DC League of Super-Pets
DC League of Super-Pets | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster. | |
Directed by | Jared Stern |
Written by |
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Based on | Characters by DC Comics |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Edited by |
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Music by | Steve Jablonsky |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $90 million[2] |
DC League of Super-Pets is a 2022 American 3D computer-animated superhero comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, based on the DC Comics superhero team Legion of Super-Pets. It is directed by Jared Stern in his theatrical directorial debut, who co-wrote the story with John Whittington. The film stars the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves.
DC League of Super-Pets premiered in Los Angeles on July 27, 2022, and was released in the United States on July 29, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
During the destruction of Krypton, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever ends up in the escape pod of Kal-El, comforting him as they head towards Earth. Years later, the dog and Kal-El, now known as Krypto and Superman, live in Metropolis under their dual identities Bark and Clark Kent. Clark is dating journalist Lois Lane, whom Krypto is jealous of.
Thinking that Krypto needs a friend, Clark heads to an animal shelter to find one for him. While there, Krypto comes across a Boxer named Ace, who is trying to escape the shelter, and manages to stop him from doing so. Later, Superman and Krypto spot their archenemy Lex Luthor reeling in a meteorite strapped with orange kryptonite, intending to gain superpowers. He is easily defeated by the two.
Meanwhile, Lulu, a guinea pig tested by Luthor, manages to reel in a piece of kryptonite, which gives her superpowers. Unbeknownst to her, everyone else in the shelter gains superpowers themselves. Ace is now super strong and indestructible; an unnamed potbellied pig can shrink and grow; Merton, a turtle, becomes super fast; and a squirrel named Chip gains electrokinesis.
While at home, Superman and Krypto have an argument when the former wants to go on a date with Lois in order to propose marriage. However, Clark is captured by Lulu. Krypto tries to save him, but due to a piece of cheese he ate laced with green kryptonite, he loses his powers. Later, he comes across the shelter pets who, besides Ace, agree to help him, with Ace only agreeing after Krypto blackmails him.
Lulu recruits her own army of guinea pigs, captures the Justice League, and heads to Stryker's Island to free Luthor. The shelter pets try to stop her, but fail miserably, with Krypto being thrown to the Hall of Justice. While on the roof, Ace tells Krypto his backstory and says that dogs love unconditionally, even if it hurts. With that, they head to Stryker's Island to try and stop Lulu. Before they can stop her, a kitten that she saved tries to kill them. But through their teamwork, they manage to escape. At the prison, they try to stop Lulu, but put themselves in prison cells to save Krypto. However, when Lulu frees Luthor, the latter betrays her. Lulu breaks out easily and decides to end the Justice League herself.
Krypto manages to get his powers back, but asks his friends to stay out of harm's way as he heads to Lex Corp. He defeats the guinea pigs with ease while Lulu, after capturing Luthor herself, launches a rocket from the building. She forces Krypto choose between the Justice League or Lois, who is in a nearby news helicopter. Krypto decides to save Lois while his friends manage to save the Justice League.
Enraged, Lulu puts the pieces of the orange kryptonite into her brain, turning her becomes a giant monster. The Justice League and the Super Pets team up to stop Lulu, but she is too powerful. Realizing this, Krypto decides to use the Solar Paw Punch, a move which can destroy any villain, alongside the hero that uses it. When he uses it, the orange kryptonite flies out of Lulu's brain, and she is trapped in a hot dog stand. Krypto accepts his fate, but Ace uses his invulnerability to save him.
In the aftermath, Krypto allows Clark to marry Lois, and the shelter pets, minus Lulu, get adopted. Some time later, the pets have formed their own superhero team.
In a mid-credit sequence, Mercy Graves, Lex's unappreciated assistant, saves Lulu and decides to team up with her. In a post-credit sequence, Superman and Krypto meet Black Adam and his dog.
Voice cast
- Dwayne Johnson as Krypto / Bark Kent / Superdog, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever and Superman's dog.[3]
- Kevin Hart as Ace / Bat-Hound, a Boxer with super strength and invulnerability. He later becomes Batman's dog.[3][4]
- Kate McKinnon as Lulu, an evil hairless guinea pig.[5][6]
- John Krasinski as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman, a superhero from Krypton who protects Metropolis and Krypto's owner.[7]
- Vanessa Bayer as PB, a potbellied pig who can change size in scale. She later becomes Wonder Woman's pet.[3][4]
- Natasha Lyonne as Merton McSnurtle / Terrific Whatzit, a Red-eared slider with super speed. She later becomes Flash's pet.[3][4]
- Diego Luna as Chip, a red squirrel with electrokinesis. He later becomes Green Lantern's pet.[3][4]
- Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz as Keith and Mark, a pair of guinea pigs recruited by Lulu. They later become Aquaman and Cyborg's pets, respectively.[8][9]
- Keanu Reeves as Bruce Wayne / Batman, a vigilante superhero who protects Gotham City. He later becomes Ace's owner.[10]
- Marc Maron as Lex Luthor, the CEO of LexCorp and Superman's archenemy.[11]
- Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane, a reporter of the Daily Planet and Clark's girlfriend.[12]
- Jameela Jamil as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, a warrior princess from Themyscira. She later becomes PB's owner.[13]
- Jemaine Clement as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, a Atlantean-demigod warrior and king of Atlantis.[14]
- John Early as Barry Allen / The Flash, a forensic scientist who runs at the speed of light. He later becomes Merton's owner.[15]
- Daveed Diggs as Victor Stone / Cyborg, a former football player who gained cybernetics after an accident.[16]
- Dascha Polanco as Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern, a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She later becomes Chip's owner.[17]
- Keith David as Zypto, Krypto's father.[18]
- Richard Arnold as Waffles.[19]
- Maya Erskine as Mercy Graves, Lex Luthor's henchwoman.
