Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated comic science fiction film based on the characters from the Peabody's Improbable History segments of the 1960s animated television series, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. It is produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Rob Minkoff is the director, and Alex Schwartz and Denise Nolan Cascino are the producers. Tiffany Ward, daughter of Jay Ward, one of the creators of the original series, is the executive producer.[5] Mr. Peabody & Sherman will feature the voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, and Leslie Mann. Mr. Peabody & Sherman is the first DreamWorks animated feature to feature characters from the Classic Media library since DreamWorks Animation's 2012 acquisition of Classic Media.[6] The film premiered on February 7, 2014 in the United Kingdom,[1] and will be released March 7, 2014 in the United States.[7]
| Mr. Peabody & Sherman | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rob Minkoff |
| Screenplay by | Craig Wright |
| Produced by | Alex Schwartz Denise Nolan Cascino |
| Starring | Ty Burrell Max Charles Ariel Winter Leslie Mann Stephen Colbert |
| Edited by | Tom Finan |
| Music by | Danny Elfman[2] |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $39,506,000[4] |
Plot
The film features Mr. Peabody, a talking dog who is the smartest being in the world, and his adopted boy Sherman. On his first day of school, Sherman comes into conflict with another classmate named Penny Peterson. The adoption agency informs Peabody that they will reclaim Sherman if any more incidents occur at school. To complicate this issue, Peabody invites the Petersons over to "break the ice." After Sherman's misuse of their time traveling WABAC machine to impress Penny has disastrous and comical results, it is up to them to put things on track before the space-time continuum is irreparably destroyed.[8]
Voice Cast
- Ty Burrell as Mr. Peabody,[8] a talking dog, business titan, inventor, scientist, Nobel laureate, gourmet, and two-time Olympic medalist.[9]
- Max Charles as Sherman,[8] Peabody's seven-year-old adopted boy.[10]
- Ariel Winter as Penny Peterson, Mr. & Mrs. Peterson's daughter[11] and Sherman's classmate.[12]
- Stephen Colbert as Paul Peterson, Penny Peterson's father and Patty's husband.[11]
- Leslie Mann as Patty Peterson, Paul's wife and Penny's mother.[12][13]
- Allison Janney as Mrs. Grunion, a school counselor.[11][14]
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Principal Purdy[15]
- Mel Brooks as Sigmund Freud[13][16]
- Stanley Tucci as Leonardo da Vinci[12][13]
- Patrick Warburton as King Agamemnon[17]
- Lake Bell as Mona Lisa[12]
- Zach Callison as King Tut[18]
- Lauri Fraser as Marie Antoinette[15]
- Guillaume Aretos as Maximilien de Robespierre[15]
- Dennis Haysbert as Judge[19]
Production
Development
Plans for a film based on the characters of Mister Peabody and Sherman have existed for several years with director Rob Minkoff. His first attempt to make a feature film goes to 2003, when it was reported that Minkoff's Sony-based production company Sprocketdyne Entertainment and Bullwinkle Studios would produce a live-action/CG film, with a possibility of Minkoff to direct it.[20]
The live-action film was not realized, but in 2006, Minkoff joined DreamWorks Animation to direct a computer-animated film adaptation. Andrew Kurtzman was set to write the screenplay, based on the pitch, developed by Minkoff with his longtime producing partner Jason Clark.[21]
Tiffany Ward, daughter of Jay Ward, one of the creators of the original series, served as an executive producer,[5] whose job was to make sure the film stayed "true to the integrity of the characters." When she was approached by Minkoff ten years before the film's release, she was enthused by his intention to respect the legacy: "What better caretaker for the characters could we ask for than Rob."[22] Lengthy pursuit to make the adaptation "perfect" took them a long time, but she was pleased with the end result, which stayed "very true to the original cartoon."[22]
Casting
Originally, Robert Downey, Jr. was set to voice Mr. Peabody,[23] but in March 2012, he was replaced by Ty Burrell.[8] Max Charles, the actor who plays young Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, will voice Sherman.[8] Stephen Colbert will voice Paul Peterson, Leslie Mann, who replaced Ellie Kemper, will voice Peterson's wife, Patty,[12] and Ariel Winter will voice their daughter Penny. Also joining the cast are Stephen Tobolowsky, Allison Janney, Mel Brooks, Stanley Tucci, Patrick Warburton, Lake Bell, Zach Callison, and Dennis Haysbert.[11] According to Minkoff, Burrell was chosen because his voice "embodied all the different aspects of the character today. Not just the intellect and the suave personality, but the underlying warmth as well."[22]
