| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | |
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  (Top): Logo as seen on one of the live-action films' trailers (Bottom): Logo for the animated film | |
| Based on | Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney |
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Release dates | 2010–2017 (live-action films) 2021–present (animated films) |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of family comedy films based on the book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. It consists of four live action films and three animated films.
| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live-action (20th Century Fox) films | ||||||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | March 19, 2010 | Thor Freudenthal | Jackie Filgo & Jeff Filgo and Jeff Judah & Gabe Sachs | Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson | Released | |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | March 25, 2011 | David Bowers | Jeff Judah & Gabe Sachs | |||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | August 3, 2012 | Wallace Wolodarsky & Maya Forbes | ||||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | May 19, 2017 | Jeff Kinney & David Bowers | ||||
| Animated (Walt Disney Pictures) films | ||||||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | December 3, 2021 | Swinton Scott | Jeff Kinney | Released | ||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | December 2, 2022 | Luke Cormican | ||||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever | December 8, 2023 | |||||
Principal production began on September 21, 2009, and was completed on October 16, 2009. The film was directed by Thor Freudenthal and starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, Grayson Russell as Fregley, Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta. It was the only film in the series to be directed by Freudenthal. The musical score was composed by Theodore Shapiro. It received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 19, 2010, [1] as it moved up from a previously scheduled April 2 release date. [2]
Based on the second book, Rodrick Rules, with elements from The Last Straw. Principal photography began on August 23, 2010, and was completed on October 27, 2010, with filming taking place in Vancouver and New Westminster. The film was directed by David Bowers, with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. New main characters include Holly Hills (Peyton List), Grandpa (Terence Kelly), and Bill Walter (Fran Kranz). Edward Shearmur composes the original score for the film. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 25, 2011.
Based on the third book The Last Straw and the fourth book Dog Days, the film was directed by David Bowers and features the same familiar cast of characters, introducing a few new ones, and also focusing on lesser characters not elaborated on in previous films, including Frank Heffley (Steve Zahn), Mr. Jefferson (Alf Humphreys) and Holly Hills (Peyton List). The film is the last one to feature the original cast, as they had outgrown their roles after filming wrapped. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on August 3, 2012.
Featuring an entirely new cast, the plot follows Greg and his brother, Rodrick, unwillingly being taken on a family road trip to their great-grandmother's house for her 90th birthday party. Greg sees this as an opportunity to meet his Internet idol, Mac Digby, and get people to forget about him being dubbed as a meme known as "Diaper Hands". The film was panned by critics and audiences, with most of the criticism aimed at the casting change. It was released on May 19, 2017.
In August 2018, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider announced that a fully animated television series based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid was in development. [3] On August 6, 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development for their streaming service, Disney+. [4]
In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated film. [5] On September 2, 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the new movie would be simply titled Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and would be released on December 3, 2021. [6] The movie is a re-adaptation of the first book and the characters appear similar in design to their appearances in the book series. [7] The first trailer was officially released in October 2021. [8] Unlike the previous films, which were produced by 20th Century Fox, this film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, although it was originally in production at 20th Century Animation.
On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. [9] [10] For Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on Rodrick Rules , was released on December 2, 2022. Unlike the first animated film, a copyright notice at the end of the trailer indicates that 20th Century Studios has involvement in the film. [11] [12]
On September 8, 2023, it was announced that a Disney+ film based on the sixth book, Cabin Fever, released on December 8, 2023. [13]
Jeff Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all his books into animated features for Disney+. [14]
An animated short film set after the events of the third film, titled Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown, was released on the home media release of Dog Days in 2012. The short is told through Greg's point-of-view as he explains his humorous experience. Zachary Gordon reprises his role as Greg Heffley along with other cast members voicing their characters from the films in minor roles.
In 2012, Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever as the next installment. In an interview for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck , Kinney stated he was working with FOX on a half-hour special based on Cabin Fever, which was scheduled to air in late-2014. [15] [16] The special was meant to be an animated production developed at 20th Century Fox Animation, and had begun development while Kinney worked on the live-action films. Nothing regarding the special ever materialized.[ citation needed ] It was later revived as a Disney+ film in December 2023.
