Where the Wild Things Are (film)

Last updated

Where the Wild Things Are
Wherethewildthingsare.jpg
American theatrical release poster
Directed by Spike Jonze
Screenplay by
Based on Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Lance Acord
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Warner Bros. Pictures (Worldwide)
  • Roadshow Films (Australia & New Zealand)
Release dates
  • 13 October 2009 (2009-10-13)(New York City)
  • 16 October 2009 (2009-10-16)(United States)
  • 3 December 2009 (2009-12-03)(Australia)
  • 17 December 2009 (2009-12-17)(Germany)
Running time
101 minutes [3]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million [3]
Box office$100.1 million [3]

Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 fantasy adventure drama film directed by Spike Jonze. Written by Jonze and Dave Eggers, it is based on Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book of the same name. It combines live-action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery (CGI). The film stars Max Records, Catherine Keener, and Mark Ruffalo, and features the voices of Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, and Forest Whitaker. The film centers on a lonely young boy named Max who sails away to an island inhabited by creatures known as the "Wild Things", who declare Max their king.

Contents

In the early 1980s, The Walt Disney Company considered adapting the film as a blend of traditionally animated characters and computer-generated environments, but development did not go past a test film to see how the animation hybridizing would result. [4] In 1999, [5] Universal Studios acquired rights to the book's adaptation and initially attempted to develop a computer-animated adaptation with Disney animator Eric Goldberg, but the CGI concept was replaced with a live-action one in 2003, and Goldberg was dropped for Jonze. The film was produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Sendak, John Carls, and Vincent Landay, and made with an estimated budget of $100 million. [6] Where the Wild Things Are was a joint production between Australia, Germany, and the United States, and was filmed principally in Melbourne. [7]

Where the Wild Things Are was released on 16 October 2009, in the United States, on 3 December in Australia, and on 17 December in Germany. Despite concerns from within Warner Bros. and news outlets leading up to release over whether or not Jonze's approach to the film was suitable for children, the film was met with positive reviews and appeared on many year-end top ten lists. However, the film was a financial disappointment, grossing just $100 million against a production budget of $100 million. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 2 March 2010.

Plot

Max is a lonely 9-year-old boy [8] with an active imagination and divorced parents. His older sister, Claire, does nothing when her friends crush Max's snow fort with him inside during a snowball fight. Out of frustration, Max messes up her bedroom and destroys a frame he made for her. Later, his mother, Connie, invites her boyfriend Adrian to dinner. Max becomes upset with her for not spending time with him that evening as they had agreed. Wearing his wolf suit, he begins to wreak havoc among the house. As Connie scolds him, he lashes out by biting her on the shoulder. She yells at him and he runs away, scared by what transpired. At the edge of a pond, Max finds a small boat that he boards.

Eventually, Max reaches an island that is home to a group of seven large monsters called the Wild Things - namely, Carol, Ira, Judith, Alexander, Douglas, the Bull, and KW. Carol is in the middle of a destructive tantrum caused by the departure of KW. Max tries joining in on the mayhem, but finds himself facing the suspicious anger of the Wild Things. When they contemplate eating him, Max convinces them that he is a king with magical powers capable of bringing harmony to the group. They crown him as their new king. Shortly after, KW returns, and Max declares a "wild rumpus" in which the Wild Things smash trees and tackle each other, before going to sleep in a pile with Max at the center.

Carol takes Max on a tour of the island, showing him a model he built depicting what he wishes the island looked like. Inspired by this, Max orders the construction of an enormous fort. When KW brings her two owl friends, Bob and Terry, to the fort, a disagreement ensues as Carol feels they are outsiders. To release their frustrations, Max divides the tribe into "good guys" and "bad guys" for a dirt clod fight. However, Alexander is injured during the game, and Carol berates KW for jokingly stepping on his head, prompting the latter to leave once again.

