A Wizard's Tale
A Wizard's Tale (also known as Ahí Viene Cascarrabias in Mexico and Here Comes the Grump internationally) is a 2018 Mexican-British animated film based on the DePatie–Freleng animated series, Here Comes the Grump, which originally ran from 1969 to 1970 on NBC.[4][5]
| A Wizard's Tale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Andrés Couturier |
| Produced by | José C. García de Letona Fernando De Fuentes Greg Gavanski Bill Schultz |
| Written by | Jim Hecht |
| Based on | Here Comes the Grump by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises |
| Starring | Toby Kebbell Lily Collins Ian McShane |
| Music by | James Seymour Brett[1] |
| Edited by | J. Martín Téllez Andrade |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | M2 Pictures (Italy) Corazón Films (Mexico) GFM Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | Mexico United Kingdom |
| Language | English Spanish |
| Box office | MX$22.9 million (US$4.55 million)[2][3] |
Produced by Ánima Estudios, Prime Focus World, and GFM Animation, the film features the voices of Toby Kebbell, Lily Collins, and Ian McShane.[1]
It was first released in Italy on 1 March 2018.[6] The film was released on July 26, 2018 in Mexico and was a commercial failure.[7]
The film was released in the United States in limited format and VOD on 14 September 2018, released as A Wizard's Tale.[8]
Plot
In an alternate dimension there existed a kingdom called Groovingham, where it was visited by a young, famous wizard called The Grin on his first day of duty to the king. The Grin had a spell to make people happy and granted it to the people of Groovingham who desired it, causing vibrant jubilation. However, the spell deprived the subjects of their morality, resulting in instant pandemonium. The Grin was unaware of his spell's repercussion until he reported to the king whose elderly wizard reported the ongoing event to be chaos. Outraged, the king ordered his royals guards to arrest The Grin that led to a chase to the outskirts of Groovingham. Though cornered by the authorities on a cliff, The Grin was saved by his fiancé, Mary, in his blimp-like vehicle.
The Grin went into hiding after being nursed by Mary and adopted a baby dragon he named Dingo. Mary promised to return to The Grin as she departed in the blimp, but was then captured by the authorities and banished to Earth by the king for abetting the Grin on his escape. The Grin was unaware that Mary was exiled from Groovingham and became an embittered pariah called the Grump.
On Earth, Mary owned an amusement park that was a semblance of her home world of Groovingham and had a grandson named Terry Dexter whom she brought to. During Terry's youth, his grandmother read him her bestselling story called "Her Comes the Grump" that summarizes the events prior to her banishment. Years later, Mary passed away and Terry became the new owner of her amusement park but was failing under management that led to the park facing near-bankruptcy.
One night while Terry sorrowed himself, he found a hidden handle piece of his grandmother's blimp that she kept on display at the park. After reattaching the handle to the blimp, Terry tries to operate it that sends him to Groovingham, much to his astonishment. While Terry tries to return to Earth, the Grin-who was captured at some point for his purported crime-escapes from prison alongside his diminutive henchmen called the Grumpies and enacts vengeance upon the king. However, he instantly realized the king had died after spotting a statue of him built in his memoriam. While feeling cheated out of vengeance, the Grin discovers a poster of Princess Dawn's coronation and takes action against her instead.
While all the natives of Groovingham waited outside the castle for the coronation, Princess Dawn was dubious to take the throne due to her desire to marry a prince aroused by her juvenile demeanor. However, the coronation was interrupted by the Grump mounted on his now fully-grown dragon, Dingo. In retribution against the sovereignty of Groovingham, the Grump casts his "gloom spell" upon everyone, converting it into a state of great depression. Princess Dawn managed to escape the gloom by being hidden in a chamber beneath her bed by her servants while her pet, Bip, left Groovingham to seek help from an outsider.
As Terry was unable to pilot the blimp back to his home world, the blimp's handle piece was taken by Bip, prompting Terry to chase him into Groovingham. While there, Terry noticed the dismal ambience of the kingdom and its inhabitants, before continuing to pursue Bip inside the castle. After Dawn emerged from hiding, she was elated to meet Terry as she believed him to be a prince and begged for his help to save her kingdom. Though Terry denied being a prince, he acquiesced so that he can return home. When the Grump was informed by one of the Grumpies that Dawn had escaped the gloom, he returns to the castle where Terry recognizes him as the Grin from his grandmother's story. After being chased by the Grumpies through the castle's interior, Terry and Dawn reached the map room where they met a bird named G. P. Sparrow who agreed to navigate them to the Oracle who had the knowledge to lift the Grin's curse. After exiting the castle, the natives of Groovingham turned against Dawn by jeering at her due to the hex on them.
Princess Dawn and Terry began their venture on the blimp and learned from the Oracle that they need a magical key to restore happiness in Groovingham, in which the Grump overhead and kidnapped Dawn. Though Terry saved Dawn by squeezing perfume into Dingo's nose, making him susceptible to sneezing, the blimp became punctured from chasing the Grump, rendering it unable to be airborne. They seek repairs at the Balloony Kingdom, where it is under siege by the Grump. As Terry and the balloon people fought back, Dawn caused Dingo to sneeze again with flowers, sending the Grump mounted on him flying away.
Once repairs were made on the blimp, the Grump landed on a nearby branch protruding from a cliff and cast the gloom spell on Dawn, before continuing to plummet. While traveling to seek help from an alchemist to treat Dawn's condition, they were captured by the natives of the Christmasland Forests, alongside the Grump and his henchmen. Luckily, Terry freed themselves by convincing the natives that the Grump was Santa Claus.
As the alchemist ran his diagnostics on Dawn, he explained to Terry that the curse afflicted upon her could be broken by a kiss before sunset; otherwise the spell would be permanent.
