Playdate with Destiny

Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny" is a 2020 American animated short film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film features Maggie Simpson.[1]

Playdate with Destiny
Disney+ promotional poster
Directed byDavid Silverman
Produced by
Written by
Based onThe Simpsons
by Matt Groening
StarringChris Edgerly
Music byJim Dooley
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Studios
Release date
  • March 6, 2020 (2020-03-06)
(with Onward)
April 10, 2020 (standalone, on Disney+)
Running time
5 minutes
CountryUnited States

The film premiered on February 29, 2020, attached to advance screenings of the Disney/Pixar release Onward, with its general rollout on March 6, 2020.[2] It is the third Simpsons film made for theatrical release, after The Simpsons Movie (2007) and The Longest Daycare (2012). The short was released on April 10, 2020 on Disney+.[3][4][5]

Plot

Maggie Simpson is taken to a playground by Marge. When another baby goes down the slide and almost crashes into her, she is saved by a boy named Hudson. Maggie becomes smitten with Hudson, and that's when the two play games together, which Maggie fantasizes as a whirlwind romance. At the end of the day, Maggie gives Hudson her blue bow to remember her by, and that night, she dreams about Hudson in her sleep.

The next day, Homer looks after Maggie instead of Marge, and decides he takes her to a different park with food trucks. Maggie sees Hudson waiting for her in the adjacent park, and desperately tries to get his attention, but fails when Homer pulls her away before she can. That night, Maggie drowns her sorrows in baby formula and becomes despondent over not being able to see Hudson.

The next day, Homer babysits Maggie again. Before he can take her to the same park as the day before, Maggie grabs hold of the car's steering wheel and steers it into the park where she met Hudson. She sees him boarding a train for children and runs across the park to catch up with him.

When Hudson sees Maggie trying to catch up with the train, he reaches out to her with her blue bow, but as she grabs her bow, Maggie fails to catch up before the train pulls away out of her reach. Maggie believes Hudson is gone forever, but is unaware that the train (running on a circular closed track) loops around to the station at which it started. Maggie and Hudson reunite on the train engine's cowcatcher, and exchange pacifiers (in lieu of sharing a kiss).

Production

Playdate with Destiny's plot was pitched by The Simpsons writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross as part of the episode of season 31, "The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby."[6] They began working on the episode, and executive producer Jim Brooks suggested using the plot for a short instead.[6]

After 21st Century Fox's purchase by Disney, the Simpsons staff sent Playdate with Destiny to Bob Iger and the Disney staff. According to Al Jean, they asked "Can we please, please go in front of a Pixar movie?"[7] Once approved, they requested to be shown with "something that's compatible"; the staff were "ecstatic" when offered Onward.[6]

Release

Playdate with Destiny was first announced to the public on the show's official Instagram on February 27, 2020.[8] It was revealed that the short would be shown in theaters in the United States prior to screenings of the film Onward, starting on March 6, 2020.[8]

Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Studios is reflected in the short's introduction showing a silhouette of Mickey Mouse before transitioning to Homer Simpson holding two donuts. Likewise, the logo for Gracie Films seen at the end of the short replaces one of the patrons with Mickey Mouse. It was released to the streaming service Disney+ on April 10, 2020.[9]

Legacy

The Simpsons episode "The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby" has been described as "an extension"[6] and "a sequel,"[7] featuring a reappearance of Hudson.[10]

Notes
    1. Animation outsourced to AKOM.

    References
    1. "A new 'Simpsons' short film will play before screenings of Pixar's 'Onward'". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
    2. "A New Simpsons Short Will Premiere Ahead Of Pixar's Onward". GameSpot. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
    3. Laird, James (April 10, 2020). "How to watch new Simpsons movie: stream Maggie's Playdate with Destiny online free". Tech Radar. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
    4. "Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny". disneyplus.com. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
    5. Flook, Ray (April 9, 2020). "Disney+ Set to Release The Simpsons Short Film This Friday". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.
    6. Romano, Nick (February 28, 2020). "Exclusive: The story behind the secret Simpsons short heading to theaters". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    7. Chavez, Danette (April 15, 2020). "Interview: Al Jean knows which Simpsons episodes you think are the best—and worst". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
    8. "The Simpsons on Instagram: "Maggie Simpson is speechless... Playdate with Destiny, a new Simpsons short film before Disney & Pixar's Onward. Exclusively in theaters!…"". Instagram. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
    9. Miller, Shannon (April 9, 2020). "The Simpsons Short Maggie Simpson in 'Playdate with Destiny' Crawls onto Disney+ Tomorrow". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
    10. "Listings - SIMPSONS, THE on FOX". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
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