Arctic Dogs

Last updated

Arctic Dogs
Arctic Dogs poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Aaron Woodley
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Edited byLesley Mackay Hunter
Music by David Buckley
Production
companies
Distributed by Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures [2]
Release date
  • November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)
Running time
93 minutes
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million [4]
Box office$9.9 million [2] [5]

Arctic Dogs (also known as Arctic Justice internationally or Polar Squad in the UK) is a 2019 animated comedy film co-written and directed by Aaron Woodley [6] and co-directed by Dimos Vrysellas. The film stars the voices of Jeremy Renner, Heidi Klum, James Franco, John Cleese, Omar Sy, Michael Madsen, Laurie Holden, Anjelica Huston and Alec Baldwin.

Contents

Entertainment Studios released Arctic Dogs on November 1, 2019, in Canada and the United States. It was a box-office bomb, grossing less than a fifth of its production budget of $50 million and received generally negative reviews from critics. Despite its critical and commercial failure, the film spawned a franchise including a web series and multiple spin-off series and films.

Plot

Swifty (Jeremy Renner), an Arctic fox, works in the mailroom of the Arctic Blast Delivery Service, but he has much bigger dreams. He wishes to become a Top Dog, the Arctic's star husky couriers. To prove he can do it, he commandeers one of the sleds and delivers a mysterious package to a secret location. Once there, he stumbles onto a hidden fortress, overseen by the nefarious Otto Von Walrus (John Cleese). The blubbery evil genius commands an army of oddly polite puffin henchmen.

Swifty discovers Otto Von Walrus' villainous plan to drill beneath the snow-packed surface to unleash masses of ancient gas to melt the Arctic and become the world's supreme ruler. To stop this sinister scheme, Swifty enlists the help of his friends: P.B. (Alec Baldwin), a neurotic polar bear, Lemmy (James Franco), a scatterbrained albatross, Jade (Heidi Klum), a brainy red fox engineer and Swifty's love interest, Leopold (Omar Sy) and Bertha (also voiced by Heidi Klum), two conspiracy theorist otters and Magda (Anjelica Huston), his curmudgeonly caribou boss.

Voice cast

Release

Arctic Dogs was originally titled as Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad and was originally acquired by Open Road Films, originally scheduled to be released on an undisclosed 2018 date. [7] The film was acquired by Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures in the United States and Canada due to its Open Road Films' bankruptcy and solely released on November 1, 2019. [8] [9] Lionsgate Home Entertainment released it on DVD and Blu-ray on February 4, 2020. It made $1.3 million in total US video sales. [10]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Arctic Dogs was released alongside Harriet , Terminator: Dark Fate and Motherless Brooklyn and was projected to gross $5–10 million from 2,835 theaters in its opening weekend. [11] It made $700,000 on its first day and ended up debuting to just $2.9 million, finishing 10th and marking the worst opening of all-time for a film playing in over 2,800 theaters. [12] [13]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 12% based on 17 reviews and an average rating of 3.8/10. [14] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 28 out of 100 based on four critics, indicating generally unfavorable reviews. [15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 64% and a 41% "definite recommend". [12]

In 2020, it received a Canadian Cinema Editors Awards nomination for Best Editing in Animation. [16]

Animated series and spin-off films

A web series set after the events of the film titled Arctic Friends was released in September 2020 on both Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, consisting of 40 collections (160 shorts). [17] Another spin-off series titled Puffins was also released, featuring the voice of Johnny Depp as Johnny Puff. [18] [19] A spin-off of Puffins, entitled Puffins Impossible, was released in April 2022, with Depp reprising his role as Puff. [20] There are also two Christmas live action/animation spin-off films titled Christmas Thieves (2021) and The Good Witch of Christmas (2022). [21] [22]

Spin-off animated films

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal (musician)</span> British singer (born 1963)

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel is a British singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the recipient of three Brit Awards, four Grammy Awards, and an MTV Video Music Award, with 20 million albums or singles sold by October 2011. He signed with record producer Trevor Horn's ZTT Records to release his eponymous debut studio album (1991). Met with critical and commercial success, it spawned the singles "Crazy" and "Killer", which peaked at numbers two and one on the UK singles chart, respectively, while both entered the US Billboard Hot 100. His 1994 single, "Kiss from a Rose", peaked atop the latter chart after its inclusion on the film soundtracks for The NeverEnding Story III and Batman Forever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Depp</span> American actor (born 1963)

John Christopher Depp II is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA awards. His films, in which he has often played eccentric characters, have grossed over $8 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidi Klum</span> German-American model, television host and businesswoman (born 1973)

Heidi Klum is a German-American model, television host, producer, and businesswoman. She appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1998 and was the first German model to become a Victoria's Secret Angel.

<i>An American Tail: Fievel Goes West</i> 1991 animated film directed by Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is a 1991 American animated Western musical adventure film directed by Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells, with producer Steven Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment and animated by his Amblimation animation studio and released by Universal Pictures. A sequel to 1986's An American Tail, the film follows the story of the Mousekewitzes, a family of Russian-Jewish mice who emigrate to the Wild West. In it, Fievel is separated from his family as the train approaches the American Old West; the film chronicles him and Sheriff Wylie Burp teaching Tiger how to act like a dog.

