Sausage Party

Sausage Party
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Conrad Vernon Greg Tiernan
Produced by	Megan Ellison Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg Conrad Vernon
Screenplay by	Kyle Hunter Ariel Shaffir Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg
Story by	Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg Jonah Hill
Starring	Seth Rogen Kristen Wiig Jonah Hill Bill Hader Michael Cera James Franco Danny McBride Craig Robinson Paul Rudd Nick Kroll David Krumholtz Edward Norton Salma Hayek
Music by	Alan Menken Christopher Lennertz
Edited by	Kevin Pavlovic
Production companies	Annapurna Pictures Point Grey Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	March 14, 2016 (2016-03-14) (SXSW) August 12, 2016 (2016-08-12) (United States)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$19 million
Box office	$138.4 million

Sausage Party is a 2016 American adult computer-animated comedy film directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon and written by Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. It stars the voices of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek. It is the first CGI-animated film to be rated R by the MPAA.

A spoof of Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks Animation films, the film follows a sausage who tries to discover the truth about his existence and goes on a journey with his friends to escape their fate. The film's rough cut premiered on March 14, 2016 at South by Southwest and the film was theatrically released in the United States on August 12, 2016 by Columbia Pictures. The film received positive reviews and has grossed over $138 million, becoming the highest grossing R-rated animated film of all time.

Plot

In a supermarket called Shopwell's, the foods and other grocery items who live there worship the human shoppers as gods who take them to the "Great Beyond" when they are purchased. Among the groceries in the store is a sausage named Frank (Seth Rogen), who has dreams of living with his hot dog bun girlfriend, Brenda (Kristen Wiig), in the Great Beyond, where they can finally consummate their relationship. Frank lives in a package with his best friends Barry (Michael Cera), Carl (Jonah Hill) and Troy (Anders Holm), who also look forward to life in the Great Beyond.

Frank and Brenda's packages are chosen to leave Shopwell's, but their celebrations are cut short when a returned jar of Honey Mustard (Danny McBride), who has also been chosen, claims to other groceries in the shopping cart that the Great Beyond is not what they were led to believe. Before committing suicide, Honey Mustard tells Frank to visit a bottle of liquor named Firewater (Bill Hader), who is purportedly knowledgeable about the Great Beyond, so he can learn the truth. His death creates an accidental collision during their trip to the registers which causes several groceries, including Frank, Brenda, a lavash named Kareem (David Krumholtz), a bagel named Sammy (Edward Norton), and an evil aggressive Douche (Nick Kroll), to fall out of the shopping cart. Douche's nozzle is badly damaged and he blames Frank for it. When he is discarded by a store employee named Darren (Paul Rudd), he escapes from the store's backroom dumpster and swears revenge.

With the rest of the groceries purchased, Frank, in an attempt to verify Honey Mustard's warning, leads them to the liquor aisle under the guise of taking a shortcut to their aisles, with Douche secretly in pursuit. While the others meet a lesbian taco named Teresa (Salma Hayek), who expresses a lustful passion for Brenda, Frank learns from Firewater about how foods are eaten after being purchased, and Firewater reveals that he invented the story of the Great Beyond to assuage the fears of past groceries who once knew their fate when being purchased. Frank is encouraged to visit the dark aisle beyond the store's freezer section to find proof.

Meanwhile, Barry, Carl, and the rest of the groceries who were purchased are horrified to watch many of them being killed, cooked, and eaten. Barry and Carl attempt to escape, abandoning Troy in the process, but Carl is killed, leaving Barry to escape and wander into the outside world alone. He stumbles across a human drug addict (James Franco) with a Shopwell's bag. In hope of returning to Shopwell's, Barry stows away and is taken to the drug addict's house. After injecting himself with bath salts, the drug addict becomes intoxicated and finds himself able to see and communicate with Barry and his other groceries, and descends into a panic. After sobering up, the drug addict believes this experience to have been a dream. He attempts to toss Barry into a pot of boiling water but misses, leading to an accident which results in his decapitation. Barry and the rest of the groceries escape, taking the drug addict's head with them.

