The Gruffalo (film)
| The Gruffalo | |
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_poster.jpg) Poster for The Gruffalo |
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| Distributed by | Magic Light Pictures |
| Directed by | Max Lang Jakob Schuh |
| Produced by | Martin Pope Michael Rose |
| Written by | Julia Donaldson Axel Scheffler |
| Starring | James Corden Robbie Coltrane Helena Bonham Carter John Hurt Rob Brydon Tom Wilkinson |
| Music by | René Aubry |
| Production company | Magic Light Pictures Studio Soi |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English, German |
| Original channel | BBC |
| Release date |
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| Running time | 27 minutes |
The Gruffalo is a 2009 British short animated film based on the picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
Directed by Jakob Schuh and Max Lang, the film was produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures, London, in association with the award winning Studio Soi in Ludwigsburg, Germany, who developed and created the film.[1]
The cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Robbie Coltrane, James Corden, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson.
9.8 million people watched the UK premiere on BBC One, Friday December 25, 2009 and the film went on to receive both an Academy Award[2] and a BAFTA nomination.[3] The short will be screened in US theaters, where it will be distributed by Kidtoon Films. Also, a The Wiggles feature will be screened alongside it. In December 2012, the film and its sequel The Gruffalo's Child premiered on television in the United States on PBS Kids Sprout.[4]
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Plot [edit]
The Gruffalo tells the tale of a mouse who takes a walk though the woods in search of a nut. Encountering three predators who all wish to eat him - a fox, an owl and a snake - the plucky mouse has to use his wits to survive. He announces that he is meeting a monster with terrible features, a ‘Gruffalo’, and the three predators are each panicked into running away.
Mouse is now increasingly confident. There is nothing that can touch him in these woods. Until he rounds a corner and comes face to face with the extraordinary product of his imagination: the Gruffalo itself. Once again Mouse has to dig deep to escape the danger. Finally safe, he finds a nut, and can eat it in peace.
Cast [edit]
- Helena Bonham Carter as Mother Squirrel (Narrator)
- James Corden as Mouse
- Robbie Coltrane as The Gruffalo
- Tom Wilkinson as Fox
- John Hurt as Owl
- Rob Brydon as Snake
- Sam Lewis as First Little Squirrel
- Phoebe Givron-Taylor as Second Little Squirrel
Background and production [edit]
The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, was published in 1999 and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. In a BBC Radio 2 poll in 2009, the book was voted as the UK’s favourite bedtime story.[5]
Reception [edit]
The film premiered on BBC One, Christmas Day 2009, watched by 9.8 million people, with The Daily Mirror hailing it as "a family classic for years to come".[6] Review website Den of Geek described it as an "utterly charming piece of magic".[7] Paul Connolly of The Daily Mail called it "captivating".
The film has been broadcast across the world, including on ZDF in Germany. It premiered on United States television on December 9, 2010 on ABC Family during its 25 Days of Christmas programming block.[8] It also aired on YTV in Canada on December 18, 2011.
The Gruffalo has also been shown on Nick Jr in the UK and is distributed on DVD by Entertainment One. NCircle distribute the DVD in the USA, Phase 4 in Canada and Concorde in Germany.
A Scottish Gaelic version has also been produced, with the voice of the Gruffalo provided by Bill Paterson. An Gruffalo was first shown on BBC Alba on Christmas Eve 2010.
The film has also proved a hit with festival audiences around the world. On top of its Academy Award and BAFTA nominations it has also been awarded prizes at festivals including Annecy International Animation Festival (France), Anima Mundi (Brazil), The Broadcast Awards 2011 (UK), Cartoons on the Bay (Italy), Chicago International Children's Festival (Canada), CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (Canada), Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada), Prix Jeunesse (Germany), Sapporo Short Fest (Japan), Shanghai Television Festival (China) and Internationales Trick Film Festival (Germany). The Gruffalo was also nominated for the prestigious Cartoon d'or 2011.
Awards and Nominations [edit]
| Ceremony | Recipient | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83rd Academy Awards[2] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Animated Short Film | Nominated |
| 63rd British Academy Film Awards[3] | Michael Rose Martin Pope Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Short Animation | Nominated |
| Cartoon d'or [9] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Cartoon d’Or | Nominated |
| Anima Mundi Festival 2010 [10] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Short For Children | Won |
| Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2010 [11] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Award For Best TV Special | Won |
| Broadcast Awards 2011[12] | Magic Light Pictures in association with Studio Soi | Best Children's Programme | Won |
| CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival 2011[13] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Audience Award | Won |
| Chicago International Children's Film Festival | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best of the Fest | Won |
| Ottawa International Animation Festival 2010 [14] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Television Animation Made for Children | Won |
| Sapporo Short Fest 2010[15] | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Children's Choice Award Silver | Won |
Sequel [edit]
The sequel to the Gruffalo, based on the follow-up to the picture book, was shown on BBC One on Christmas Day 2011.
References [edit]
- ^ "highlights - 25.12.2010 euromaxx". Deutsche Welle (YouTube). 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
- ^ a b "Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ a b "Film Awards Nominations". BAFTA website. 21 January 10.
- ^ Sarto, Dan (December 7, 2012). "Gruffalo’s Child to Premiere on Sprout". Animation World Network. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
- ^ "Children's favourite, the Gruffalo, has landed his own TV show". Mail Online (London: Daily Mail). 21 November 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
- ^ The Daily Mail (13 May 2010 at 03:59). "The Daily Mail review of the Gruffalo". The Daily Mail.
- ^ Pete Dillon-Trenchard (December 26, 2009). "The Gruffalo review". Den of Geek.
- ^ Robert Seidman (November 2, 2010). "ABC Christmas Schedule". TV By The Numbers.
- ^ "Cartoon d’Or nominations". The Cartoon d’Or. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
- ^ "Anima Mundi Award winners accessdate=2011-10-13".
- ^ "Annecy Animation Festival Award Winners". Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ "Broadcast Awards winners accessdate=2011-10-13".
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (2011-06-06). "'The Gruffalo' Takes Audience Award in Toronto". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
- ^ "Ottawa International Animation Festival Award winners accessdate=2011-10-13".
- ^ "Sapporo Award winners". Retrieved 2011-10-13.
External links [edit]
- The Gruffalo at the Internet Movie Database
- The Gruffalo on BBC Online
- The Gruffalo on Magic Light Pictures
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