- Yvette Nicole Brown as Patty, the owner of an animal shelter.
- Alfred Molina as Jor-El, Kal-El's biological father.
- Lena Headey as Lara, Kal-El's biological mother.
- Busy Philipps as Foofy Dog
- Dan Fogler as Carl, Patty's assistant who constantly tries to hit on her.
Production
Development
In July 2018, Jared Stern was hired to write and direct an animated film about DC's Legion of Super-Pets.[20] In January 2019, it was announced that Sam Levine would serve as co-director with Stern, and that Patricia Hicks had signed on as producer.[21] Stern developed a pitch for the film after working on an animal shelter, where he noticed how older animals were less likely to be adopted and wondered "what if those pets got superpowers?".[22]
In May 2021, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson[7] would star as the voice of Krypto the Superdog. In addition to starring in the film, he, alongside Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Stern would be joining Hicks as producers; while John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and Nicholas Stoller were set to executive produce.[23]
In June 2021, additional cast members were announced, with Kevin Hart starring as the voice of Ace the Bat-Hound in the film. Additionally, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, and Keanu Reeves were cast in undisclosed roles. The following week, Jameela Jamil joined the film.[7][24] By September 2021, Marc Maron had joined the cast as the voice of Lex Luthor.[11] By November of the same year, additional roles were revealed to be: Chip, Green Lantern's squirrel (Luna); Merton, The Flash's turtle (Lyonne); PB, Wonder Woman's pig (Bayer), Superman (Krasinski) and newer additions, Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz.[3][4] In March 2022, Reeves was revealed to be voicing Batman.[10] The following month, it was revealed that Dascha Polanco would be voicing Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern.[17] Three weeks before the film's release, the remainder of the cast for the Justice League and Lois Lane were announced in July 2022 through posters.[25]
Animation
The animation was provided by Animal Logic in Sydney and Vancouver, which also provided animation for the Warner Animation Group's The Lego Movie series.[26] Approximately 70 animators worked on the film. Animators worked on the film for 2 years, as well as an extra 3-4 months after the film's release date was delayed by a year.[22]
The film's art style was inspired by Art Deco architecture and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. Stern wanted the characters and environments to have both visible brushstrokes and "chunky heroic shapes".[22] Character designers Mayumi Nose and Matt Williamês drew inspiration from the Superfriends animated series and Superman comics from the Silver Age of Comic Books for the designs of the characters, while still having a comedic edge to them.[22]
Music
The film's original score was composed by Steve Jablonsky.[27]
Marketing
On May 24, 2022, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Comics announced the release of merchandise inspired by the film in collaboration with Fisher-Price. The products include apparel, pet accessories, toys, collectibles, costumes, and furniture. McDonald's also announced that their Happy Meals will have toys based off the film.[28]
Release
In January 2019, the film was scheduled to be released on May 21, 2021.[21] The release date was later pushed back to May 20, 2022, in favour of The Matrix Resurrections, another WB film starring Reeves.[29] It was then pushed back to July 29, 2022 (taking the release of Black Adam, which also stars Johnson), among other films from Warner Bros. getting pushed due to production delays.[30][31] The film's premiere was held on July 27.[28] It will be available to stream on HBO Max 45 days after its theatrical release.[32]
A Looney Tunes Cartoons short titled "Sick as a Hare", starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, was released on theaters alongside the film.[33]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, DC League of Super-Pets will be released alongside Vengeance, and is projected to gross $25–30 million from 4,300 theaters on its opening weekend.[2]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 70% of 67 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Although it never quite soars, DC League of Super-Pets is a more than satisfactory diversion for families in search of four-legged fun."[34] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[35]
Video game
A video game based on the film titled DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace was announced during DC FanDome, and was released on July 15, 2022.[36]
References
- ^ "DC League of Super-Pets (2021)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (July 27, 2022). "Box Office: 'DC League of Super-Pets' to Overtake 'Nope' With $25 Million-Plus Debut". Variety. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Agard, Chancellor (November 17, 2021). "Dwayne Johnson's Krypto assembles a team in DC League of Super-Pets first look". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Anderson, Jenna (November 17, 2021). "DC League of Super-Pets Reveals Full Lineup in New Images and Plot Details". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Fisher-Price DC League of Super-Pets Figure 6-Pack". Smyths. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 3, 2022). "'DC League of Super-Pets' Domesticate Their Powers in New Trailer". Animation Magazine.
