The BFG (2016 film)

Last updated

The BFG
The BFG poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Melissa Mathison
Based on The BFG
by Roald Dahl
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Janusz Kamiński
Edited by Michael Kahn
Music by John Williams
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 14, 2016 (2016-05-14)(Cannes)
  • July 1, 2016 (2016-07-01)(United States)
  • July 22, 2016 (2016-07-22)(United Kingdom)
Running time
118 minutes [5]
Countries
  • United States
  • India
LanguageEnglish
Budget$140 million [6]
Box office$195.2 million [7]

The BFG (titled onscreen as Roald Dahl's The BFG) is a 2016 fantasy adventure film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and based on Roald Dahl's 1982 novel of the same name. The film stars Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill in her film debut, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall and Bill Hader. In the film, a ten-year-old orphaned girl named Sophie befriends a benevolent giant dubbed the "Big Friendly Giant", who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.

Contents

Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall began development on a live-action adaptation of The BFG back in the 1990s, and various screenwriters were hired to work on the screenplay in the subsequent years. DreamWorks acquired the screen rights to Dahl's book in September 2011, and Marshall and Sam Mercer joined as producers, Mathison as screenwriter and Kennedy as executive producer. Spielberg was announced as director in April 2014, alongside his production company Amblin Entertainment as co-producer. Principal photography commenced in March 2015, marking Spielberg's first directorial film for Walt Disney Pictures, which co-financed the film. [8]

The BFG premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2016, and held its North American debut at the El Capitan Theater on June 21, 2016. [9] The film was released in the United States in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, IMAX 3D, [10] and conventional theatrical formats on July 1, 2016, the same year of Dahl's centennial. It received generally positive reviews from critics, but was a box office bomb, grossing $195 million against its $140 million budget. [11] [12] [13] [14] It was the last film penned by Mathison before her death in 2015.

Plot

Sophie, a ten-year-old girl living in a London orphanage, is often awake at the "witching hour", due to having insomnia. One night, she sorts some mail and shouts at some men causing trouble in a nearby alleyway. Later, she sees an elderly Giant Man outside her window, who captures her and takes her to his home in Giant Country. He explains that he cannot allow Sophie to return to her world and reveal the existence of giants. If she ventures out alone, she may be eaten by the nine much larger giants.

In his workshop of dreams, the giant fashions a nightmare to convince the sleeping Sophie to stay with him in safety. The Fleshlumpeater, the infantile leader of the man-eating giants, intrudes and demands a "boo-boo" on his finger to be fixed. He smells Sophie, but the elderly giant convinces him to leave upon him nearly eating a disgusting vegetable called a snozzcumber which Sophie briefly hid in. Sophie persuades the friendly giant to take her to visit Dream Country. They accidentally awaken the other giants, and after the Bloodbottler suggests they "frolic", they bully the friendly giant. A thunderstorm drives the man-eating giants into their cave, but the Fleshlumpeater finds Sophie's dropped blanket.

In Dream Country, Sophie and the friendly giant catch good and bad dreams. The giant reveals that his only name – besides "Runt", the other giants' nickname for him – is "the Big Friendly Giant", which leads Sophie to call him "BFG". She accompanies him to London for his nightly work: using his dream trumpet to spread good dreams to sleeping children. They return to Giant Country just as the other giants have departed to go eat the children worldwide. The BFG realizes that Sophie has lost her blanket, exposing her presence to the other giants, and leaves her outside her orphanage. Revealing that his last human companion liked to read, and even taught The BFG how to read, but sadly was discovered and eaten by the giants, he is unwilling to endanger Sophie and departs. Unafraid, Sophie jumps off her balcony hoping he will appear again to catch her, and he does.

They return to the BFG's workshop and the other giants barge in, hunting for Sophie. They destroy much of the BFG's work, but Sophie evades detection and the BFG drives them off with a hot iron. Sophie finds the home of the last human to live with the BFG, with a portrait of Queen Victoria among his belongings. This inspires her to devise a plan: to forge a nightmare for Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom, about giants eating the children of England, the British Army fighting the giants, and Sophie appearing to her.

Sophie and the BFG go to Buckingham Palace and deliver the nightmare to the sleeping Queen. Upon waking, the Queen and members of her staff Mary and Mr Tibbs find Sophie on the windowsill. She introduces them to the BFG, explaining that the child-eating giants are real and must be stopped. At a large breakfast, the BFG shares his favourite drink, flatulence-inducing "frobscottle", and he and Sophie lead the Queen's soldiers to Giant Country.

