The Gruffalo (film)
Encyclopedia
The Gruffalo is a half hour animated film based on the classic picture book written by Julia Donaldson
and illustrated by Axel Schefller.
Directed by Jakob Schuh and Max Lang, the film was produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures, London, in association with the award winning Studio Soi in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
The all star cast includes Helena Bonham Carter
, Rob Brydon
, Robbie Coltrane
, James Corden
, John Hurt
and Tom Wilkinson
.
9.8 million people watched the UK premiere on BBC One, Christmas Day 2009 and the film went on to receive both an Academy Award
and a BAFTA nomination.
and illustrated by Axel Scheffler
, was published in 1999 and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. In a BBC Radio 2
poll in 2009, the book was voted as the UK’s favourite bedtime story.
Mouse is now increasingly confident. There is nothing that can touch him in these woods. Until he rounds a corner and comes face to face with the extraordinary product of his imagination: the Gruffalo itself. Once again Mouse has to dig deep to escape the danger. Finally safe, he finds a nut, and can eat it in peace.
Review website Den of Geek described it as an "utterly charming piece of magic".
Whilst Paul Connolly of The Daily Mail called it, “captivating.”
The film has been broadcast across the world, including on ZDF
in Germany. It premiered on United States television on December 9, 2010 on ABC Family
during its 25 Days of Christmas programming block.
The Gruffalo has also been shown on Nick Jr in the UK and is distributed on DVD by Entertainment One. NCircle distribute the DVD in the USA, Phase 4 in Canada and Concorde in Germany.
A Scottish Gaelic version has also been produced, with the voice of the Gruffalo provided by Bill Paterson. An Gruffalo was first shown on BBC Alba on Christmas Eve 2010.
The film has also proved a hit with festival audiences around the world. On top of its Academy Award and BAFTA nominations it has also been awarded prizes at festivals including Annecy International Animation Festival (France), Anima Mundi (Brazil), The Broadcast Awards 2011 (UK), Cartoons on the Bay (Italy), Chicago International Children’s Festival (Canada), CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (Canada), Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada), Prix Jeunesse (Germany), Sapporo Short Fest (Japan), Shanghai Television Festival (China) and Internationales Trick Film Festival (Germany). The Gruffalo was also nominated for the prestigious Cartoon d'or
2011.
Julia Donaldson
Julia Catherine Donaldson MBE is an English writer and playwright, best known as author of The Gruffalo and other children's books, many illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Of her 157 published works, 56 are widely available in bookshops...
and illustrated by Axel Schefller.
Directed by Jakob Schuh and Max Lang, the film was produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures, London, in association with the award winning Studio Soi in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
The all star cast includes Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
, Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
, Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
, James Corden
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
, John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
and Tom Wilkinson
Tom Wilkinson
Thomas Geoffrey "Tom" Wilkinson, OBE is a British actor. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton...
.
9.8 million people watched the UK premiere on BBC One, Christmas Day 2009 and the film went on to receive both an Academy Award
and a BAFTA nomination.
Background and production
“The Gruffalo”, written by Julia DonaldsonJulia Donaldson
Julia Catherine Donaldson MBE is an English writer and playwright, best known as author of The Gruffalo and other children's books, many illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Of her 157 published works, 56 are widely available in bookshops...
and illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Axel Scheffler
Axel Scheffler is a book illustrator best known for his cartoon-like pictures for children's books, particularly The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child written by Julia Donaldson.-Life and career:...
, was published in 1999 and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. In a BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
poll in 2009, the book was voted as the UK’s favourite bedtime story.
Synopsis
A half hour animated film based on the classic picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo tells the magical tale of a mouse who takes a walk though the woods in search of a nut. Encountering three predators who all wish to eat him - a fox, an owl and a snake - the plucky mouse has to use his wits to survive. He announces that he is meeting a monster with terrible features, a ‘Gruffalo’, and the three predators are each panicked into running away.Mouse is now increasingly confident. There is nothing that can touch him in these woods. Until he rounds a corner and comes face to face with the extraordinary product of his imagination: the Gruffalo itself. Once again Mouse has to dig deep to escape the danger. Finally safe, he finds a nut, and can eat it in peace.