Back at the store, Frank reunites with his friends and tells them he intends to travel to the freezer to learn more about the humans and the Great Beyond. Brenda disapproves of his skepticism and heads back to her aisle without him, while rejecting Teresa's advances due to the gods' "rules" that require her to only be with a sausage. After reading a cookbook behind the freezer section, Frank discovers the truth. He reveals the cookbook to the rest of Shopwell's and they initially panic, but choose not to believe him, fearing they will lose their sense of purpose. Frank is reunited with Barry who has returned to Shopwell's with his new friends. Barry reveals, by showing the drug addict's severed head, that the humans can be killed and that they can be communicated with when they are high on bath salts.

The foods devise a plan to shoot the human shoppers with toothpicks laced with the bath salts so the humans will be able to see the foods for what they are. When the drugged humans began to panic and kill off foods, Frank gives an inspiring speech to the store and apologizes for not respecting their beliefs, giving them a sense of hope. A store-wide battle ensues. Douche arrives and attacks Darren, taking control of him by inserting his nozzle into Darren's anus. The foods overpower and kill him along with the rest of the humans. Finally free, all the foods in the store partake in a massive orgy in celebration.

Later, they are informed by Firewater and Gum, a Stephen Hawking–esque wad of chewing gum (Scott Underwood), that they have discovered that they do not exist and are merely cartoon characters, manipulated by human animators and voiced by celebrities in another dimension. Gum reveals a portal that he made that will allow them to travel to this dimension and the foods decide to go there to meet their creators.

Cast

• Seth Rogen as Frank, a sausage who is Brenda's boyfriend; and Sgt. Pepper, a red pepper sergeant.
• Kristen Wiig as Brenda Bunson, a hot dog bun and Frank's girlfriend.
• Jonah Hill as Carl, a sausage who is friends with Frank and Barry.
• Bill Hader as Firewater, an old Native American bottle of liquor and the leader of the Non-Perishables; El Guaco, a guacamole gangster; and a drunk bottle of tequila.
• Michael Cera as Barry, a sausage with dwarfism who is one of Frank's friends.
• James Franco as the druggie who is the first known human to see the foods as sentient beings.
• Danny McBride as a jar of honey mustard who was returned to Shopwell's and tries to warn Frank of their fate.
• Craig Robinson as Mr. Grits, a box of grits who is one of the Non-Perishables and has a grudge against crackers.
• Paul Rudd as Darren, the manager of Shopwell's who is nicknamed the "Dark Lord" as he disposes of expired food.
• Nick Kroll as Douche, an evil feminine hygiene product seeking revenge on Frank for breaking his nozzle and preventing him from reaching the Great Beyond.
• David Krumholtz as Kareem Abdul Lavash, a Middle Eastern lavash who has an on and off rivalry with Sammy Bagel Jr.
• Edward Norton as Sammy Bagel Jr., a Jewish Woody Allen-esque bagel who has an on and off rivalry with Kareem Abdul Lavash.
• Salma Hayek as Teresa del Taco, a lesbian taco shell who develops a lustful friendship with Brenda.
• Anders Holm as Troy, one of the sausages packed with Frank who picks on Barry for being deformed.
• Scott Underwood as Gum, a Stephen Hawking-esque bubble gum wad; Twink, a Twinkie who is one of the Non-Perishables; a half-eaten pizza; and a bag of Krinkler's Chips.
• Alistair Abell as mariachi salsa and gefilte fish
• Iris Apatow as Berry Good Candies, another grape and coconut milk
• Sugar Lyn Beard as a baby carrot and half eaten cookies
• Ian James Corlett as an apple, a French bag of Ticklish Licorice, a jar of relish and a bag of dog food
• Michael Daingerfield as a box of Chunk Munchers Cereal, an energy-efficient light bulb and an Indian chutney
• Brian Dobson as an Italian tomato and a lettuce
• Michael Dobson as a queso
• Ian Hanlin as a beet
• Maryke Hendrikse as a cherry drink mixer; a plum; Loretta, a hot dog bun; and Frozen Fruitz
• Lauren Miller as Camille Toh, a wodisregardingman who purchases the food and a tampon
• Nicole Oliver as Sally, a hot dog bun, an ice cream, a watermelon and a female shopper
• Kelly Sheridan as Roberta, a hot dog bun; a grape and a female shopper
• Jason Simpson as a plum; a beer keg; a fat guy; and a fit man
• Greg Tiernan as an Irish potato; and noodle soup
• Vincent Tong as Pislitz Chips; a Juicius Maximus grape juice box; and a bottle of Jamaican rum
• Conrad Vernon as a roll of toilet paper, an Adolf Hitler-esque sauerkraut, a grape, a catcall sausage, a beer can and a soda pop bottle
• Samuel Vincent as an old pork sausage, a can of refried beans, a half-eaten sandwich, a Pop Tart and a licorice rope
• Harland Williams as a bottle of ketchup, a drug dealer, and a baba ganoush