The BFG plans to ambush the man-eating giants with a nightmare but has forgotten his dream trumpet. Sophie carries the nightmare herself into the midst of the giants and is confronted by the Fleshlumpeater. She releases the nightmare which consumes the giants with guilt, except the unregretful Fleshlumpeater (who intercepts and destroys his), and they are trapped by military helicopters. Carried away to an isolated island, the giants are left with only "snozzcumbers" seeds to plant.

Sophie gets adopted by Mary, comes to live in the Queen's palace, and awakens from a dream of the BFG, who returns to his life at Giant Country and writes the story of their adventure. She speaks to him whenever she feels lonely; at his home, the BFG hears her words and smiles.

Cast

Adamthwaite, Bacon, Gibbs, Godley, Holmes, Moniz de Sa, and Ólafsson also make cameos as minor London characters where Adamthwaite appears as a Danish driver, Bacon, Godley, and Moniz de Sa appear as drunken louts, Holmes cameos as a pup landlord, Chris Gibbs appears as a late night walker, and Ólafsson appears as Queen Elizabeth II's cook.

John Emmet Tracy, William Samples, Andy Thomas, and Ruby Barnhill's father Paul Barnhill make cameos as the palace staff members.

Production

Development

Producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy began development on a live-action adaptation of The BFG in 1991, and set the project up at Paramount Pictures. [20] Husband and wife screenwriters Robin Swicord and Nicholas Kazan wrote a screenplay adaptation in 1998, with Robin Williams in negotiations for the title role. [21] [22] [23] Williams attended a read-through, which according to Michael Siegel was "surprisingly disappointing". [24] Williams' trademark improvisational style clashed with the BFG's unique language. [24] Siegel elaborates, "He was sort of improvising on the jumbled language. And it was clunky. It was strangely not working. It was harder than it looks even for Robin. It didn't quite deliver." [24] By 2001, the script had been rewritten by Gwyn Lurie, and was greeted with positive feedback from the Dahl estate. [25] Terry Jones and Ed Solomon also attempted screenplay drafts. [24] While the screenplay lingered in development hell, Paramount subsequently lost the film rights and they reverted to the Dahl estate. [24]

In September 2011, DreamWorks [26] acquired the film rights to the book; Kennedy and Marshall were announced to produce, with screenwriter Melissa Mathison adapting the story. [26] Initially, John Madden was hired to direct; however, in April 2014, Steven Spielberg [27] was announced as the director, with Madden now listed as executive producer with producer Michael Siegel. [28] Kennedy had initially thought of Spielberg as director, but hesitated asking him until a more concrete screenplay was presentable. [29] Spielberg stated, "The BFG has enchanted families and their children for more than three decades. We are honoured that the Roald Dahl estate has entrusted us with this classic story." [30] Walden Media [3] agreed to co-produce and co-finance the film with DreamWorks and Amblin Entertainment in March 2015. [3] A month later, Walt Disney Studios [17] —which was under prior agreement to distribute the film through its Touchstone Pictures banner—also joined the production as a co-producer and co-financier, and shifted the film from a Touchstone release to a Walt Disney Pictures production instead. [27] Consequently, The BFG is the first Disney-branded film directed by Spielberg, though he has previously produced several films for the studio. [31] Similarly, as a result of Amblin Partners' [8] restructuring, DreamWorks did not receive a marquee credit—placement of the studio's production logo on marketing materials and opening titles—and instead, DreamWorks' marquee credit shifted to Amblin. [32] [33] The film is the second adaptation of the novel following the 1989 direct-to-television animated film. It is also Disney's first feature-length adaptation of a Roald Dahl work since 1996, Henry Selick's James and the Giant Peach .