Max finds Alexander alone in the fort, whereupon he reveals that he knows Max is not a king with magical powers, but warns him never to let Carol know. However, Douglas reveals the truth when Carol throws another tantrum in the middle of the night over the state of the fort and Max's failure to fulfill his duties as a king. Enraged, Carol rips off Douglas's right arm - though only sand pours from the wound - before chasing Max into the forest and attempting to eat him. Max is saved by KW, who hides him in her stomach. After Carol leaves, KW explains to Max how difficult their lives are, with Carol's tantrums only making matters worse. Max realizes what his mother is going through and decides to leave the island.

Max finds the crushed remains of Carol's model island and leaves a token of affection for him to find. Max finds Carol and tells him he is going home because he is not a king. The other Wild Things escort Max to his boat. Carol runs to join them after finding Max's token and arrives in time to see him off. He starts to howl and Max howls back; all the other Wild Things join in. Carol looks at KW, and she smiles kindly at him. Returning home, Max is embraced by his mother, who gives him a bowl of soup, a piece of chocolate cake, and a glass of milk. She sits with him as he eats and he watches as she falls asleep at the table.

Cast

Live action

Voice cast

Suit performers

Production

Development

Where the Wild Things Are started its development life in the early 1980s, originally to be an animated feature by Walt Disney Productions that would have blended traditionally animated characters with computer-generated settings. Animators Glen Keane and John Lasseter (who later moved on to Pixar Animation Studios) had completed a test film to see how the animation hybridizing would work out, but the project proceeded no further. [4] Sendak and producer John B. Carls later formed Wild Things Productions in 1992, with the intent to produce adaptations of Sendak's properties. Universal Studios and Playtone acquired rights to the book's adaptation in 1999, initially attempting to develop a live-action/CGI adaptation with Gore Verbinski attached to direct and Eric Warren Singer attached to write the screenplay. [5] In 2001, Universal replaced the live-action/CGI concept with a fully computer-animated adaptation, with Disney animator Eric Goldberg attached to direct. [9] However, in 2003, they reverted back to live-action, and Goldberg was replaced with Spike Jonze. [10]

After years of interest from various producers, Sendak favoured Spike Jonze as director, noting he was "young, interesting and had a spark that none of the others had". [11] The film was originally set for release from Universal; however, disagreements between Universal and Sendak over Jonze's approach to the story led to a turnaround arrangement where the film's production was transferred to Warner Bros. [12]

Spike Jonze: Check. Dave Eggers: Check. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Check. Where the Wild Things Are has all the ingredients to become the hipster equivalent of Star Wars.

— NPR, All Things Considered [13]

In 2005, Jonze and Dave Eggers completed a 111-page screenplay, expanding the original thirteen-sentence story. On 8 July 2006, production began open auditions for the role of Max. [14] The process took months, but, eventually, Max Records was cast. Academy Award-winning make-up effects supervisor Howard Berger ( The Chronicles of Narnia ) turned down offers to work on the film four times. Although the book inspired him as a child to work in special effects, he felt filming it was a "horrible idea." [15] Jonze then approached Steve Johnson who had done initial designs and test suits, but ultimately Jim Henson's Creature Shop provided the animatronic suits for the Wild Things. [16]

Jonze kept in close consultation with Sendak throughout the process, and the author approved creature designs created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. To make the set a more comfortable environment for Max Records, Jonze encouraged the crew members to bring their children to the set. Some of them can be seen in the film's classroom scene. [17]

Michelle Williams was originally cast as the female Wild Thing KW only to leave the project after her voice "didn't match the original vision of how the Wild Thing should sound". [18] She was replaced by Lauren Ambrose, and filming continued.

Filming

Principal photography began in July 2006 at Docklands Studios Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia and wrapped in December 2006. [19] [20]

In 2008, test footage was leaked onto the internet, garnering mixed reactions. Jonze called the footage "a very early test... to see if our VFX plan for the faces would work," but early fan outcry over the video, along with rumored "scared children" in test audiences led Warner Bros. to delay the film's release for a year from its original 3 October 2008 release date. On 20 February 2008, speculation emerged that Warner Bros. was considering reshooting the entire film. [21]

Then-WB president Alan F. Horn responded, "We've given him more money and, even more importantly, more time for him to work on the film. We'd like to find a common ground that represents Spike's vision but still offers a film that really delivers for a broad-based audience. No one wants to turn this into a bland, sanitized studio movie. This is a very special piece of material, and we're just trying to get it right." Producer Gary Goetzman followed, "We support Spike's vision. We're helping him make the vision he wants to make." [22]