Production

Rogen has stated that he worked for eight years to get the film made; however, the content worried most film studios and they thus did not pick it up. Noting that the film came from "an innocent place", Rogen stated "'What would it be like if our food had feelings?’ We very quickly realized that it would be fucked up.'" Goldberg revealed the project to Indiewire in July 2010, stating it was a "top secret super project". Initially, Indiewire was skeptical that the project was real and not a hoax on Goldberg's part, but after vetting, it did confirm that it was in the works. In November 2010, Hill independently confirmed to MTV News that he was working on an R-rated 3D animated film. The film was formally announced in September 2013 as a partnership between Sony Pictures Entertainment, Annapurna Pictures and Point Grey Pictures. On May 29, 2014, it was announced that the film would be released on June 3, 2016, but in early 2016, the release date was revised to August 12, 2016. The film is rated R for strong crude sexual content, pervasive language and drug use. When Rogen submitted the film to the MPAA, they assigned it with an NC-17 rating due to the visibility of pubic hair on Lavash's scrotum. In order to be reassigned an R rating, the pubic hair was digitally removed. In January 2014, Rogen, Hill, James Franco and Kristen Wiig were announced as the leads in the film. The other cast includes Edward Norton, Michael Cera, David Krumholtz and Nick Kroll. On April 9, 2014, Salma Hayek was set to lend her voice to the film as Teresa the Taco. It was also announced that Paul Rudd, Danny McBride and Anders Holm would voice characters in the film.

Music

Soundtrack

Sausage Party
Film score by Alan Menken and Christopher Lennertz
Released	August 5, 2016
Recorded	2016
Genre	Film score
Length	74:49
Label	Madison Gate Records Sony Music Masterworks
Producer	Alan Menken Christopher Lennertz
Alan Menken film scores chronology
Mirror Mirror (2012) Sausage Party (2016) Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Christopher Lennertz chronology
The Boss (2016) Sausage Party (2016) Baywatch (2017)

The film’s score was composed by Alan Menken and Christopher Lennertz. The soundtrack was released on August 5, 2016 by Madison Gate Records and Sony Music Masterworks.

Track listing

All music composed by Alan Menken and Christopher Lennertz, except as noted.

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Great Beyond" (performed by Sausage Party Cast)	3:13
2.	"Darren, the Dark Lord"	0:55
3.	"Chosen"	1:50
4.	"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (performed by Meat Loaf)	5:14
5.	"The Crash"	2:34
6.	"Douche Loses It"	2:16
7.	"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (performed by Wham!)	3:50
8.	"Our Heroes"	2:31
9.	"He's Coming"	1:47
10.	"Food Massacre"	3:15
11.	"Hungry Eyes" (performed by Eric Carmen)	3:47
12.	"True" (performed by Spandau Ballet)	5:31
13.	"The Spooge"	3:46
14.	"Magical Sausage"	1:40
15.	"Gone" (performed by JR JR)	3:46
16.	"We're Home"	3:29
17.	"The Cookbook"	1:26
18.	"I Have Proof"	3:06
19.	"Big Speech"	3:04
20.	"The Big Fight"	2:37
21.	"Final Battle"	4:04
22.	"It's Your Thing" (performed by The Isley Brothers)	2:46
23.	"Finale"	2:24
24.	"Joy to the World" (performed by Three Dog Night)	3:14
25.	"The Great Beyond Around the World" (performed by Sausage Party Cast)	2:44
Total length:		74:49

Release

Premiere and theatrical release

A rough cut of the film was shown at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 14, 2016. The final cut of the film screened at Just for Laughs on July 30, 2016. The film was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on August 12, 2016. The film was released in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2016.