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
| Character | Live-action films | Short film | Animated films | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever | |
| Primary cast | ||||||||
| Gregory "Greg" Heffley | Zachary Gordon Nathaniel Marten O Dylan Bell Y L.J. Benet U S | Zachary Gordon | Jason Drucker | Zachary Gordon V | Brady Noon V | Wesley Kimmel V | ||
| Rowley Jefferson | Robert Capron | Owen Asztalos | Robert Capron V | Ethan William Childress V | Spencer Howell V | |||
| Rodrick Heffley | Devon Bostick | Devon Bostick Conner Ingram Y | Devon Bostick | Charlie Wright | Devon Bostick V | Hunter Dillon V | ||
| Susan Heffley | Rachael Harris | Alicia Silverstone | Appeared | Erica Cerra V | ||||
| Frank Heffley | Steve Zahn | Tom Everett Scott | Steve Zahn V | Chris Diamantopoulos V | ||||
| Manny Heffley | Connor and Owen Fielding | Wyatt and Dylan Walters | Appeared | Gracen Newton V | ||||
| Sweetie | Oliver | |||||||
| Supporting cast | ||||||||
| Chirag Gupta | Karan Brar | Veda Maharaj V | Silent cameo | |||||
| Fregley | Grayson Russell | Christian Convery V | Christian Convery U V | |||||
| Patty Farrell | Laine MacNeil Madison Bell Y | Laine MacNeil | ||||||
| Coach [a] | Andrew McNee | Billy Lopez V | ||||||
| Mr. Jefferson | Alfred E. Humphreys | Alfred E. Humphreys V | Appeared | Randy Pearlstein V | ||||
| Mrs. Norton | Belita Moreno | |||||||
| Bryce Anderson | Owen Best | |||||||
| Shelly | Samantha Page | |||||||
| Marley | Ava Hughes | |||||||
| Archie Kelly | Jake D. Smith | |||||||
| Pete Hosey | Nicholas Carey | Zeno Robinson V | Silent cameo | |||||
| Carter [b] | Samuel Patrick Chu | Cyrus Arnold V | ||||||
| Wade [c] | Donnie MacNeil | Braxton Baker V | ||||||
| Principal [d] | Raugi Yu | Donny Lucas V | ||||||
| Mrs. Jefferson | Kaye Capron | Bronwen Smith | Photograph | Silent role | ||||
| Preston Mudd | Rylee Stiles | Photograph | ||||||
| Mrs. Fregley | Gabrielle Rose E | Brenda Crichlow V | ||||||
| Bill Walter | Appears in end credits | Fran Kranz | Jimmy Tatro V | |||||
| Holly Hills | Peyton List | |||||||
| Grandpa Heffley | Terence Kelly | Photograph | Ed Asner V | Photograph | ||||
| Mr. Draybick | John Shaw | |||||||
| Ben Segal | Bryce Hodgson | |||||||
| Chris | Christopher Thorgard-De Schuster | |||||||
| Taylor Pringle | Dalila Bela | |||||||
| Mr. Hills | Jeff Kinney | |||||||
| Hulking Teen | Uncredited voice actor | John Omohundro V | Silent cameo | |||||
| Role | Film | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022) | Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023) | |
| Composer | Theodore Shapiro | Edward Shearmur | John Paesano | ||||
| Cinematographer | Jack N. Green | Anthony B. Richmond | — | ||||
| Editor | Wendy Greene Bricmont | Troy Takaki | Sylvain Blais | Sylvain Blais Rob Levesque Matthew Sipple | |||
| Production companies | Fox 2000 Pictures Dune Entertainment Color Force | Fox 2000 Pictures TSG Entertainment Color Force | Walt Disney Pictures N Bardel Entertainment | ||||
| Distributor | 20th Century Fox | Disney+ | |||||
| Film | Budget | Box office gross | All-time ranking | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. and Canada | Other territories | Worldwide | U.S. and Canada | Worldwide | |||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) | $15 million | $64,003,625 | $12,192,913 | $76,196,538 | 1,341 | 2,127 | [17] [18] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | $18-21 million | $52,698,535 | $19,828,461 | $72,526,996 | 1,685 | 2,189 | [19] [20] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | $22 million | $49,008,662 | $28,221,033 | $77,229,695 | 1,826 | 2,695 | [21] [22] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | $22 million | $20,738,724 | $19,402,248 | $40,140,972 | 3,634 | 3,800 | [23] [24] |
| Total | $77-80 million | $186,449,546 | $79,644,655 | $266,094,201 | 211 | 273 | [25] |
| Film | Critical | Public | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) | 54% (106 reviews) [26] | 56 (27 reviews) [27] | A− [28] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011) | 47% (99 reviews) [29] | 51 (23 reviews) [30] | A− [28] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | 52% (75 reviews) [31] | 54 (22 reviews) [32] | A− [28] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | 18% (72 reviews) [33] | 39 (16 reviews) [34] | B [28] |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) | 73% (15 reviews) [35] | 50 (4 reviews) [36] | — |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022) | 50% (10 reviews) [37] | 50 (4 reviews) [38] | — |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023) | 75% (8 reviews) [39] | — | — |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a children's novel written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book is about a boy named Greg Heffley and his attempts to become popular in his first year of middle school.