- ^ a b c Couch, Aaron (June 8, 2021). "'DC League of Super-Pets' Unveils All-Star Voice Cast with Kevin Hart, John Krasinski, Kate McKinnon and More". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets [@DCSuperPets] (July 6, 2022). "Today's Miércoles Words of the Week, daring frases inspired by the Super-Pets and presented by @MamasLatinasUSA and @DCSuperPets, arrived in a flash! Conoce a Merton, la tortuga veloz, and catch DC League of Super-Pets, only in theaters on July 29" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ normie 𓆏🦔 [@KellytoyDK] (July 21, 2022). (Tweet) https://x.com/KellytoyDK/status/1550106405545414658 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ a b Mahjouri, Shakiel (March 6, 2022). "Keanu Reeves Is Caped Crusade Batman In 'DC League Of Super-Pets' Trailer". ET Canada. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Melendez, Marcos (September 13, 2021). "Marc Maron Is Your New Lex Luthor (in 'DC's League of Super-Pets')". Collider. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets [@DCSuperPets] (July 6, 2022). "Behind every Super-Pet is a super human. DC League of Super-Pets only in theaters July 29" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets [@DCSuperPets] (July 6, 2022). "Out of your League" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets [@DCSuperPets] (July 6, 2022). "Bring a Towell" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets [@DCSuperPets] (July 6, 2022). "Behind every Super-Pet is a super human. DC League of Super-Pets only in theaters July 29" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets [@DCSuperPets] (July 6, 2022). "He's had some work done" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Fink, Richard (April 9, 2022). "DC League of Super-Pets Merch Gives First Look at the Justice League". Screenrant. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets – Super Team, retrieved July 13, 2022
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets - Richard Arnold is Waffles - Warner Bros. UK, retrieved July 18, 2022
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (July 30, 2018). "Exclusive: 'Super Pets' Movie From 'Lego Batman' Writer In the Works at Warner Bros". Collider. Archived from the original on February 8, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Courch, Aaron; McClintock, Pamela (January 30, 2019). "'The Batman,' 'The Suicide Squad' Set 2021 Release Dates". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ a b c d McLean, Tom (July 26, 2022). "Exclusive: How Jared Stern's Heroic Team Brought 'DC League of Super-Pets' to Screens". Animation Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 21, 2021). "Dwayne Johnson To Star As Krypto The Superdog In Animated 'DC League of Super-Pets'; Seven Bucks Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Garcia, Mayra (December 22, 2021). "Everything We Know About DC League Of Super-Pets (So Far)". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (July 6, 2022). "The Justice League Gets Punny DC Super-Pets Posters". comicbook.com.
- ^ Sarto, Dan (February 9, 2021). "Animal Logic Begins Work on Animated Musical 'Toto' for Warner Bros". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Steve Jablonsky Scoring Jared Stern's 'DC League of Super-Pets'". Film Music Reporter. November 20, 2021. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Directo-Meston, Danielle (May 24, 2022). "DC League of Super-Pets Debuts Movie-Inspired Merch Ahead of Summer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (May 22, 2019). "Warner Bros' 'DC Super Pets' Animated Movie Moves To 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 9, 2022). "'Black Adam' Moving To October". Deadline. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ Knoop, Joseph (March 9, 2022). "Warner Bros. Shifts Dates for Black Adam, The Flash, Aquaman 2, and Shazam 2". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Seddon, Gem (October 8, 2021). "Warner Bros. movies heading to HBO Max after 45-day theatrical window in 2022". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ Rhoades, Shirrel. "REVIEW: 'DC League of Super-Pets' Has Super Voice Cast". Greeneville Publishing Company. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets (2022), Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved July 29, 2022
- ^ DC League of Super-Pets Reviews, Metacritic, retrieved July 29, 2022
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (October 16, 2021). "DC League of Super-Pets Is Getting a Video Game". IGN. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
External links
- 2022 films
- 2022 3D films
- 2022 crime action films
- 2022 action comedy films
- 2022 action adventure films
- 2022 science fiction action films
- 2022 computer-animated films
- 2020s American animated films
- 2020s animated superhero films
- 2020s English-language films
- American 3D films
- American computer-animated films
- American children's animated action films
- American children's animated adventure films
- American children's animated comic science fiction films
- American children's animated superhero films
- Animated superhero comedy films
- Animated crime films
- Animated Superman films
- Animated Batman films
- Green Lantern films
- Flash (comics) in other media
- Wonder Woman films
- Aquaman films
- Animated Justice League films
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- 3D animated films
- Animated films based on DC Comics
- Animated films about dogs
- Animated films about squirrels
- Films about turtles
- Animated films about reptiles and amphibians
- Fictional cavies
- Films about rodents
- Films about pigs
- Films about pets
- Animated films about revenge
- Films about kidnapping
- Films set in 2022
- Films directed by Jared Stern
- Films produced by Jared Stern
- Films with screenplays by Jared Stern
- Films with screenplays by John Whittington (screenwriter)
- Films scored by Steve Jablonsky
- Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Warner Bros. films
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- Seven Bucks Productions films
- Animal Logic films
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