At the end of 2008, Jonze got together with Framestore in London to complete his film and work with them to bring to life the performances through their animation and visual effects team. Over the course of the next six months, Jonze spent time with the animators on the floor of the studio as they worked together to realize his intention for the performances that had started many years before with the voices, continued with the suit performances in Australia, and were completed in London's Soho. He also reshot several scenes and added three new ones, bringing the film's cost up from the original greenlit $75 million to $100 million. [23]

Music

For the film's trailer, Arcade Fire provided a re-recorded version of the track "Wake Up" from their album Funeral . [24] The new version is not featured in the actual film or the soundtrack and has never been made available to the public.

During the film, various songs can be heard such as "Hideaway", "Rumpus", "Worried Shoes" and "All is Love" by Karen O, Zahida K, Anisa R K and the Kids.

Reception

Jonze unleashes his considerable creativity. The beasts are recognizable from Sendak's pages, but Jonze gives them names and distinct personalities that connect to aspects of Max's psyche and to the people he loves. Freud would adore this movie. They are vast, feathered, horned, clawed, beaked and definitely wild — irrational and dangerous, even when showing affection — and Jonze uses their threatening bulk as well as their capacity for cruelty to remind us that Max's taming of them is only temporary. For any child, it is near impossible to stay king of anything, even in fantasy.

—Mary Pols, Time magazine [25]

Box office

The studio decided not to position the film as a children's movie and spent 70% of the advertising on broad-based and adult-driven promotion. [26] The film was released in North America in both conventional and IMAX theatres on 16 October 2009. [27] Early Friday box office estimates show the film earned about $32.7 million on its opening weekend in theaters. [28] It grossed $77.2 million during its theatrical run in the U.S. and Canada, plus $22.8 million internationally. Overall, the studio took a loss as the final budget of the movie was estimated to be around $100 million. [29]

Internationally, the film was released in Australia on 4 December 2009; [30] in Ireland and the UK on 11 December 2009; [31] and in Germany on 17 December 2009. [32] It was released in Russia on 4 February 2010. [33]

Critical response

On review website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 270 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze's heartfelt adaptation of the classic children's book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising." [34] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [35] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on scale of A+ to F. [36]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A, declaring the film "one of the year's best." [37] Manohla Dargis of the New York Times wrote that Spike Jonze's "filmmaking exceeds anything he's done" before, while also noting the imaginative visuals and otherworldly feel, along with the fantastic creature effects on the "Wild Things". [38] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film four stars saying, "For all the money spent, the film's success is best measured by its simplicity and the purity of its innovation." [39] Roger Ebert awarded the film three stars out of four, saying, "All the same, the film will play better for older audiences remembering a much-loved book from childhood, and not as well with kids who have been trained on slam-bam action animation." [40] Dan Jolin of Empire gave the film a four out of five stars, saying, "A film for anyone who's ever climbed trees, grassed knees or basked in the comfort of a parents sympathy as they've pulled you off the ground crying. It'll make your inner child run wild". [41]

Some critics have noted the movie's dark adaptation for children, such as David Denby from The New Yorker saying, "I have a vision of eight-year-olds leaving the movie in bewilderment. Why are the creatures so unhappy?" [42] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com criticized the film's visual aspect, "Even the look of the picture becomes tiresome after a while — it starts to seem depressive and shaggy and tired." She also stated that "The movie is so loaded with adult ideas about childhood — as opposed to things that might delight or engage an actual child." [43] The Globe and Mail 's Liam Lacey branded the production a "self-consciously sad film." [44]

Critic A.O. Scott named the film the best of 2009 and placed it at number five on his list of top ten movies of the decade. [45]

