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The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJon Turteltaub
Screenplay by
Story by
Based on"The Sorcerer's Apprentice"[a]
by Disney
Produced byJerry Bruckheimer
Starring
CinematographyBojan Bazelli
Edited byWilliam Goldenberg
Music byTrevor Rabin
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • July 8, 2010 (2010-07-08) (Fantasia Film Festival)
  • July 14, 2010 (2010-07-14) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million[1]
Box office$215.3 million[2]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a 2010 American action adventure fantasy film directed by Jon Turteltaub and written by Matt Lopez, Doug Miro, and Carlo Bernard. It is loosely based on the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment from Walt Disney’s 1940 animated film Fantasia, which in turn draws inspiration from Paul Dukas’ 1897 symphonic poem and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1797 ballad. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, and Monica Bellucci. The narrative follows Balthazar Blake, a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan, who recruits a physics student named Dave Stutler to help prevent the resurrection of a powerful dark sorceress.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States on July 14, 2010, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately $215 million worldwide against a production budget of $150 million.[3]

Plot

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In 740 AD, in England, the wizard Merlin has three apprentices: Balthazar Blake, Veronica Gorloisen, and Maxim Horvath. Horvath betrays Merlin by aligning with the evil sorceress Morgana le Fay, who seeks to cast a powerful spell called "The Rising" to resurrect dead sorcerers and enslave humanity. Merlin is mortally wounded, and Veronica absorbs Morgana’s soul to stop her. To prevent Morgana’s return, Balthazar traps both her and Veronica inside a magical nesting doll known as the Grimhold. Before dying, Merlin entrusts Balthazar with a dragon-shaped ring that will identify the "Prime Merlinian"—his destined successor capable of defeating Morgana. Balthazar spends centuries capturing Morganians—sorcerers loyal to Morgana—and imprisoning them within the Grimhold, including Horvath.

In 2000, ten-year-old Dave Stutler encounters Balthazar in a Manhattan antique shop. When Dave tries on the dragon ring, it chooses him, revealing him to be the Prime Merlinian. Dave accidentally opens the Grimhold, releasing Horvath. In the ensuing struggle, Balthazar and Horvath are trapped inside a magical urn for ten years, while Dave escapes with the ring.

A decade later, Dave is a physics student at New York University. The curse ends, releasing both sorcerers. Horvath resumes his mission to free Morgana, while Balthazar seeks out Dave and convinces him to become his apprentice. Though reluctant, Dave agrees after confronting Horvath and another Morganian, Sun Lok. As his training progresses, Dave becomes romantically involved with his childhood crush, Becky, despite Balthazar’s warnings.

Horvath recruits celebrity illusionist Drake Stone to retrieve the Grimhold, but later steals his powers. He also frees other Morganians, including Abigail Williams, whom he uses to kidnap Becky and blackmails Dave into surrendering his ring. Stripped of his magical conduit, Dave turns to his scientific ingenuity and builds weapons to counter the threat.

In the final battle at Battery Park, Horvath releases Morgana by transferring her soul from Veronica's body. Morgana begins casting the Rising Spell while Horvath animates the Charging Bull statue to attack. Dave intervenes using a Tesla coil to neutralize Horvath and Becky disrupts Morgana's spell. Balthazar absorbs Morgana’s soul to protect Veronica, but Morgana escapes and fatally wounds him. Dave, using his own power without the ring, ultimately destroys Morgana with a barrage of plasma bolts. He then revives Balthazar using electric shocks, and the sorcerer reunites with Veronica. Dave and Becky depart on Balthazar’s animated steel eagle to celebrate their victory.