Release
Mr. Peabody & Sherman went through several release date changes. Originally scheduled for March 2014,[24][25] DreamWorks Animation's high expectations moved the film to November 2013, replacing another DreamWorks Animation film Me and My Shadow.[11][26] The last shift happened in February 2013, which pushed the film back to March 7, 2014, reportedly due to "more advantageous release window", again replacing Me and My Shadow.[7] The film premiered a month earlier in the United Kingdom, on February 7, 2014.[27]
The film was planned[28] to be theatrically[29] accompanied with a DreamWorks Animation short film Rocky & Bullwinkle,[30] based on the Rocky and Bullwinkle characters from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The short was directed by Gary Trousdale, who is known for co-directing Beauty and the Beast, produced by Nolan Cascino, and written by Thomas Lennon and Robert Garant.[30] June Foray will reprise her role as Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel,[30] while Tom Kenny will voice Bullwinkle Moose.[31] The short will serve as a test for a possible feature film based on the characters.[32]
Soundtrack
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
The film's score was composed by Danny Elfman. The soundtrack will be released by Relativity Music Group on March 4, 2014.[33] Peter Andre wrote and performed for the film a song titled "Kid," which will be played during the end credits.[34]
- Track listing
All music is composed by Danny Elfman, except as noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mr. Peabody’s Prologue" | |
| 2. | "Reign of Terror!" | |
| 3. | "The Drop Off" | |
| 4. | "The Dog Whistle" | |
| 5. | "The Cherry Tree" | |
| 6. | "A Deep Regard" | |
| 7. | "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" (John Lennon) | |
| 8. | "Dinner Party" | |
| 9. | "The Petersons / The Wabac Machine" | |
| 10. | "Aquarela do Brasil" | |
| 11. | "Off to Egypt" | |
| 12. | "The Wedding Exodus" | |
| 13. | "Hammer-Time" | |
| 14. | "The Flying Machine" | |
| 15. | "Trojan Horse" | |
| 16. | "War / Disaster" | |
| 17. | "History Mash-Up" | |
| 18. | "I’m a Dog Too" | |
| 19. | "Fixing the Rip" | |
| 20. | "Back to School" | |
| 21. | "Aquarela do Brasil (Coda)" | |
| 22. | "The Amazing Mr. Peabody" | |
| 23. | "Way Back When" (Grizfolk) |
Reception
Mr. Peabody & Sherman received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 91% based on reviews from 23 critics, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's consensus reads: "Mr. Peabody & Sherman offers a surprisingly entertaining burst of colorful all-ages fun, despite of its dated source material and rather convoluted plot."[35]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said: "(The film) takes a little while for the audience to get up to speed, but once this is achieved, there's an awful lot of unexpected fun to be had,"[36] while Mark Kermode of the sister paper The Observer declared, "Pleasant to report, then, that DreamWorks' latest offers a fairly consistent stream of sight gags and vocal slapstick, even as the plot veers wildly down a wormhole in the time-space continuum."[37]
References
- ^ a b Turner, Laura (October 16, 2013). "20th Century Fox DreamWorks sponsors Regent St Xmas lights". CWB Online. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ^ Kelly, Laura (October 17, 2013). "Danny Elfman Interview: "This is Daunting in the Extreme..."". Big Issue. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ "MR PEABODY & SHERMAN (U)". 20th Century Fox. British Board of Film Classification. January 23, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ "Mr. Peabody & Sherman". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Topel, Fred (December 12, 2012). "Family Rights: Tiffany Ward on Mr. Peabody and Sherman". Crave Online. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Verrier, Richard (July 23, 2012). "DreamWorks Animation buys 'Casper,' 'Lassie' parent Classic Media". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
- ^ a b "DreamWorks Animation Pushes Back Release for 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Ty Burrell & Max Charles Take On Lead Roles in DreamWorks Animation's Mr. Peabody & Sherman in 2014". DreamWorks Animation. March 16, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