<i>The Swan Princess</i> 1994 American film

The Swan Princess is a 1994 American animated musical fantasy film based on the ballet Swan Lake. Featuring Michelle Nicastro, Howard McGillin, Jack Palance, John Cleese, Steven Wright, Sandy Duncan, and Steve Vinovich, the film is directed by former Disney animation director Richard Rich and scored by Lex de Azevedo. The film was distributed by New Line Cinema in the United States and by Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International outside the US. It was released theatrically on November 18, 1994, and grossed $9.8 million against a $21 million budget, becoming a box-office bomb, partly due to struggling competition with a re-release of The Lion King (1994). The film later became popular through home video releases and has since been followed by a series of direct-to-video sequels starting in 1997.

<i>The Cat in the Hat</i> (film) 2003 film by Bo Welch

The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Bo Welch in his directorial debut and written by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer. Loosely based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 book of the same name, it was the second and final live-action Dr. Seuss adaptation after How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). The film stars Mike Myers in the title role along with Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill and Sean Hayes in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infinitum Nihil</span> American film production company

Infinitum Nihil is an American film production company, founded by Johnny Depp. The company is run by Depp's sister Christi Dembrowski. Depp founded the company in 2004 to develop projects where he will serve as actor and/or producer. The name means "Nothing infinite" in Latin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Heard</span> American actress (born 1986)

Amber Laura Heard is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006), and went on to star in films such as The Ward (2010), Drive Angry (2011), and London Fields (2018). She has also had supporting roles in films including Pineapple Express (2008), Never Back Down (2008), The Joneses (2009), The Rum Diary (2011), Paranoia (2013), Machete Kills (2013), 3 Days to Kill (2014), Magic Mike XXL (2015), and The Danish Girl (2015). From 2017 to 2023, Heard played Mera in the DC Extended Universe, including the films Justice League (2017), Aquaman (2018), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). She has also acted in television series such as The CW's teen drama Hidden Palms (2007) and the Paramount+ fantasy series The Stand (2020–2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper the Friendly Ghost</span> Fictional cartoon ghost

Casper the Friendly Ghost is a fictional character who serves as the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. He is a translucent ghost who is pleasant and personable, but often criticized by his three wicked uncles, the Ghostly Trio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One</span> 11th episode of the 6th season of SpongeBob SquarePants

"SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One", also known as "The Secret of Kahuna Laguna" and "SpongeBob SquarePants and The Big Wave" is the 11th episode of the sixth season and the 111th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Aaron Springer who also directed the storyboards, Paul Tibbitt, and Steven Banks, and the animation was directed by Andrew Overtoom and supervising director, Alan Smart. The episode was part of the series' tenth anniversary celebration in 2009. It features guest appearances by Johnny Depp as the voice of Jack Kahuna Laguna, Bruce Brown as the narrator, and Davy Jones as himself. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 17, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Kids' Choice Awards</span> Childrens television awards show program broadcast in 2011

The 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on April 2, 2011, at the Galen Center at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, US's University Park neighborhood due to renovations disallowing use of traditional venue Pauley Pavilion until at least 2013. Jack Black returned as host for the third time since 2006. The 2011 telecast was the first Kids' Choice Awards to take place in the month of April since 2006, as the previous four Kids' Choice telecasts from 2007 to 2010 were held on the last Saturday in March. Nominees were announced on February 10, 2011, for twenty categories. During the show, the Big Green Help Award was presented to Justin Timberlake, an honor given each year. More than 200 million record-breaking votes were cast for this year's 20-category awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergio Navarretta</span> Canadian film director

Sergio Navarretta is a Canadian film director who draws inspiration from Italian cinema. Navarretta is best known for The Cuban and his first feature film, Looking for Angelina, based on the true-life story of Angelina Napolitano. The International Women of the World in Bologna, Italy, presented Navarretta with a special award on September 18, 2010, for his work on Looking for Angelina. Navarretta is a co-founder of S.N.A.P. Films Inc., along with his partner Alessandra Piccione.

<i>Rango</i> (2011 film) 2011 American animated film

Rango is a 2011 American animated action comedy Western film directed by Gore Verbinski from a screenplay by John Logan. Co-produced by Verbinski with Graham King and John B. Carls, the film stars the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone and Timothy Olyphant. The film's plot centers on Rango (Depp), a pet chameleon who accidentally ends up in the town of Dirt, an outpost that is in desperate need of a new sheriff. Rango was produced by Nickelodeon Movies, Verbinski's Blind Wink Productions, and King's GK Films, and distributed by Paramount Pictures, with the animation provided by Industrial Light & Magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Depp filmography</span>

Johnny Depp is an American actor, producer and musician. He has appeared in films, television series, and video games. He made his film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. In the two following years, Depp appeared in the comedy Private Resort (1985), the war film Platoon (1986), and Slow Burn (1986). A year later, he started playing his recurring role as Officer Tom Hanson in the police procedural television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990) which he played until the middle of season 4, and during this time, he experienced a rapid rise as a professional actor.

