Henchmen | |
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Directed by | Adam Wood |
Written by | Adam Wood |
Story by |
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Based on | Henchmen: Ill Suited by Adam Wood |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Rav Grewal |
Edited by | Jordan Hemsley |
Music by | Toby Chu |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Entertainment One |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Box office | $90,717 [1] |
Henchmen is a 2018 Canadian animated action comedy film written and directed by Adam Wood, based on his own 2014 short film Henchmen: Ill Suited. The film stars Thomas Middleditch as a henchman-in-training, James Marsden as his mentor, Rosario Dawson as a scientist, and Alfred Molina as the super villain. Production began in May 2015 in British Columbia.
Produced by Bron Studios, the film was originally planned to be released in 2016, [2] but ultimately received a limited release in Canada on December 7, 2018, by Entertainment One. [1] [3] In the United States, it was released on digital platforms on October 9, 2020, by Vertical Entertainment. [4]
A fallen henchman named Hank leads a team of Lester and two others, called the "Union of Evil", who must prevent Baron Blackout from dominating the world. The crew are assigned to the Vault of Villainy, where Lester accidentally steals the ultimate weapon. [5]
The project was first announced on August 13, 2014, when Adam Wood's short film Henchmen: Ill Suited was released, with Gary Sanchez Productions (owned by Adam McKay, Will Ferrell and Chris Henchy) attached to executive produce the film for Bron Studios. [6] Wood himself would write and direct the film. [6] On May 29, 2015, the full voice cast was revealed, including James Marsden, Thomas Middleditch, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Jane Krakowski, Rob Riggle, Craig Robinson and Will Sasso. [5] At that time, it was also confirmed that production on the film had begun at Bron Studios in Burnaby and Duncan, British Columbia, [5] and that Gary Sanchez Productions had left the project, replaced by Aaron L. Gilbert and Luke Carroll. [7]
James Paul Marsden is an American television and film actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993), Touched by an Angel (1995), and Party of Five (1995). Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men film series (2000–2014) and for his roles in the films The Notebook (2004), Superman Returns (2006), Hairspray (2007), Enchanted (2007), 27 Dresses (2008) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). He portrayed John F. Kennedy in the drama film The Butler (2013) and Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and is reprising the role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder is an American animated television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from September 11, 1976, to October 1, 1977. The show centers on a Batman-esque superhero, the Blue Falcon, and his assistant, Dynomutt, a bumbling, yet effective robotic dog who can produce a seemingly infinite number of mechanical devices from his body. As with many other animated superheroes of the era, no origins for the characters are ever provided.
Adam McKay is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. McKay began his career as a head writer for the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1995 to 2001. Following his departure from SNL, he rose to fame in the 2000s for his collaborations with comedian Will Ferrell and co-wrote his comedy films Anchorman (2004), Talladega Nights (2006), Step Brothers (2008), The Other Guys (2010), and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). Ferrell and McKay later co-wrote and co-produced many television series and films, with McKay himself co-producing their website Funny or Die through their company, Gary Sanchez Productions.
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 American made-for-television biographical action-comedy film based on the 1966–1968 Batman television series which features the original stars Adam West and Burt Ward as themselves, with Jack Brewer and Jason Marsden portraying the young West (Batman) and Ward (Robin) in flashbacks. It was broadcast on CBS on March 9, 2003.
Gary Sanchez Productions, LLC was an American film and television production company founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.
Adam Saul Pally is an American comedian and actor. He first earned recognition for starring as Max Blum in Happy Endings, as Dr. Peter Prentice in The Mindy Project, and as Wade Whipple in Sonic the Hedgehog, its sequels, and the spin-off series Knuckles. He also starred in Making History and was an executive producer of The President Show.
Benjamin Joseph Schwartz is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his recurring role as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, his starring role as Clyde Oberholt on the Showtime series House of Lies, and his voice roles as Randy Cunningham in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Dewey Duck in DuckTales, and Leonardo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also appeared many times in the CollegeHumor web series Jake and Amir.
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Bron Studios is a Canadian motion picture company based in British Columbia and owned by Bron Media Corporation. Bron's notable productions include Joker, Bombshell, Queen & Slim, Greyhound, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Mule, Henchmen, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Rudderless, Welcome to Me, The Addams Family, The Willoughbys, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Thomas Steven Middleditch is a Canadian actor. He is known for his role as Richard Hendricks in the HBO series Silicon Valley (2014–2019), earning a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He has voiced Penn Zero in the Disney XD animated series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (2014–2017), Harold Hutchins in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), Sam Coleman in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Terry in the Hulu adult animated sci-fi series Solar Opposites. Middleditch also appears in ads for Verizon Wireless.
Get Hard is a 2015 American crime comedy film directed by Etan Cohen and written by Cohen, Jay Martel, and Ian Roberts. The film stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart with Tip "T.I." Harris, Alison Brie, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles. The film focuses on James King (Ferrell), a wealthy investment bank manager who is framed for a crime he did not commit, and asks the man who washes his car, Darnell Lewis (Hart) to help him prepare for prison.
The Best of Me is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Will Fetters and J. Mills Goodloe, based on Nicholas Sparks' 2011 novel of the same name. The film stars James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan with Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato.
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation for Disney XD. The series debuted on December 5, 2014, as a preview, followed by the official premiere on February 13, 2015. The series was ordered on October 16, 2013, for a scheduled fall 2014 premiere. The series' co-creator, Jared Bush, also co-wrote and co-directed Walt Disney Animation Studios' 2016 film Zootopia.
Gloria Sanchez Productions, Inc. is an American film and television production company.
Jessica Elbaum is an American producer. She is best known for co-founding the production company Gloria Sanchez Productions with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay in 2014. She has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, won one Emmy Award and won "Best First Feature" at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards for producing the film Booksmart.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is a 2021 American live-action/animated sports comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, Proximity Media, and The SpringHill Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was directed by Malcolm D. Lee from a screenplay by Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Keenan Coogler, Terence Nance, Jesse Gordon, and Celeste Ballard, and a story by Taylor, Rettenmaier, Coogler, and Nance. It serves as a standalone sequel to Space Jam (1996) and is the first theatrically released film to feature the Looney Tunes characters since Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). The film stars basketball player LeBron James as a fictional version of himself; Don Cheadle, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Cedric Joe star in live-action roles, while Jeff Bergman, Eric Bauza, and Zendaya headline the Looney Tunes voice cast. The film follows James enlisting the Looney Tunes' aid to win a basketball game in a Warner Bros.–themed virtual multiverse against a rogue artificial intelligence's avatars after James's youngest son is abducted by the AI.
The Willoughbys is a 2020 animated comedy film directed by Kris Pearn and co-directed by Rob Lodermeier, from a screenplay written by Pearn and Mark Stanleigh. Based on the book of the same name by Lois Lowry, the film stars the voices of Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, Seán Cullen, and Ricky Gervais, who also narrates the film. The story follows four children trying to find new parents to replace their self-centered and neglectful ones.
The Water Man is a 2020 American drama film directed by David Oyelowo, in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Emma Needell. The film stars Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina and Maria Bello. Oprah Winfrey serves as an executive producer via her revived Harpo Films banner.
The following is a list of unproduced Adam McKay projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American filmmaker Adam McKay has worked on several projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects fell in development hell, were officially canceled, were in development limbo or would see life under a different production team.