Suitability for children

Warner Bros. initially feared that the film was not family friendly and would frighten children, but these fears were not shared by Jonze or Sendak. [46] Jonze refused to compromise, [47] and Maurice Sendak said after having seen a completed cut of the film, "I've never seen a movie that looked or felt like this. And it's [Spike Jonze's] personal 'this.' And he's not afraid of himself. He's a real artist that lets it come through in the work. So he's touched me. He's touched me very much." [48] After seeing the finished product, a Warner Bros. executive stated of Jonze, "He's a perfectionist and just kept working on it, but now we know that at the end of the day he nailed it." [26]

Film classification agencies have tended to assign "parental guidance" ratings rather than general or family ratings. MPAA in the United States assessed a PG rating "for mild thematic elements, some adventure action, and brief language". [49] A PG rating was also declared in the United Kingdom by BBFC, citing "mild threat and brief violence". [50] In Canada, the film also received a PG rating in Ontario with an alert for frightening scenes [51] while Quebec awarded a General rating. [52] British Columbia also assessed the film with a G rating with a proviso that it "may frighten young children". [53] In Ireland the film has been classified PG because of what is claimed as having "mild" violence [31] Similarly in South Africa, the film received a PG rating with a consumer content Violence indicator, noting there were "moments of mildish menace and poignant themes." [54] Australia also applied a PG rating to the film and noted "mild violence and scary scenes". [55]

The movie's release generated conflicting views over whether it is harmful to expose children to frightening scenes. [56] [57] Jonze indicated that his goal was "to make a movie about childhood" rather than to create a children's movie. [58] Dan Fellman, Warner Brothers' head of movie distribution, noted that the film's promotion was not directed towards children, advising parents to exercise their own discretion. [57] In an interview with Newsweek, Sendak stated that parents who deemed the film's content to be too disturbing for children should "go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate" and he further noted "I saw the most horrendous movies that were unfit for child's eyes. So what? I managed to survive." [59]

Home media

The film was released as a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital copy combo pack and on DVD on 2 March 2010. [60] The home media release was accompanied by a Canadian-produced live-action/animated short film adaptation of another Sendak work, Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life , produced especially for the Blu-ray edition. [61] [62]

Merchandise

Video game

A video game based on the film was released on 13 October 2009, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS. The former three were developed by Griptonite Games, and the latter by WayForward. All were published by Warner Bros. Games.

Skateboards and limited edition shoes

To coincide with the film's release, Girl Skateboards (which Jonze co-owns) came out with seven pro-model skateboards with the Wild Things as the board graphics. [63] Lakai shoes also re-designed most of their pro-model and stock shoes and added in different colors, adding in pictures of the Wild Things on the side and on others with Where the Wild Things Are printed on the side. [64] UGG Australia also designed limited-edition Where the Wild Things Are boots. [65]

Toys

A series of collectible vinyl dolls of the Wild Things and Max was released from the Japanese company MediCom Toys. Other releases include an eight-inch articulated figure of Max in wolf costume and smaller scale sets of the characters released under their Kubrick figure banner.

Novelization

McSweeney's published The Wild Things by Dave Eggers, a full-length novel based on the film adaptation. [66]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Jonze</span> American filmmaker (born 1969)

Adam Spiegel, known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor and photographer. His work includes films, commercials, music videos, skateboard videos and television.

<i>Adaptation</i> (film) 2002 American film

Adaptation is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper, with Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in supporting roles.

<i>Wild Wild West</i> 1999 film by Barry Sonnenfeld

Wild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk Western film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on a story conceived by Jim and John Thomas. Loosely adapted from The Wild Wild West, a 1960s television series created by Michael Garrison, it is the only production since the television film More Wild Wild West (1980) to feature the characters from the original series.

<i>Space Jam</i> 1996 film directed by Joe Pytka

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. The film stars basketball player Michael Jordan as a fictional version of himself; the live-action cast also includes Wayne Knight and Theresa Randle, as well as cameos by Bill Murray and several NBA players, while Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Kath Soucie and Danny DeVito headline the voice cast. The film follows Jordan as he is brought out of retirement by the Looney Tunes characters to help them win a basketball match against invading aliens intent on enslaving them as amusement park attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Sendak</span> American childrens book author and illustrator (1928–2012)

Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was affected by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak also wrote works such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and illustrated many works by other authors including the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik.