Casting

Mark Rylance was cast as the BFG in October 2014. [15] Spielberg had approached Rylance with the role during the filming of Bridge of Spies . [34] [35] Spielberg was quoted as saying that "Mark Rylance is a transformational actor. I am excited and thrilled that Mark will be making this journey with us to Giant Country. Everything about his career so far is about making the courageous choice and I'm honoured he has chosen The BFG as his next big screen performance." [36] [37] Rylance performed the character through motion capture, a process which he referred to as "liberating". [38] In mid-November 2014, it was revealed that a ten-year-old student of Lower Peover School, Ruby Barnhill, had auditioned for the film. She had to learn six pages of dialogue in preparation for a possible role as the orphan Sophie. [39] After a lengthy search, on December 16, Barnhill was cast in the role, about which she said, "I feel incredibly lucky and I'm so happy." Spielberg stated that they "have discovered a wonderful Sophie in Ruby Barnhill." [16] Bill Hader was set to star in the film in an unspecified role on March 27, 2015. [19] On April 13, 2015, the rest of the cast was announced, which included Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Jemaine Clement, Michael David Adamthwaite, Daniel Bacon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Jonathan Holmes, Paul Moniz de Sa, and Ólafur Ólafsson. [17]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on March 23, 2015, in Vancouver [17] [40] and concluded on June 12, 2015. [41] Weta Digital worked on the film's visual effects. [42] It was Mathison's last and posthumous film following her death on November 4, 2015.

Music

John Williams composed and conducted the film's musical score, marking the twenty-seventh collaboration between Spielberg and Williams. [43] Williams was announced as the film's composer in March 2015. [44] During the process of writing the score, Williams compared the film to "a child's ballet where there are dances involved," elaborating, "The BFG tries to capture dreams with his net and does something that almost looks like a Ray Bolger or Fred Astaire dance; it is an amazingly musical and choreographic sequence which required the orchestra to do things that are more associated with musical films." [45] Williams found similarities with the scoring of Home Alone , admitting that writing music for The BFG "was really an opportunity to compose and orchestrate a little children's fantasy for orchestra." [46] The soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on July 1, 2016. [47]

Release

Spielberg, Rylance and Barnhill promoting the film at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Cannes 2016 19.jpg
Spielberg, Rylance and Barnhill promoting the film at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

The BFG premiered on May 14, 2016, at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, in an out of competition screening. [48] Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributed the film worldwide, except for territories in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, where the film's distribution rights were sold by Amblin's international partner, Mister Smith Entertainment, to independent distributors. [3] [27] [49]

Disney released a teaser trailer on December 9, 2015. [50] A second trailer was released on April 5, 2016. [51] A third trailer was released on May 16, 2016. [52] The film held its North American premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 21, 2016. [9] It was released in the United States on July 1, 2016. [53] Entertainment One distributed the film in the U.K. on July 22, 2016. [54] DreamWorks' financial partner, Reliance Entertainment, released the film in India on July 29, 2016. [55] Huaxia Film Distribution released the film in China.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released The BFG on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on November 29, 2016. The film debuted in third of the home media sales chart for the week ending on December 2, 2016. [56] Entertainment One and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the UK edition on DVD in 2016.

Reception

Box office

The BFG grossed $55.5 million in North America and $139.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $195.2 million, against a production budget of $140 million. [7]

In the United States and Canada, The BFG opened alongside The Legend of Tarzan and The Purge: Election Year at 3,357 theaters, and was projected to gross $22–32 million in its opening weekend. [57] [58] The film was notably vying for drawing family audiences with the studio's own Finding Dory . [6] It made $775,000 from its Thursday previews; however, the low figure was not surprising, given how family films tend to attract fewer audiences during late-night showings. [59] [60] [61] This was followed by a $7 million opening day (including previews) and a disappointing $18.6 million opening weekend, which Deadline Hollywood called "an awful start for this film which is estimated to cost $140 million". [62] [63] Forbes noted that Steven Spielberg's films tend to have long runs, irrespective of their opening numbers. However, it also pointed out that the July 4th weekend proves to be a non-leggy release schedule and most films released during this time end up making only twice their holiday total over the course of their domestic theatrical run. [64] The New York Times called the opening figures "a colossal misfire". [65]

Due to the film's poor performance in North America, the film was considered a box office disappointment. [11] [12] [13] [14] As a result of its low opening numbers in North America, the film needed greater financial success in its international markets, as pointed out by David Hollis, Disney's distribution chief, saying, "we're going to be reliant in a lot of ways on international [audiences]". [65] Internationally—during its opening weekend—where the 4th of July weekend is not a holiday, the film opened to $3.9 million in its opening weekend from two markets, Australia and Russia. [66] In Australia, it opened to $2 million placing third while in Russia it debuted second with $1.9 million, which tops the entire runs of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and War Horse . In the United Kingdom, where the book is more well known, it opened to $6.9 million. [67]

In China, the release was handled by Huaxia Film Distribution. While it benefitted from a robust marketing effort including Spielberg's presence in the country itself, it suffered from a three month long delay after its North American release. It had an estimated $13.8 million opening, debuting at second place behind Operation Mekong . [68] [69] Many Chinese online reviews criticized Spielberg for making the film "too juvenile" for adults. [70]