At daybreak Terry was disturbed by Dawn in her apparent condition. As GP Sparrow urged him to hasten the kiss, Terry retorted at the bird with the exclamation "chop-chop" that had lifted the spell on Dawn without his knowledge before kissing her.
Voice cast
- Toby Kebbell as Terry Dexter
- Lily Collins as Princess Dawn
- Ian McShane as The Grump
Development
The film was first announced when Variety reported on 17 September 2014 that a film adaptation of the Here Comes the Grump cartoon, produced by Ánima Estudios, is in development.[9] Development didn't start immediately after its announcement due to development of other projects.[10]
Production of the film was completed in 2017.
While the original series was only moderately successful in the United States, the show has gained popularity in Mexico.[10]
Character designs
The film's characters were designed by Craig Kellman, who has also designed characters for other animated films, such as Hotel Transylvania and Madagascar.[1]
Animation
The film's animation was created at Prime Focus World at its London and Mumbai facilities.[4] “Animation is well underway and[... o]ur artists are pushing the limits to put as much quality and humor into every last frame,” said Greg Gavanski, head of Prime Focus Animation.[4]
Mexican animation studio Ánima Estudios was in charge of the film's creative development and supervision, with the direction done by Andrés Couturier, the manager at Ánima.[4]
Casting
On 5 October 2017, British actors Toby Kebbell, Lily Collins, and Ian McShane have joined the film's lead English voice cast, with the casting done by Todd Resnick's The Voice Company studio in Los Angeles.[1]
Prime Focus's Greg Gavanski commented that he was "thrilled" with the casting. “We are thrilled to welcome Ian, Lily and Toby to the Grump team,” said Gavanski. “This hugely talented voice cast, alongside the beautiful animation delivered by the artists of Ánima [Estudios] and Prime Focus, has brought these fantastic characters to life in ways we couldn't have imagined. I couldn't have hoped for things to come together any better than this.”[1]
The casting has also marked a history for Ánima Estudios, to which producer and company COO José C. García de Letona has shared his excitement. “Having such amazing actors be part of our movie makes us feel even more excited about it," said Letona. "We are sure that the audiences will love McShane's grouchy character, Lily's adorable princess and Toby's cool hero.”[1]
Music
James Seymour Brett has composed the film's original score.[1]
Release
The film was released in the United States in limited locations and digital platforms on 14 September 2018.[8]
Box office
In Mexico, the film performed weakly at the box-office, opening at #6 and grossing $8.99 million pesos (est. $0.48 million USD).[11] In its second week, the film moved down to #8, grossing $4.26 million pesos (est. US$0.2 million) which brings a total of $18.44 million pesos (est. US$0.99 million).[12] It has earned $22.9 million pesos in total.[2]
In the United States, the film has grossed $1,626 in 10 theaters.[13]
The film has grossed a total of $4.55 million worldwide.[3]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15th Premios Canacine | Mejor Película de Animación (Best Animated Film) |
Ahí viene Cascarrabias | Nominated[14] |
| 2019 | 20th Golden Trailer Awards | Best Foreign Animation Family Trailer | Here Comes the Grump | Nominated[15] |
| 61st Ariel Awards | Mejor largometraje animado (Best Feature Animation) |
Andrés Couturier | Nominated[16] |
References
- Grater, Tom (5 October 2017). "Lily Collins, Ian McShane, Toby Kebbell to voice 'Here Comes The Grump' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Media Business Insight Limited. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- "Películas Animadas 2000 – 2018". Canacine. Canacine. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- "Here Comes the Grump". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 April 2018. Gross calculated. Total results not shown.
- Wiseman, Andreas (6 November 2016). "AFM: First look at animation 'Here Comes The Grump'". ScreenDaily. Media Business Insight Limited. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- "Ahí viene Cascarrabias: una película está en producción (in Spanish)". La Zona Cero. La Zona Cero. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- da Marlen Vazzoler, Scritto (31 January 2018). "È ARRIVATO IL BRONCIO – DAL 1 MARZO AL CINEMA, TRAILER ITALIANO". ScreenWEEK.it Blog. Screenweek.it BLOG. Retrieved 31 January 2018. In Italian.
- "Cinemex on Twitter: "¡EXCLUSIVA! 1er póster de #CASCARRABIAS de @CorazonFilms, agosto de 2018 en Cinemex."". Twitter. Cinemex. Retrieved 1 January 2018. Published 1 December 2017. In Spanish.
- Kay, Jeremy (1 August 2018). "Lily Collins animation 'A Wizard's Tale' lands at Blue Fox". ScreenDaily. Media Business Insight Limited. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- de la Fuente, Anna Marie (September 17, 2014). "Anima Brings 'Top Cat Begins' to the Bigscreen". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- "Anima anuncia cinta de Ahí Viene Cascarrabias". Cine3. Cine3. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- Gutiérrez, Vicente (30 July 2018). "Misión Imposible y su éxito mundial". El Economista. Periódico El Economista S.A. de C.V. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- "Mexico Box Office, August 3-5, 2018 (Gross-to-date)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon, Inc. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- "Cartoon Brew on Twitter: "The Mexican feature "A Wizard's Tale" opened in 10 U.S. theaters last weekend with a 3-day gross of $1,626. It made just $191 on Friday, or $19 per theater."". Twitter. Cartoon Brew. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- "Nominados Premios CANACINE 2018". Canacine. Canacine. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- "GTA19 Nominees (2018)". Golden Trailer Award. Golden Trailers Award. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- Magaña Arce, Arturo (23 April 2019). "Ariel 2019: Lista completa de nominados". Cine Premiere (in Spanish). g21 Comunicación Entertainment. Retrieved 1 May 2019.