<i>Batman: Mask of the Phantasm</i> 1993 animated superhero film directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated romantic superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. It was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. The film is based on Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) and is the first original theatrical film produced by Warner Bros. Animation before eventually establishing the additional Warner Bros. Feature Animation division for theatrical productions afterwards. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings and Robert Costanzo reprise their voice roles from Batman: The Animated Series, joined by Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller and John P. Ryan.

<i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> 1963 childrens picture book by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short film in 1973 ; a 1980 opera; and a live-action 2009 feature-film adaptation. The book had sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2009, with 10 million of those being in the United States.

<i>The King and I</i> (1999 film) 1999 animated film directed by Richard Rich

The King and I is a 1999 American animated musical film directed by Richard Rich. As of February 2024, it is the only animated feature film produced by Morgan Creek Entertainment. Loosely based on Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's 1951 stage musical of the same name, it portrays a fictionalized account of English school teacher Anna Leonowens' historical encounter with king Mongkut of Siam and the royal court. The voice cast stars Miranda Richardson and Martin Vidnovic as Leonowens and Mongkut, respectively, with Ian Richardson, Darrell Hammond, and Adam Wylie. The score, songs, and some of the character names come from the stage musical. Screenwriters Peter Bakalian, Jacqueline Feather, and David Seidler took creative liberties with the history and with the source material from the musical in an attempt to make the film palatable to all audiences.

Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's book by American writer Maurice Sendak.

Vincent Landay is a Canadian-American film producer. He has worked with Spike Jonze on his music videos and feature films since 1993. Some of the movies he has produced include Being John Malkovich and Where the Wild Things Are, as well as the 2010 Canadian short film Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life, created for the Blu-ray release of Where the Wild Things Are. He has made music videos for Kanye West, REM, Jay Z and many more artists.

<i>The Little Bear Movie</i> 2001 film by Nelvana

Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: The Little Bear Movie, or simply The Little Bear Movie, also known as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: The Movie or simply Little Bear: The Movie, is a 2001 Canadian-American direct-to-video children's animated adventure film directed by Raymond Jafelice who co-wrote the screenplay with James Still and Nancy Barr. It is based on the Canadian children's animated television series Little Bear, which in turn is based on the children's book series of the same name written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

<i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> (video game) 2009 video game

Where the Wild Things Are is a platform-adventure video game released in 2009. It is based on the movie of the same name, released the same day. The game is available for PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 as well as Nintendo DS. It was developed by Griptonite Games, except for the Nintendo DS, which was developed by WayForward Technologies. All versions were published by Warner Bros. Games.

<i>The Wild Things</i> Book by Dave Eggers

The Wild Things is a 2009 full-length novel written by Dave Eggers and published by McSweeney's. The book is based on the screenplay of Where the Wild Things Are which Eggers co-wrote. The film is, in turn, based on Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Things Are.

<i>Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life</i> 2010 Canadian film

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life is a 2010 Canadian live-action/animated short film directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, collectively known as Clyde Henry Productions, and features the voices of Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Spike Jonze. Jonze also served as producer along with Vincent Landay and Marcy Page. Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life was produced by the National Film Board of Canada in association with Warner Home Video.

<i>Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak</i> American TV series or program

Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak is a 2009 television documentary film directed by Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze about children's author Maurice Sendak.

<i>Her</i> (film) 2013 film by Spike Jonze

Her is a 2013 American science-fiction romantic drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Spike Jonze. It marks Jonze's solo screenwriting debut. The film follows Theodore Twombly, a man who develops a relationship with Samantha, an artificially intelligent virtual assistant personified through a female voice. The film also stars Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and Chris Pratt. The film was dedicated to James Gandolfini, Harris Savides, Maurice Sendak and Adam Yauch, who all died before the film's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Records</span> American actor

Max Records is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Max in the film Where the Wild Things Are, for which he won the 2009 Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film, and as Slater Pedulla in The Sitter. He starred in the lead role of John Wayne Cleaver in the 2016 film titled I Am Not A Serial Killer, based on Dan Wells' 2009 novel of the same name, which received positive reviews and ratings. He has also appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show.