The BFG is one of the lowest-grossing films of Spielberg's career, specifically in North America and, when accounting for inflation, one of the year's biggest flops, but The Hollywood Reporter noted that Disney would be able to withstand the losses due to the success of Captain America: Civil War and Finding Dory . [71] The site also highlighted that the financial losses for Disney could be $90–100 million based on theatrical returns alone. [72]

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 74% based on 308 reviews and an average rating of 6.70/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The BFG minimizes the darker elements of Roald Dahl's classic in favor of a resolutely good-natured, visually stunning, and largely successful family-friendly adventure." [73] On another aggregator, Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [74] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [75]

Justin Chang of Los Angeles Times called Rylance's performance a "brilliant amalgam of performance-capture technology and peerless screen presence." [76] Scott Mendelson of Forbes described the film as "a charming, intelligent, and witty little adventure movie with strong special effects work in the service of a most unassuming story." [77] Mendelson also commended the film's smaller scope in story, as well as Rylance and Barnhill's interaction. [77] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph called the film "a significant technical accomplishment", adding that "the infinitesimally detailed motion-capture technology alone, which stretches Rylance’s human performance to gargantuan proportions, is river-straddling bounds beyond anything that’s come before it." [78] Critic Matt Zoller Seitz highly appreciated Spielberg's direction of the film, giving the film three and a half out of four stars. Seitz remarks, "I can imagine some adults finding the movie dull; 'Nothing happens', they'll say. 'And it's too nice.' But I can imagine other adults loving the film for helping them remember what it's like to be young enough to hide from a movie monster because he's big and weird-looking and then laugh because he's kind of silly..." [79]

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter compared the film negatively to Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , as a "conspicuously less captivating, magical and transporting experience than its classic forebear." [80] Peter Debruge of Variety , however, compared the film favorably to E.T., writing, "this splendid Steven Spielberg-directed adaptation makes it possible for audiences of all ages to wrap their heads around one of the unlikeliest friendships in cinema history, resulting in the sort of instant family classic “human beans” once relied upon Disney to deliver." [81] A. O. Scott of The New York Times praised the film's digital effects and visual style as "exquisite", though he felt that the film lacked the excitement found in Spielberg's previous fantasy films. [82]

Richard Brody of The New Yorker stating that it "plays like a forced march of fun, a mandatory strain of magic and a prescribed dose of poetry, like a movie ready-made for screening in classrooms when a teacher is absent." Brody, however, observes that "Spielberg is the BFG who's menaced by bigger and more monstrous giants who aren't interested in edifying their audiences but merely in consuming them—consuming the consumer, so to speak." [83] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film "technically impressive but listless and tedious... painfully cutesy, silly and gross rather than whimsical and funny." He thought that the film moved far too slowly and was missing a "sense of wonder and adventure", saying that he'd "rather see every one of Spielberg's previous films before having to sit through The BFG again". [84]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
Annie Awards February 4, 2017 Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action ProductionClaude Schitter, Benjaman Folkman, Gary Boyle, David Caeiro and Luke MillarNominated [85]
British Academy Children's Awards November 20, 2016BAFTA Kids' VoteThe BFGNominated [86]
[87]
Evening Standard British Film Awards December 8, 2016Best Actor Mark Rylance Nominated [88]
Golden Tomato Awards January 12, 2017Best Kids/Family Movie 2016The BFG5th Place [89]
London Film Critics' Circle January 22, 2017 Young British/Irish Performer of the Year Ruby Barnhill Nominated [90]
Satellite Awards February 19, 2017 Best Original Score John Williams Nominated [91]
Best Visual Effects The BFGNominated
Saturn Awards June 28, 2017 Best Fantasy Film The BFGNominated [92]
Best Director Steven Spielberg Nominated
Best Writing Melissa Mathison Nominated
Best Actor Mark RylanceNominated
Best Performance by a Younger Actor Ruby BarnhillNominated
Best Music John WilliamsNominated
Best Editing Michael Kahn Won
Best Production Design Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg Won
Best Costume Design Joanna Johnston Nominated
Best Special Effects Joe Letteri and Joel WhistNominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 5, 2016 Best Motion Capture PerformanceMark RylanceWon [93]
Women Film Critics Circle December 19, 2016Best Animated FemaleThe BFGNominated [94]
World Soundtrack Awards October 20, 2016Film Composer of the YearJohn Williams (also for Star Wars: The Force Awakens )Nominated [95]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Spielberg</span> American filmmaker (born 1946)

Steven Allan Spielberg, is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director in history. He is the recipient of many accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, and four Directors Guild of America Awards, as well as the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2006, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2009 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Seven of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roald Dahl</span> British writer and poet (1916–1990)

Roald Dahl was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. Dahl has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".