Cast

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Jay Baruchel

Production

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Development

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The concept for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice originated with Nicolas Cage, who expressed interest in playing a character with magical abilities and exploring a contemporary mystical world.[8][9] At the suggestion of producer Todd Garner, Cage proposed expanding the "Sorcerer’s Apprentice" segment from Disney’s Fantasia (1940) into a full-length feature. Walt Disney Pictures officially announced the project on February 12, 2007.[10] The film incorporates direct references to its source material, including a scene in which mops are magically animated to clean a lab, and Mickey Mouse’s iconic wizard hat, which appears in a post-credits scene.[9]

Casting

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Nicolas Cage was cast as Balthazar Blake, the central sorcerer, also serving as a producer through his company Saturn Films. Jay Baruchel joined as Dave Stutler, the reluctant apprentice. The supporting cast includes Alfred Molina as antagonist Maxim Horvath, Teresa Palmer as Becky, and Monica Bellucci as Veronica Gorloisen.[11]

Filming

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Principal photography took place in New York City, where the story is set. Key locations included Washington Square Park, Eldridge Street in Chinatown, and the New York City Hall subway station, which served as inspiration or a practical set for Dave’s underground laboratory.[9] Several elaborate interior sets—such as Drake Stone’s penthouse and parts of Chinatown—were constructed inside the Bedford-Atlantic Armory in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.[12]

During filming on May 4, 2009, a Ferrari F430 used in a chase sequence spun out of control and crashed into a Times Square Sbarro restaurant, injuring two pedestrians, including one struck by a falling lamppost. A second minor accident occurred the following night. Both incidents were attributed to wet road conditions caused by rain.[13]

To create a grounded visual style, filmmakers emphasized practical effects. Fire was generated using real fluids and flash powders to produce colored flames, while plasma bolts were enhanced using LED-lit gloves worn by the actors for on-set lighting references. Floating objects were manipulated via wirework or held by stunt performers dressed in green chroma key suits.[9]

Reception

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Box office

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice was released in the United States on July 14, 2010. On its opening day, it earned approximately $3.87 million. Over its first weekend, the film grossed $17.6 million across 3,504 theaters, ranking third at the domestic box office behind Inception and Despicable Me.[14]

The film concluded its domestic run with a total gross of $63.15 million. Internationally, it performed better, earning $152.13 million, bringing its worldwide total to $215.28 million. Notable international markets included Russia and the CIS ($13.63 million), France and the Maghreb region ($12.93 million), and Japan ($10.63 million).[2]

Despite its global earnings, the film was considered a box office disappointment. With a production budget of $150 million, the returns were insufficient to cover marketing and distribution costs. Analysts estimated that Disney's share of the worldwide gross, after theater cuts, was approximately $118.3 million, which likely covered only the promotional expenses.[15]

In July 2010, Parade listed The Sorcerer's Apprentice as the number one "Worst Box Office Disasters of 2010 (So Far)."[16]

Critical response

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 40% based on 174 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "It has a likable cast and loads of CGI spectacle, but for all but the least demanding viewers, The Sorcerer's Apprentice will be less than spellbinding."[17] Metacritic assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[18] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[19]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film two and a half stars out of four, describing it as "a perfectly typical example of its type, professionally made and competently acted."[20] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian found the film to be "an enjoyable action-fantasy adventure with a sparky script."[21] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter has said that "The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a tired relic of summer-movie cliches, clearly beaten to death by far too many credited writers."[22]

Conversely, Simon Abrams of Slant Magazine criticized the film as "another slapdash, lazy, and just plain dumb fantasy that targets prepubescent boys still convinced that grand adventures await them once they grow up."[23] James Berardinelli of ReelViews commented on the film's predictability, stating that "only a few minutes into the production, it's possible to guess with uncanny accuracy not only how the story will end, but pretty much every step the plot will take."[24]

Accolades

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice was nominated for Choice Summer Movie at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards.[25][26] It placed as one of the Top Box Office Films at the 2011 ASCAP Awards.[27]

Music

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The film's score was composed by Trevor Rabin. It was released on July 6, 2010.[28][29]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Film score by
Trevor Rabin
ReleasedJuly 6, 2010
GenreFilm score
Length43:04
LabelWalt Disney

All tracks are written by Trevor Rabin.