- ^ Geoghegan, Kev (February 7, 2014). "Mr Peabody & Sherman 'respectful' to original series". BBC News. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (February 6, 2014). "Mr Peabody & Sherman – review". The Guardian. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e McClintock, Pamela (June 11, 2012). "Stephen Colbert, Allison Janney Join Voice Cast of 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Alexander, Bryan (October 16, 2013). "Sneak peek: A new time for 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman'". USA Today. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ a b c Trumbore, Dave (December 4, 2012). "DreamWorks Presents Sneak Peeks at THE CROODS, TURBO and MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN". Collider.com. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ Cornet, Roth (December 6, 2012). "DreamWorks Animation Previews Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Turbo, and The Croods". IGN. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Mr Peabody and Sherman". British Film Institute. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ Minkoff, Rob (August 30, 2012). "Mel Brooks as Sigmund Freud in Mr. Peabody & Sherman". Twitter. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- ^ Doty, Meriah (January 21, 2014). "'Mr. Peabody and Sherman' Clip Pits Time-Traveling Dog vs. Greek Warriors". Yahoo Movies. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ Callison, Zach (June 1, 2013). "@d_m_elms no song, but a fun role to play. can't wait to see". Twitter. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ "Story Overlay". Mr. Peabody and Sherman. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ^ Ball, Ryan (June 10, 2003). "A CG Mr. Peabody Will Travel in Feature". Animation Magazine. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- ^ "DreamWorks Animation and Director Rob Minkoff Team Up to Bring 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman' to the Big Screen". DreamWorks Animation. September 15, 2006. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- ^ a b c Zahed, Ramin (October 25, 2013). "A Sneak Peek at 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (January 17, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Robert Downey Jr. to star in 'Peabody and Sherman' for DreamWorks Animation". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ "DreamWorks Animation Announces Feature Film Release Slate Through 2014". DreamWorks Animation. March 8, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- ^ "Gregg Taylor Named DreamWorks Animation's Head of Development and Alex Schwartz Named Producer of Mr. Peabody & Sherman". DreamWorks Animation. January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ DreamWorks Animation (September 9, 2012). "New Distributor Twentieth Century Fox Unveils DreamWorks Animation's Release Slate Through 2016". DreamWorks Animation. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (February 2, 2014). "Film Review: 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman'". Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ Graser, Marc (February 25, 2014). "DreamWorks Animation Profitable in Q4 Despite $13.5 Million 'Turbo' Loss". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
Company also took an impairment charge of $6.7 million from the production of a "Rocky and Bullwinkle" short that was to play in front of Mr. Peabody & Sherman.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (December 6, 2012). "DreamWorks Animation Previews 2013 Slate". Animation World Network. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
According to Desowitz, Minkoff also said there will be a Rocky & Bullwinkle short in front of the Mr. Peabody & Sherman feature, with Rocky to be voiced by the venerable June Foray.
- ^ a b c DreamWorks Animation (November 4, 2013). "Hokey Smoke! DreamWorks Animation Produces New Rocky & Bullwinkle Short". PR Newswire. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Todd (October 14, 2013). "SpongeBob's Tom Kenny talks his favorite voiceover artists". A.V. Club. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ^ Hulett, Steve (October 26, 2012). "The Gary Trousdale Interview -- Part III". The Animation Guild. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- ^ "'Mr. Peabody & Sherman' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. February 1, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ "Peter Andre Pens Song for Forthcoming DreamWorks Animation Film Mr. Peabody & Sherman". GooSeedPR.com (Press release). February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ "Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (February 6, 2014). "Mr Peabody & Sherman – review". The Guardian. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (February 9, 2014). "Mr Peabody & Sherman – review | Mark Kermode". The Observer. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