<i>Tom & Jerry</i> (2021 film) Film by Tim Story

Tom & Jerry is a 2021 American live-action/animated slapstick comedy film based on the cartoon characters Tom and Jerry created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, produced by Warner Animation Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the second theatrical film based on the characters, following Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992). The film is directed by Tim Story and written by Kevin Costello. It stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Colin Jost, Rob Delaney, Pallavi Sharda, Jordan Bolger, Patsy Ferran, and Ken Jeong in live-action roles, with Nicky Jam, Bobby Cannavale, and Lil Rel Howery in voice roles. The titular duo are voiced by William Hanna via archival recordings, with additional vocals from Kaiji Tang and André Sogliuzzo. Set in a world co-populated by humans and cartoon animals, the film follows Tom enlisted to catch Jerry, whose presence threatens New York City's fanciest hotel and its planned high-profile Indian-themed wedding.

<i>Harold and the Purple Crayon</i> (film) Upcoming American film by Carlos Saldanha

Harold and the Purple Crayon is an upcoming American live-action/animated fantasy film directed by Carlos Saldanha from a screenplay by David Guion and Michael Handelman, based on the 1955 children's book of the same name by Crockett Johnson. It will star Zachary Levi in the titular role, with Lil Rel Howery, Benjamin Bottani, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds, and Zooey Deschanel in supporting roles. The film serves as a sequel to the original book, where, after the adventurous Harold grows up with his magical purple crayon and draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, he finds that he has a lot to learn about real life.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Where the Wild Things Are". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are". AFI Catalog . Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Where the Wild Things Are". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 14 November 2009.
  4. 1 2 Price, David A. (2008). The Pixar Touch . Random House. p.  53. ISBN   978-0-307-26575-3.
  5. 1 2 "U and Hanks going 'Wild'". Variety. 16 February 1999. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Spike Jonze goes 'Where the Wild Things Are' - CNN.com". CNN. 14 October 2009.
  7. ↑ "Film Victoria - Where The Wild Things Are". Filmed in Melbourne. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "WBshop.com - The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios" (PDF). WarnerBros.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2009.
  9. ↑ Fleming, Michael (6 August 2001). "U sings 'Wild Things'". Variety. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  10. ↑ Fleming, Michael (27 October 2003). "Spike 'Wild' man for U". Variety. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Bowles, Scott; Minzesheimer, Bob (15 October 2009). "Spike Jonze bravely sails into 'Where the Wild Things Are'". USA Today . Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  12. ↑ Snyder, Gabriel (30 June 2007). "Wild' ride for Warner". Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  13. ↑ How A Kid's Movie Became A Hipster Happening NPR audio report, 17 October 2009
  14. ↑ Henriksen, Erik (30 June 2006). "Re: Roaring Terrible Roars, Gnashing Terrible Teeth, Rolling Terrible Eyes, Showing Terrible Claws". The Portland Mercury . Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  15. ↑ Mike Szymanski (25 November 2008). "Berger On Why He Said No To Wild Things". SCI FI Wire . Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
  16. ↑ Sancton, Julian (17 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are Built: Jim Henson's Creature Shop". Variety. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  17. ↑ Where the Wild Things Are documentary "The Kids Take Over the Picture" (DVD documentary). 2010.
  18. ↑ Jankiewicz, Pat (16 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are (Monster Times review)". Fangoria. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  19. ↑ "Credits". Melbourne Central City Studios. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  20. ↑ Knafo, Saki (2 September 2009). "Bringing 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the Screen". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Stephenson, Hunter (20 February 2008). "Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are to Be Entirely Reshot?!". /Film. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  22. ↑ Barna, Daniel (24 July 2008). "Spike gets final cut". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  23. ↑ Thompson, Anne (12 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are: Too Costly to Succeed?". IndieWire.com.
  24. ↑ Montgomery, James (26 March 2009). "Arcade Fire Re-Record 'Wake Up' For 'Where The Wild Things Are' Trailer". MTV . Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  25. ↑ Pols, Mary (14 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are: Sendak with Sensitivity". Time . Time Inc. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  26. 1 2 Where The Wild Things Are Runs Up $33M by Nikki Finke, Deadline Hollywood, 17 October 2009