No.TitleLength
1."Sorcerer's Apprentice"3:14
2."Story of the Prime Merlinian"4:02
3."Note Chase"0:39
4."Dave Revives Balthazar"2:41
5."Classroom"1:25
6."The Urn"1:39
7."The Grimhold"1:39
8."Morgana Fight"2:59
9."The Ring"1:43
10."Walk in the Rain"0:43
11."Merlin Circle"2:01
12."Dave Has Doubts"0:53
13."Becky and Dave on Rooftop"1:24
14."Car Chase"3:54
15."Seeing Veronica"0:55
16."Story of Veronica"1:44
17."Horvath Made Off With the Grimhold"1:13
18."Kiss from Becky"0:33
19."Bull Fight"2:10
20."Balthazar Saves Veronica"1:13
21."Sorcerer’s Apprentice Suite"2:28
22."Fantasia Original Demo"4:50
Total length:43:24

The songs "Secrets" by OneRepublic[30] and "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World are used in the film but do not appear on the album. Dukas' symphonic poem The Sorcerer's Apprentice was used in the scene where Dave brings a broomstick to life.

Home media

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 30, 2010. It has sold 1,288,735 DVD units (equivalent to $21,609,680) since its release in DVD.[citation needed]

Notes

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  1. ^ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment from Fantasia (1940) is a visual presentation of Paul Dukas's 1987 symphonic poem The Sorcerer's Apprentice, itself an adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1979 poem "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".

References

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  1. ^ Fritz, Ben (July 14, 2010). "Movie projector: 'Inception' headed for No. 1, 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' to open in third". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  3. ^ "14 Worst Performing Disney Movies Ever Made". Screen Rant. April 28, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (March 3, 2009). "Alfred Molina puts spell on 'Apprentice'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Graser, Marc (April 19, 2009). "Kebbell joins Disney's 'Apprentice'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  6. ^ Graser, Marc (May 14, 2009). "Monica Bellucci joins 'Sorcerer'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  7. ^ Maher, Kevin. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".
  8. ^ "How Nicolas Cage's Geeky Obessions Brought 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' to Life". Yahoo!. July 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c d The Making of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The Making of The Sorcerer's Apprentice DVD: Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
  10. ^ Kit, Borys (February 12, 2007). "Dis has Cage conjured up for 'Sorcerer'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  11. ^ The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved May 5, 2025 – via www.imdb.com.
  12. ^ "Visiting the Sets of Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice - ComingSoon.net". ComingSoon.net. December 14, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  13. ^ "Cage stunt car in New York crash". BBC News. May 5, 2009. Archived from the original on July 2, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  14. ^ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  15. ^ "Sword and Sorcery (1980-Present)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  16. ^ "10 Biggest Box Office Flops of 2010 (So Far)". Parade. July 19, 2010.
  17. ^ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  18. ^ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  19. ^ "Sorcerer's Apprentice, The (2010) B+". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  20. ^ Ebert, Roger (July 13, 2010). "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  21. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (August 12, 2010). "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  22. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (July 9, 2010). "The Sorcerer's Apprentice -- Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  23. ^ Abrams, Simon (July 13, 2010). "Review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  24. ^ Berardinelli, James. "Sorcerer's Apprentice, The". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  25. ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2010: Winners and Nominees". The Morning Call. July 11, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  26. ^ Stransky, Tanner (August 9, 2010). "2010 Teen Choice Awards winners announced". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  27. ^ "Angelo Badalamenti, Alf Clausen Honored at ASCAP Film & TV Music Awards". Billboard. June 24, 2011. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  28. ^ "iTunes - Music - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) by Trevor Rabin". iTunes. July 14, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  29. ^ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice Soundtrack (2010)". Soundtrack.Net. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  30. ^ "OneRepublic - Secrets - Review of the Single Secrets by OneRepublic". Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2014. Quote: it plays prominently in The Sorcerer's Apprentice
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