<i>Tusk</i> (2014 film) Body horror comedy film by Kevin Smith

Tusk is a 2014 American independent body horror comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, based on a story from his SModcast podcast. The film stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Lily-Rose Depp and Johnny Depp. The film is the first in Smith's planned True North trilogy, followed by Yoga Hosers (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily-Rose Depp</span> French-American actress (born 1999)

Lily-Rose Melody Depp is a French-American actress and singer. Born to actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, she began her acting career in film with a minor role in Tusk (2014) and pursued a career as a fashion model. Since 2015, she has been a brand ambassador for the French fashion house Chanel. She starred in the period dramas The Dancer (2016), Planetarium (2016) and The King (2019), and the romantic comedy A Faithful Man (2018). In 2023, she starred in the HBO television drama series The Idol and contributed to its soundtrack with her single "One of the Girls", which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Drunk Parents</i> 2019 American film

Drunk Parents is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Fred Wolf and written by Peter Gaulke and Fred Wolf. The film stars Alec Baldwin, Salma Hayek, Joe Manganiello, Natalia Cigliuti, Jim Gaffigan and Ben Platt.

<i>The Boss Baby</i> (franchise) DreamWorks Animation media franchise

The Boss Baby is a media franchise made by DreamWorks Animation, loosely based on the 2010 picture book of the same name by Marla Frazee. The franchise began with the 2017 film The Boss Baby and has since grown to include a 2021 sequel, Family Business; two television series, Back in Business (2018–2020) and Back in the Crib (2022–2023); two short films; and a 2020 interactive special, with a third film in active development.

Don Rickles: One Night Only is a television special dedicated to the life and career of comedian Don Rickles. The event was filmed live at the Apollo Theater in New York. The special is hosted by Jerry Seinfeld and features clips from Don's career in Hollywood, as well as tributes from comedians and collaborators. The special ran 2 hours and aired on May 28, 2014, on Spike TV.

<i>Puffins</i> (TV series) Animated teleivision series

Puffins is an animated television series targeted at children created by Danielle Maloni and Peter Nalli. It is a spin-off of the film Arctic Dogs (2019) and stars Johnny Depp. It follows five Puffins: Johnny Puff (Depp), Tic, Tac, Didi, and Pi who work for the wily walrus Otto. The show is produced by Iervolino Entertainment owned by Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi, and ILBE Studios based in Serbia. It consists of 250 episodes of five-minute episodes and was released on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in December 2020. A spin-off of Puffins, entitled Puffins Impossible, was released in April 2022, with Depp reprising his role as Puff.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Scheck, Frank (1 November 2019). "'Arctic Dogs': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Arctic Dogs (2019)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Arctic Justice (EN) [Original title]". European Audiovisual Observatory . Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  4. ↑ "Ambi Group And Barajoun Entertainment Ink Multi-Year, Multi-Picture Joint Venture- Berlin". Deadline Hollywood. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "Arctic Dogs (2019)". The Numbers . IMDb . Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  6. ↑ "TRAILER: "Arctic Dogs" – Animation Scoop".
  7. ↑ Busch, Anita (1 February 2017). "Open Road Films Acquires 'Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad' For 2018 Release". Deadline. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  8. ↑ Common Sense Media
  9. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (3 December 2018). "Byron Allen's ESMP Takes On U.S. Distribution Of Animation 'Arctic Dogs' Voiced By Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin". Deadline. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  10. ↑ the-numbers.com
  11. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (29 October 2019). "Box Office: 'Terminator: Dark Fate' to Take Down 'Harriet', 'Motherless Brooklyn'". Variety . Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  12. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (3 November 2019). "'How 'Terminator: Dark Fate' Conked Out With $27M+ & Why 'The Irishman' Is Not A Missed Strategic Opportunity – Box Office". Deadline. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "'Arctic Dogs' Bombs, Worst Opening Of All-Time In 2,800+ Theaters". Cartoon Brew. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Arctic Dogs (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. ↑ "Arctic Dogs Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  16. ↑ "Nominees for the 10th Annual CCE Awards". Canadian Cinema Editors . 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  17. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (15 September 2020). "'Arctic Friends' Shorts Go Global, US Premiere Sept. 15". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  18. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (22 June 2020). "Johnny Depp to Voice Lead in New Animated Series 'Puffins Impossible' From Iervolino Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)5". Variety. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  19. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (25 November 2020). "First Look at Johnny Depp Character in 'Puffins' Takes Wing". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  20. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (16 March 2022). "'Puffins Impossible' Starring Johnny Depp to Play on Apple TV App, Amazon (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Christmas Thieves – SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS".
  22. ↑ "The Good Witch of Christmas – SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS".
  23. ↑ "In Search of the Arctic Idol".
  24. ↑ "Swifty".
  25. ↑ "The Magic Portal".
  26. ↑ "Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment S.p.A."
  27. ↑ "Mini Puffins".
  28. ↑ "The walrus who wanted too much".
  29. ↑ "A Stellar Adventure".
  30. ↑ "Arctic Games".
  31. ↑ "Jipo & Baby Puffins".
  32. ↑ "Robo Puffin".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.