  27. ↑ Sperling, Nicole (11 September 2008). "'Where the Wild Things Are' gets long-awaited release date". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  28. ↑ Smith, Grady (11 September 2008). "'Friday Estimates: Where The Wild Things Are On Top; Law Abiding Citizen Actually Does Well!". The Box Office Junkie. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  29. ↑ Smith, Grady. "'Friday Estimates: Where The Wild Things Are On Top; Law Abiding Citizen Actually Does Well!". Box Office Mojo .
  30. ↑ AAP (19 October 2009). "Monster hit: Where the Wild Things Are tops US box office". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  31. 1 2 Reviews of Where the Wild Things Are 6 October 2009 from Irish Film Classification Office. Retrieved2009-10-31.
  32. ↑ Wo die wilden Kerle wohnen – movieworlds.com.
  33. ↑ Where the Wild Things Are Russian release date 4 February 2010. Page in Russian.
  34. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  35. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  36. ↑ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  37. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are". Entertainment Weekly. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  38. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (16 October 2009). "Movie review: Where the Wild Things Are". New York Times . Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  39. ↑ Peter Travers (15 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 18 October 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  40. ↑ Roger Ebert (14 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 18 October 2009.
  41. ↑ Dan Jolin (27 November 2009). "Where The Wild Things Are". Empire .
  42. ↑ Denby, David (19 October 2009). "Naughty Boys: Where the Wild Things Are". The New Yorker . Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  43. ↑ Stephanie Zacharek (16 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things aren't". Salon.com. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  44. ↑ Lacey, Liam (16 October 2009). "In a magical world, monsters teach a kid a lesson". The Globe and Mail . Toronto. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  45. ↑ Seidman, Robert (28 December 2009). ""At The Movies" Best of the Decade Picks". TV by the Numbers . Zap2it. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  46. ↑ Flood, Alison (20 October 2009). "Maurice Sendak tells parents worried by Wild Things to 'go to hell'". The Guardian. London.
  47. ↑ Rose, Steve (5 December 2009). "Spike Jonze: 'I'm never going to compromise'". The Guardian. London.
  48. ↑ Lee, Chris (22 September 2009). "When Spike met Maurice: Bringing 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the screen". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  49. ↑ "Ratings Search: Where the Wild Things Are (2009)". Motion Picture Association of America. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  50. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are". British Board of Film Classification. 6 October 2009. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  51. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are (2000083670)". Ontario Film Review Board. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  52. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are (325783)". Régie du cinéma (Quebec). 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  53. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are". British Columbia Film Classification Office. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  54. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are". Film and Publication Board. Retrieved 24 October 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  55. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are (Film, 35 mm)". 2 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  56. ↑ Thorpe, Vanessa; Asthana, Anushka (18 October 2009). "New film Where the Wild Things Are sends parents into a 'rumpus'". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  57. 1 2 Bowles, Scott (20 October 2009). "'Things' too wild and dangerous for a child to see?". USA Today . Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  58. ↑ Thompson, Bob (17 October 2009). "Not a 'children's' movie". The StarPhoenix . Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  59. ↑ Setoodeh, Ramin; Romano, Andrew (19 October 2009). "Where the Wild Things Are". Newsweek . Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  60. ↑ "Where the Wild Things Are". DVD Active. 24 January 2010.
  61. ↑ "Madame Tutli-Putli animators revisit Sendak tale". CBC News . 16 February 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  62. ↑ Desowitz, Bill (12 March 2010). "Making Higglety Pigglety Pop!" (Interview). Animation World Network . Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  63. ↑ theworldsbestever.com. "Girl Skateboards: Where the Wild Things Are Board Series". www.theworldsbestever.com.
  64. ↑ "Lakai Limited Footwear". Archived from the original on 27 August 2008.
  65. ↑ Where The Wild Things Are Limited Edition Boots Archived 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine – UGG Australia. Retrieved2009-10-31.
  66. ↑ Eggers, Dave (2009). The wild things. Maurice Sendak, Spike Jonze. San Francisco: McSweeney's. ISBN   978-1-934781-61-6. OCLC   317926477.
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.