Home media

Sausage Party is released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on November 8, 2016.

Reception

Box office

As of November 6, 2016, Sausage Party has grossed $97.7 million in North America and $40.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $138.4 million, against a budget of $19 million. The film is the most commercially successful R-rated animated film of all time.

In the United States and Canada, Sausage Party was released on August 12, 2016, alongside Pete's Dragon and Florence Foster Jenkins, and was initially projected to gross $15–20 million from 2,805 theaters in its opening weekend. However, after grossing $3.3 million from Thursday night previews (more than the $1.7 million made by Rogen's Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising in May) and $13.5 million on its first day, weekend projections were increased to $30–35 million. The film ended up grossing $33.6 million in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office, behind Suicide Squad.

Outside North America, the biggest markets are the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Germany, Russia, and Israel where the film grossed $10.2 million, $6.8 million, $4.1 million, $3.5 million $2.6 million and $2 million respectively.

Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes the film had an approval rating of 83%, based on 167 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus read, "Sausage Party is definitely offensive, but backs up its enthusiastic profanity with an impressively high laugh-to-gag ratio – and a surprisingly thought-provoking storyline." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Vince Mancini of Uproxx wrote "Sausage Party's most charming quality is that it feels exactly like a group of 13-year-olds trying to entertain themselves, with excessive C-bombs and constant groan-worthy food puns." Richard Roeper gave the film three out of four stars, saying, "Despite all the cursing and envelope-pushing and bat-bleep crazy sexual stuff, Sausage Party isn't mean-spirited. It's just … stupid. But also pretty smart. And funny as hell." Lindsey Bahr of Associated Press gave the film a positive review and wrote: "There is no one out there making comedies quite like Rogen and Goldberg. They are putting their definitive stamp on the modern American comedy one decency-smashing double entendre at a time."

Controversy

Trailer

A red-band trailer for the film was accidentally played before a showing of the PG-rated Finding Dory, at a Concord, California multiplex in mid-June 2016, which forgot to switch out an adult-audience trailer roll for one meant for G and PG-rated films, when adding additional screens to carry Finding Dory to meet audience demand. The incident occurred only once, and the theater apologized, with Rogen tweeting that the story "made his day".

Work conditions

After release, some controversy emerged after anonymous comments attributed to the animators on a Cartoon Brew article suggested that the animators at Nitrogen Studios worked under poor conditions and were forced by director Greg Tiernan to work overtime without pay. A total of 36 of the 83 animators were blacklisted and went uncredited in the film, believed to be due to their complaints; comments made in anonymous interviews of some of the animators involved in the project by Variety, The Washington Post, and The Hollywood Reporter alleged that the comments were accurate. All the animators in the film were reportedly told outright that they would be blacklisted if they did not work overtime without pay.

Future

Rogen has expressed interest in making a Sausage Party 2 and more animated films aimed for adults. When asked about a sequel, Rogen stated: "It's something we talk about, yeah. That's one of the reasons why we took away the [original] ending because we thought, well, if that was the first scene of the next movie it's probably not what you would want it to be, with them just seeing us and finding us basically. But the idea of a live-action/animated movie, like a Who Framed Roger Rabbit?-style hybrid, is also very exciting, mostly because Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is one of my favorite movies of all time."

See also

• List of adult animated films

External links

• Official website
• Sausage Party at Box Office Mojo
• Sausage Party at Rotten Tomatoes
• Sausage Party at the Internet Movie Database