the firstSimpsons short film released after theDisneyacquisition of20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox).
The film premiered on February 29, 2020, attached to advance screenings of theDisney/Pixar releaseOnward, with its general rollout on March 6, 2020.[2] It is the thirdSimpsons film made for theatrical release, afterThe Simpsons Movie (2007) andThe Longest Daycare (2012). The short was released on April 10, 2020 onDisney+.[3][4][5]
Maggie Simpson is taken to a playground byMarge. When another baby goes down theslide and almost crashes into her, she is saved by a boy named Hudson. Maggie becomes smitten with Hudson, and that's when the two play games together, which Maggie fantasizes as a whirlwind romance. At the end of the day, Maggie gives Hudson her blue bow to remember her by, and that night, she dreams about Hudson in her sleep.
The next day,Homer looks after Maggie instead of Marge, and decides he takes her to a different park with food trucks. Maggie sees Hudson waiting for her in the adjacent park, and desperately tries to get his attention, but fails when Homer pulls her away before she can. That night, Maggie drowns her sorrows in baby formula and becomes despondent over not being able to see Hudson.
The next day, Homer babysits Maggie again. Before he can take her to the same park as the day before, Maggie grabs hold of the car's steering wheel and steers it into the park where she met Hudson. She sees him boarding a train for children and runs across the park to catch up with him.
When Hudson sees Maggie trying to catch up with the train, he reaches out to her with her blue bow, but as she grabs her bow, Maggie fails to catch up before the train pulls away out of her reach. Maggie believes Hudson is gone forever, but is unaware that the train (running on a circular closed track) loops around to the station at which it started. Maggie and Hudson reunite on the train engine's cowcatcher, and exchange pacifiers (in lieu of sharing a kiss).
Playdate with Destiny's plot was pitched byThe Simpsons writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross as part of the episode of season 31, "The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby."[6] They began working on the episode, and executive producer Jim Brooks suggested using the plot for a short instead.[6]
After21st Century Fox's purchase byDisney, theSimpsons staff sentPlaydate with Destiny toBob Iger and the Disney staff. According to Al Jean, they asked "Can we please, please go in front of aPixar movie?"[7] Once approved, they requested to be shown with "something that's compatible"; the staff were "ecstatic" when offeredOnward.[6]
Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Studios is reflected in the short's introduction, showing a silhouette ofMickey Mouse before transitioning toHomer Simpson holding two donuts. Likewise, the logo for Gracie Films seen at the end of the short replaces one of the patrons with Mickey Mouse.
Playdate with Destiny was first announced to the public on the show's official Instagram on February 27, 2020.[8] It was revealed that the short would be shown in theaters in the United States prior to screenings of the filmOnward, starting on March 6, 2020.[8]
It was released to the streaming serviceDisney+ on April 10, 2020.[9]
The Simpsons episode "The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby" has been described as "an extension"[6] and "a sequel,"[7] featuring a reappearance of Hudson.[10]
A further short film featuring Maggie Simpson titledThe Force Awakens from Its Nap released on Disney+ on May 4, 2021,Star Wars Day. It is the first of a series of shorts ofThe Simpsons, crossing over with other franchises on Disney+, throughout 2021.[11] In 2023, another short film was released with Maggie Simpson celebratingStar Wars Day calledRogue Not Quite One.[12]
Films directed byDavid Silverman | |
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