<i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> 1964 childrens novel by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.

<i>The BFG</i> 1982 childrens novel by Roald Dahl

The BFG is a 1982 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. It is an expansion of a short story from Dahl's 1975 novel Danny, the Champion of the World. The book is dedicated to Dahl's oldest daughter, Olivia, who had died of measles encephalitis at the age of seven in 1962.

BFG may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchstone Pictures</span> Defunct American film label of Walt Disney Pictures

Touchstone Pictures was an American film production label of Walt Disney Studios, founded and owned by The Walt Disney Company. Feature films released under the Touchstone label were produced and financed by Walt Disney Studios, and featured more mature themes targeted at adult audiences than typical Walt Disney Pictures films. As such, Touchstone was merely a pseudonym label for the studio and did not exist as a distinct business operation.

<i>James and the Giant Peach</i> (film) 1996 animated film directed by Henry Selick

James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical animated fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi, and starred Paul Terry as James. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation. Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes played James's self-absorbed Aunts Spiker and Sponge, respectively, with Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Leeves, Susan Sarandon and David Thewlis, as well as Margolyes, voicing his insect friends in the animation sequences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures</span> American film distribution studio

ABC Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, previously known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc., is an American film distributor within the Disney Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Company. It handles theatrical and occasional digital distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by the Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios; the Searchlight Pictures label operates its own autonomous theatrical distribution and marketing unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Rylance</span> British actor, playwright and theatre director (born 1960)

Sir David Mark Rylance Waters is an English actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards. In 2016 he was included in the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people. In 2017 he was made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Spielberg filmography</span> Filmography of American filmmaker Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is an American director, producer and writer. He is considered one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era, as well as one of the most popular directors and producers in film history. He is also one of the co-founders of Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation.

<i>The BFG</i> (1989 film) 1989 British animated television film

Roald Dahl's The BFG, or simply The BFG, is a 1989 British animated fantasy adventure made-for-television film directed by Brian Cosgrove from a screenplay by John Hambley, based on the 1982 novel The BFG by Roald Dahl.

DreamWorks Pictures is an American film studio and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994, as a live-action film studio by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, of which they owned 72%. The studio formerly distributed its own and third-party films. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses of more than $100 million each.

<i>Bridge of Spies</i> (film) 2015 film by Steven Spielberg

Bridge of Spies is a 2015 American historical drama film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, written by Matt Charman and the Coen brothers, and starring Tom Hanks in the lead role, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda. Set during the Cold War, the film tells the story of lawyer James B. Donovan, who is entrusted with negotiating the release of Francis Gary Powers—a convicted Central Intelligence Agency pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960—in exchange for Rudolf Abel, a convicted Soviet KGB spy held by the United States, whom Donovan represented at trial. The name of the film refers to the Glienicke Bridge, which connects Potsdam with Berlin, where the prisoner exchange took place. The film was an international co-production of the United States and Germany.

<i>Ready Player One</i> (film) 2018 American science fiction action film

Ready Player One is a 2018 American science fiction action film based on Ernest Cline's novel of the same name. The film was co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Cline and Zak Penn, and stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance. The film is set in 2045, where much of humanity uses the OASIS, a virtual reality simulation, to escape the real world. A teenage orphan finds clues to a contest that promises ownership of the OASIS to the winner, and he and his allies try to complete it before an evil corporation can do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Barnhill</span> British actress

Ruby Barnhill is an English former child actress. She played the lead role of Sophie in Disney's live-action adaptation of The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg, in 2016. She also subsequently provided the voice of Mary Smith in the English dub of 2017's Mary and the Witch's Flower, a film from Studio Ponoc directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

Amblin Partners American entertainment company

Storyteller Distribution Co., LLC, doing business as Amblin Partners, LLC., is an American independent entertainment production company. It develops and produces films under the Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures banners, as well as television series through Amblin Television. The company's investment partners include Reliance Group's Reliance Entertainment, Lionsgate, Alibaba Group's Alibaba Pictures, and NBCUniversal/Comcast's Universal Pictures. Films produced by Amblin Partners are primarily distributed by Universal in North America and select international territories, and by third-party distributors through Mister Smith Entertainment in other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hader filmography</span>

Bill Hader is an American actor, comedian, producer, voice actor, and writer. The following are his appearances in film, television and video games.