Jeffrey Patrick Kinney is an American author and cartoonist. He is best known for creating, writing and illustrating the children's book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He also created the child-oriented website Poptropica.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a children's novel by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, based on the FunBrain.com version. It is the sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, followed by The Last Straw. The hardcover was released on February 1, 2008. Rodrick Rules was named New York Times bestseller among awards and praise. A live-action film based on the book was released on March 25, 2011, and an animated film adaptation was released on Disney+ on December 2, 2022.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an American children's book series and media franchise created by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. The series follows Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler who illustrates his daily life in a diary.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is a novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, the third book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book acts as a journal and follows the adventures of Greg Heffley, the narrator of the book, who is in the second half of his seventh-grade year. This book was released in the US on January 13, 2009. An animated film based on the book is in the works for Disney+.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, and is the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It was released on October 12, 2009, in the USA and October 13, 2009, in Canada. The film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, released on August 3, 2012, was based on the book and its predecessor, The Last Straw. It follows the narrator, Greg Heffley, on his summer break between seventh and eighth-grade.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2010 comedy film directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on Jeff Kinney's 2007 book of the same name. The film stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Chloë Grace Moretz.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 2011 comedy film directed by David Bowers in his live-action directorial debut and based on Jeff Kinney's 2008 book of the same name. It stars Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Peyton List. The film is the second installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series, following Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010), and follows the relationship between seventh grader Greg Heffley (Gordon) and his older brother, Rodrick (Bostick).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is a 2011 bestselling and award-winning children's book and the sixth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, written by American author Jeff Kinney. The book was released on November 15, 2011, the paperback edition was released on January 31, 2013, and was the fastest-selling book of 2011, giving him the third-strongest opening-week sales for a children's author. Cabin Fever had a first printing run of six million copies, which Amulet Books stated was one of their most significant titles for that year. In 2012 Kinney won a "Best Author" Children's Choice Award from the Children's Book Council for Cabin Fever. The book received widespread acclaim from critics and is frequently said to be one of the best books in the series. The book was followed by 2012's The Third Wheel.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a 2012 American comedy film directed by David Bowers from a screenplay by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes. It stars Zachary Gordon and Steve Zahn. Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Peyton List, Grayson Russell, and Karan Brar also have prominent roles. It is the third installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series. It was released by 20th Century Fox on August 3, grossing $77 million at the box office, and like its predecessors, it received mixed reviews.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul is a children's novel written by Jeff Kinney and is the ninth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. On April 28, 2014, Kinney announced the book's name and the color of its cover. The book was released on November 4, 2014, in the USA. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul is a 2017 road comedy film written and directed by David Bowers. It serves as a standalone sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, and the fourth installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series and the final live-action film in the franchise. It was based on the ninth book of the same name, with elements of the seventh, eighth, and tenth books in the series, and was cowritten by the books' author, Jeff Kinney. It is also the only live-action installment in the series not to feature the cast members from the first three films. It instead features a completely different cast, and the plot follows the Heffleys as they go on a road trip to Meemaw's 90th birthday party, without realizing the various calamities that will occur along the way.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2021 animated comedy film directed by Swinton Scott from a screenplay by Jeff Kinney, based on his 2007 book of the same name. It is the second film adaptation of the book, following the 2010 live-action film, while serving as the first fully-animated reboot in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series, and the fifth installment overall. The film stars the voices of Brady Noon, Ethan William Childress, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra, and Hunter Dillon.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot is the sixteenth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. It was released on October 26, 2021. The story follows Greg Heffley as he reluctantly signs up for basketball. It received generally positive reviews and was a best-seller for several weeks following its release.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 2022 animated comedy film directed by Luke Cormican from a screenplay by Jeff Kinney, based on his 2008 book of the same name. It is a sequel to Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) and is the second adaptation of Rodrick Rules following the 2011 live-action film, while also being the second fully-animated film in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series and the sixth installment overall. Brady Noon, Ethan William Childress, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra, and Hunter Dillon reprise their roles as characters from the first film, while Ed Asner posthumously portrays Grandpa Heffley. The film is one of Asner's final voice acting roles recorded shortly before his death on August 29, 2021 and is dedicated to his memory.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever is a 2023 animated Christmas comedy film directed by Luke Cormican. It is the seventh installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series, the third animated feature, and the first adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney. Wesley Kimmel replaced Brady Noon as Greg Heffley, while Hunter Dillion, Erica Cerra and Chris Diamantopoulos reprised their roles as Rodrick, Susan and Frank respectively. Ethan William Childress is replaced by Spencer Howell in the role of Rowley.
Gregory "Greg" Heffley is a fictional character in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise, serving as the antiheroic main protagonist and unreliable narrator of the books, online series, and multimedia franchise. He was created by Jeff Kinney, and portrayed by Zachary Gordon and Jason Drucker in the first three films and the fourth film, respectively.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 2008 novel written by Jeff Kinney and the second installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde is the seventeenth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. It was released on October 25, 2022. The story follows Greg Heffley as he reluctantly joins his brother Rodrick’s heavy metal band, Löded Diper.
The film also received a more tepid response (a B on CinemasScore) than previous films, which have mostly gone over well with families, having earned a consistent A- on CinemaScore for the first three movies.
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