Cast
The Film’s cast includes:- Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
as (Mother Squirrel) Narrator - James CordenJames CordenJames Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
as Mouse - Robbie ColtraneRobbie ColtraneRobbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
as The Gruffalo - Tom WilkinsonTom WilkinsonThomas Geoffrey "Tom" Wilkinson, OBE is a British actor. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton...
as Fox - John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
as Owl - Rob BrydonRob BrydonRob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
as Snake
Reception
The film premiered on BBC One, Christmas Day 2009, watched by 9.8 million people, with The Daily Mirror hailing it as, “a family classic for years to come.”Review website Den of Geek described it as an "utterly charming piece of magic".
Whilst Paul Connolly of The Daily Mail called it, “captivating.”
The film has been broadcast across the world, including on ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
in Germany. It premiered on United States television on December 9, 2010 on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
during its 25 Days of Christmas programming block.
The Gruffalo has also been shown on Nick Jr in the UK and is distributed on DVD by Entertainment One. NCircle distribute the DVD in the USA, Phase 4 in Canada and Concorde in Germany.
A Scottish Gaelic version has also been produced, with the voice of the Gruffalo provided by Bill Paterson. An Gruffalo was first shown on BBC Alba on Christmas Eve 2010.
The film has also proved a hit with festival audiences around the world. On top of its Academy Award and BAFTA nominations it has also been awarded prizes at festivals including Annecy International Animation Festival (France), Anima Mundi (Brazil), The Broadcast Awards 2011 (UK), Cartoons on the Bay (Italy), Chicago International Children’s Festival (Canada), CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (Canada), Ottawa International Animation Festival (Canada), Prix Jeunesse (Germany), Sapporo Short Fest (Japan), Shanghai Television Festival (China) and Internationales Trick Film Festival (Germany). The Gruffalo was also nominated for the prestigious Cartoon d'or
Cartoon d'or
The Cartoon d’Or is the pan-European award for animation short films. It rewards every year the best one since only prize-winning films from Cartoon’s partner festivals can compete....
2011.
Awards and Nominations
| Ceremony | Recipient | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83rd Academy Awards 83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ... |
Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Animated Short Film | |
| 63rd British Academy Film Awards 63rd British Academy Film Awards The 63rd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 21 February 2010 and honoured the best films of 2009. The Hurt Locker took home the most awards, receiving 6 BAFTAS... |
Michael Rose Martin Pope Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Short Animation | |
| Cartoon d'or Cartoon d'or The Cartoon d’Or is the pan-European award for animation short films. It rewards every year the best one since only prize-winning films from Cartoon’s partner festivals can compete.... |
Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Cartoon d’Or | |
| Anima Mundi Festival 2010 | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Short For Children | |
| Annecy International Animated Film Festival Annecy International Animated Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became annual in 1998... 2010 |
Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Award For Best Tv Special | |
| Broadcast Awards 2011 | Magic Light Pictures in association with Studio Soi | Best Children's Programme | |
| Canadian Film Centre's Worldwide Short Film Festival Canadian Film Centre The Canadian Film Centre is an advanced training institution for film, television and new media. Based in Toronto, Canada, CFC offers residents education, industry partnerships and production experience... 2011 |
Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Audience Award | |
| Chicago International Children's Film Festival Chicago International Children's Film Festival Founded in 1975, Facets Multi-Media, located at 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, 60614 Facets Multi-Media is the largest conservator dedicated to the exhibition, distribution & education of foreign, independent & classic cinema... |
Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best of the Fest | |
| Ottawa International Animation Festival 2010 | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Best Television Animation Made for Children | |
| Sapporo Short Fest 2010 | Jakob Schuh Max Lang |
Children's Choice Award Silver |
External links
- The Gruffalo on BBC Online