<i>The BFG</i> (soundtrack) 2016 film score by John Williams

The BFG (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album for the 2016 film of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg. It featured a musical score composed by Spielberg's regular collaborator John Williams and was released on July 1, 2016 (the same date as the film's release) by Walt Disney Records.

References

  1. ↑ Grierson, Tim (May 14, 2016). "'The BFG': Cannes Review". Screen Daily . Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (April 13, 2015). "Disney Joins Steven Spielberg's 'BFG'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 1, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kilday, Gregg (March 5, 2015). "Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG' to be Co-Financed and Co-Produced by Walden Media". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ Groves, Don (July 14, 2016). "Can Amitabh Bachchan And Parineeti Chopra Boost Spielberg's 'The BFG' In India?". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  5. ↑ "The BFG[2D] (PG)". British Board of Film Classification . June 17, 2016. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Pamela McClintock (June 24, 2016). "July Fourth Box Office: Few Fireworks Expected as 'BFG,' 'Tarzan' Track Poorly". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on June 26, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "The BFG (2016)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Masters, Kim (June 15, 2016). "Steven Spielberg on DreamWorks' Past, Amblin's Present and His Own Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  9. 1 2 McCarten, Phil (June 22, 2016). "Spielberg brings Dahl's friendly giant to screens with 'The BFG'". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  10. ↑ "The BFG". IMAX. June 16, 2016. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Lang, Brent (July 3, 2016). "'The BFG' Flops: Has Steven Spielberg Lost His Blockbuster Touch?". Variety. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Mendelson, Scott (July 4, 2016). "Box Office: 'The BFG' Could Be Steven Spielberg's Most Significant Flop". Forbes . Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  13. 1 2 McClintock, Pamela (July 3, 2016). "Box Office: Steven Spielberg's 'BFG' Equals Big Failed Gamble in U.S." The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  14. 1 2 McNary, Dave (July 4, 2016). "'Finding Dory' Keeps Holiday Box Office Bright; 'The BFG' Fizzles". Variety. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  15. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 27, 2014). "Mark Rylance To Play 'The BFG' In Roald Dahl Adaptation By Steven Spielberg". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Steven Spielberg Casts 10-Year-Old Ruby Barnhill as Lead in 'The BFG'". TheWrap . December 16, 2014. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 13, 2015). "Disney Signs On To Co-Fi Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  18. ↑ Dorbbush, Jonathon (January 22, 2016). "Sophie steps on some big toes in The BFG poster". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  19. 1 2 Ge, Linda (March 27, 2015). "Bill Hader Joining Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG'". TheWrap . Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  20. ↑ Glenn Whipp (February 17, 2009). "Frank Marshall focuses on practical". Variety. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  21. ↑ Staff (October 22, 1998). "'Husband' vows renewed; doc on saint set". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  22. ↑ Denham, Jess (April 13, 2016). "The BFG: Robin Williams did 'hilarious' cast readings as the big friendly giant". The Independent . Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  23. ↑ Breznican, Anthony (April 12, 2016). "Robin Williams was almost The BFG's big, friendly giant". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Setoodah, Ramin (July 29, 2016). "From 'The BFG' to 'Matilda': How 5 Roald Dahl Books Landed on the Big Screen". Variety. Archived from the original on July 3, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  25. ↑ Harris, Dana (February 27, 2002). "Lurie back to book for 'Chocolate' pic". Variety. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  26. 1 2 Weinstein, Joshua L. (September 24, 2011). "DreamWorks Is Still Buying – Picks Up Roald Dahl's 'BFG' (Exclusive)". Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  27. 1 2 3 Rainey, James (April 13, 2015). "Steven Spielberg Takes First Directing Turn With Walt Disney Studios". Variety . Archived from the original on February 26, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  28. ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 26, 2014). "Steven Spielberg to Direct Roald Dahl's 'The BFG,' Will Shoot Tom Hanks Thriller First". Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  29. ↑ Masters, Kim (June 15, 2016). "Steven Spielberg Reveals 'The BFG's' 20-Year Journey to Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Steven Spielberg to direct BFG film from Roald Dahl book" Archived July 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine . BBC News. Retrieved 29 April 2014
  31. ↑ Breznican, Anthony (June 23, 2016). "Steven Spielberg on making The BFG his first Disney movie". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  32. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (September 24, 2015). "Will Steven Spielberg Drop the DreamWorks Name?". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  33. ↑ Rainey, James (December 12, 2015). "Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks To Reboot with $200 Million From Participant and Universal Deal". Variety. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  34. ↑ Masters, Tim (November 26, 2015). "Mark Rylance: From Bridge of Spies to BFG". BBC News. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  35. ↑ Alexander, Bryan (June 26, 2016). "New BFFs Spielberg, Rylance team up for 'The BFG' and big things beyond". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  36. ↑ Shoard, Catherine (October 27, 2014). "Mark Rylance to be Spielberg's BFG". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  37. ↑ Tatiana Siegel (October 27, 2014). "Three-Time Tony Winner Mark Rylance Nabs Lead in Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG'". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  38. ↑ Breznican, Anthony (February 3, 2016). "Meet Mark Rylance, the Oscar contender who's never himself unless he's someone else". Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  39. ↑ Harris, Alan (November 17, 2014). "Crackley Hall pupil auditions for role in Steven Spielberg's new film". Coventry Telegraph . Retrieved November 18, 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  40. ↑ "On the Set for 3/23/15: Ryan Reynolds Starts Shooting 'Deadpool', Chloë Grace Moretz Begins 'November Criminal' & More". ssninsider.com. March 23, 2015. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  41. ↑ Bullock, Paul (June 13, 2015). "Frank Marshall tweets from last day of BFG shoot". fromdirectorstevenspielberg.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  42. ↑ Ritman, Alex (June 22, 2015). "CineEurope: Steven Spielberg Talks 'BFG' Filming". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  43. ↑ Grieving, Tim (December 18, 2016). "John Williams on 'Force Awakens' score: 'I felt a renewed , and a vitality'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  44. ↑ Lang, Brent (March 18, 2015). "Spielberg-Hanks Cold War Film Titled 'Bridge of Spies,' John Williams Won't Compose Score". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  45. ↑ "The BFG Press Kit" (PDF). wdsmediafile.com. The Walt Disney Studios. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  46. ↑ Burlingame, Jon (December 1, 2016). "'Fantastic Beasts' and 'The BFG' Tap Into Magical Musical Worlds". Variety. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  47. ↑ "Walt Disney Records To Release The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack From "The BFG"". PR Newswire (Press release). Burbank, California: Walt Disney Records. June 29, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  48. ↑ "2016 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup". IndieWire. April 14, 2016. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  49. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (May 8, 2015). "David Garrett, Ralpho Borgos Hope to Take Mr. Smith Shingle to the Summit". Variety. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  50. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (December 9, 2015). "First Trailer for Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG' Debuts". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  51. ↑ Lawler, Kelly (April 6, 2016). "The new trailer for Spielberg's 'The BFG' will sweep you away". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  52. ↑ "'The BFG': New Trailer Spotlights Mark Rylance's Giant". The Hollywood Reporter. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  53. ↑ McNary, Dave (June 16, 2014). "Tom Hanks-Steven Spielberg Cold War Thriller Set for Oct. 16, 2015". Variety. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  54. ↑ "Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG' Primed for U.K. Release With eOne". Variety. July 11, 2014. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  55. ↑ Groves, Don (July 14, 2016). "Can Amitabh Bachchan And Parineeti Chopra Boost Spielberg's 'The BFG' In India?". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  56. ↑ Arnold, Thomas (December 7, 2016). "'Pete's Dragon' Tops Disney Trio of Best-Selling Discs". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  57. ↑ Brent Lang (June 16, 2016). "'The BFG,' 'The Legend of Tarzan' Failing to Generate Much Box Office Heat". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  58. ↑ Brad Brevet (June 26, 2016). "'Finding Dory' #1 Again, Topping All Four of the Weekend's New Wide Releases Combined". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  59. ↑ Scott Mendelson (July 1, 2016). "Thursday Box Office: 'Purge' Steals $3.64M, 'Tarzan' Swings To $2.55M, 'BFG' Eats $775K". Forbes . Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  60. ↑ Brad Brevet (June 30, 2016). "'Tarzan', 'BFG' and 'Purge 3' Will be No Match for 'Finding Dory'". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  61. ↑ McNary, Dave (July 1, 2016). "Box Office: 'The Purge 3' Expunges 'Legend of Tarzan,' 'The BFG' on Thursday Night". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  62. ↑ Mendelson, Scott (July 2, 2016). "Box Office: Disney's 'The BFG' Earns Not-So-Huge $7M Friday". Forbes . Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  63. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (July 3, 2016). "'Dory' Dominates, 'Tarzan' Improves, 'Purge' Excels As 'BFG' Falls: July 4th Weekend B.O. – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  64. ↑ Mendelson, Scott (July 3, 2016). "Box Office: Disney's 'The BFG' Nabs Not Very Big $23.6M Weekend". Forbes . Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  65. 1 2 Brooks Barnes (July 3, 2016). "'The BFG' Stumbles as 'Finding Dory' Rules Box Office". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  66. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 3, 2016). "'Tarzan' Takes $18.8M In First Offshore Swing; 'TMNT2' Kicks Up $26M China Bow; 'Pets' Purrs – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  67. ↑ Gant, Charles (July 26, 2016). "The BFG towers over UK box office while Star Trek Beyond fails to prosper". The Guardian . Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  68. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (October 16, 2016). "'Inferno' Ignites With $50M Offshore; 'Miss Peregrine' Tops $130M – Intl Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  69. ↑ Patrick Frater (October 16, 2016). "China Box Office: 'Operation Mekong' Stays Ahead of 'The BFG'". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  70. ↑ Jonathan Papish (October 18, 2016). "China Box Office: 'Mekong' Still Tops Spielberg's 'BFG'". China Film Insider. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  71. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (September 4, 2016). "Summer Box-Office Winners and Losers: From 'Finding Dory' to 'Ben-Hur'". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  72. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (September 8, 2016). "'Ben-Hur' Faces Epic $120M Loss as Summer's Biggest Box-Office Bust". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  73. ↑ "The BFG (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  74. ↑ "The BFG Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  75. ↑ "CinemaScore search". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on November 27, 1999. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  76. ↑ Chang, Justin (June 30, 2016). "Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG' seeks to recapture the heights of 'E.T.'". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  77. 1 2 Mendelson, Scott (June 21, 2016). "'The BFG' Review: Yup, Steven Spielberg Made Another Great Movie". Forbes . Archived from the original on June 26, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  78. ↑ Collin, Robbie (July 17, 2016). "Steven Spielberg creates a landscape of astonishments in The BFG – review" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  79. ↑ Seitz, Matt Zoller (July 1, 2016). "The BFG Movie Review & Film Summary (2016)". RogerEbert.com . Ebert Digital LLC. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  80. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (May 14, 2016). "'The BFG': Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  81. ↑ Debruge, Peter (May 14, 2016). "Cannes Film Review: Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG'". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  82. ↑ Scott, A. O. (June 30, 2016). "Review: In 'The BFG,' Walking Gently and Wearing Huge Shoes". The New York Times . Archived from the original on July 3, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  83. ↑ Brody, Richard (July 1, 2016). "Steven Spielberg's 'The BFG' Is a Forced March of Fun". The New Yorker . Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  84. ↑ Roeper, Richard (June 28, 2016). "'The BFG': Even Steven Spielberg can't stir a lumbering giant". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  85. ↑ Flores, Terry (November 28, 2016). "'Zootopia' Tops Annie Awards Nominations, 'Kubo and the Two Strings' in Close Second". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  86. ↑ Foster, Elizabeth (October 19, 2016). "Horrible Histories, TrueTube lead BAFTA Children's noms". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  87. ↑ "2016 Children's BAFTA Kids' Vote – Film". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. November 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  88. ↑ Moore, William (November 17, 2016). "Evening Standard British Film Awards – The Longlist". London Evening Standard . Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  89. ↑ "Golden Tomato Awards – Best of 2016". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  90. ↑ "'Moonlight' and 'Love and Friendship' Lead London Film Critics' Circle Nominations". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. December 20, 2016. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  91. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (November 29, 2016). "Satellite Awards Nominees Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  92. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 2, 2017). "Saturn Awards Nominations 2017: 'Rogue One,' 'Walking Dead' Lead". Variety . Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  93. ↑ "The 2016 WAFCA Awards Nominations". December 3, 2016. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  94. ↑ "Women Film Critics Circle Nominations: "Hidden Figures," "13th," & More". Women and Hollywood. December 19, 2016. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  95. ↑ "Winners of the 15th World Soundtrack Awards". World Soundtrack Awards. October 24, 2015. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
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.