Vanellope & Friends (2016 film)

Disney In The House: Introduction is a 2017 American live-action/animated musical romatic comedy-drama spy action adventure fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Vixi Anderson, Gary Marsh, Gary Krisel, Spike Lee, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, and Coen brothers Ethan and Joel. John Lasseter served as the film's executive producer. In the film's ensemble cast, Sarah Silverman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Ed O'Neill, and Tom Hanks return as Vanellope von Schweetz, Judy Hopps, Hank, and Woody from previous Disney films and other media. Archive recordings of both Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin's child voice were used for the lines of both Sally and Conrad. Dee Bradley Baker provided the voices for the Little Green Men and Agent P. Chris Rock, Owen Laramore, Samantha Morton, Sam Elliott, Billy Connolly, Miguel Ferrer, Sam Shepard, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Helena Bonham Carter star in other live-action roles, while Michael J. Fox, Frank Welker, Anthony Anderson, Max Casella, and Andy Dick voice the new animated characters introduced.

Disney In The House: Introduction
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chris Columbus
Produced by	Gary Marsh Gary Krisel
Screenplay by	Vixi Anderson Gary Marsh Gary Krisel Spike Lee Scott Alexander Larry Karaszewski Ethan Coen Joel Coen
Story by	Gary Marsh Gary Krisel Bob Iger Derek Stephen Prince
Starring	Sarah Silverman Ginnifer Goodwin Ed O'Neill Tom Hanks Dakota Fanning Spencer Breslin Chris Rock Michael J. Fox Owen Laramore Frank Welker Dee Bradley Baker Samantha Morton Sam Elliott Anthony Anderson Billy Connolly Miguel Ferrer
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Cinematography	Newton Thomas Sigel Jeff Jur
Edited by	Jhoanne Reyes
Production company	Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Wonder Studios 1492 Pictures Reel FX Mike Zoss Productions 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date	January 9, 2017
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$179 million
Box office	$984 million

It was confirmed in November 2012 that Disney had began development on a live-action/animation hybrid film where humans and Disney characters co-exist in peace. Marsh and Krisel wrote a script that originally centered on Vanellope von Schweetz and Woody as rivals. However, in January 2015, the script turned out disastrous, and Marsh and Krisel better-reflected the plot Disney desired. Disneytoon Studios was originally set to do animation, but after poor results, Disney decided to hire Reel FX to complete the computer animation in the final cut.

The first film from Walt Disney Wonder Studios, the film was released theatrically in the United States on January 9, 2017 by Walt Disney Pictures to critical and commercial success, grossing $984 million against its $179 million budget and receiving praise for its humor, heartfelt story, visual effects, characters, direction, Hans Zimmer's musical score, and the performances (particularly Silverman and Fanning), with a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Original Song for "Hello, Conrad". In December 2020, the film was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

The film's success started a franchise consisting of seven sequels: Disney In The House: 4th Of July, Disney In The House: Christmas, Disney In The House: Wild Wild West, Disney In The House: Off To Adventure Camp, Disney In The House: Time Travel, Disney In The House: Return To Adventure Camp, and Disney In The House: World Animals on July 4, 2017, December 26, 2017, December 25, 2018, March 3, 2019, June 13, 2019, September 23, 2019, and December 23, 2019.

Plot

Humans and Disney characters co-exist in harmony in Disneyville, the most magical star in the sky. Mayor Lawrence Pierce and Mr. Ziploc take Vanellope von Schweetz and her pet iguana Iggy on a history tour and introduce them to Judy Hopps, Hank, Woody, Agent P, and the Little Green Men. When they build shelter for Woody, Vanellope tells them her sad backstory of when poachers killed her friend Banana; Vanellope has been wanting to make her own family ever since. A knight named Murray hitches them on a ride to the Hader's Kingdom.

King Marcus, the ruler of the Hader's Kingdom, greets the gang. After introducing them to his son, Conrad, he tells them about the time a dragon killed his wife. When they spy on Conrad's sister Sally's singing about longing to marry her brother, Vanellope comforts her by saying Conrad would never abandon her. They pick a wedding dress that is Sally's size, and are about to help her put in on, but Woody stops the music and criticizes Vanellope for her lack of discipline before confessing that the dragon killed his neighbor. Woody finally agrees to help Sally marry Conrad.

After the successful date at the kingdom's pizza place, the group helps a spy named Agent Gadget retrieve three gems out of the hands of a murderous outlaw couple named Ginny and Alan. By the time they arrive at Ginny and Alan's lair, the bodyguard, Mr. Z, kidnaps Sally. At the moment Vanellope and Conrad save her, the dragon chases them, but they narrowly escape when the dragon gets caught on a chandelier. Conrad takes Sally for a rowboat ride across a lagoon, and the two kiss. While looking for a train back to the Hader's Kingdom, Vanellope comes across a ghost of Banana that reveals that his plan was to lure her to the poachers to be arrested, as revenge for abandoning him when the poachers killed him. After a few pleas from Marka, Vanellope's next-door neighbor, Vanellope regretfully turns herself in to the poachers.

Shortly after being put in jail, a skeleton named Skull Housetall informs Vanellope that the dragon is headed for the Hader's Kingdom. Realizing Ghost Banana intended to destroy Disneyville all along, Vanellope escapes jail, with help from Judy. Vanellope, Judy, Hank, Woody, Sally, Conrad, Gadget, Mr. Ziploc, Lawrence, Iggy, Agent P, and the Little Green Men return to the Hader's Kingdom to tell Marcus the situation. The dragon arrives at that moment, under Ghost Banana's commands. Despite failing to strike the dragon, she uses Aladdin's magic lamp to trap Ghost Banana forever. Using Sally as bait, Vanellope and Gadget lure the dragon to his death. The bridge crumbles, and Vanellope grabs the rope Sally and Gadget are holding. Gadget resigns himself to his fate, lets go of the rope to sacrifice himself, and dies, giving Vanellope the advantage to save Sally.

Three days after Conrad and Sally finally marry, the bridge is rebuilt, and Vanellope and the gang head home. Judy, Hank, Mr. Ziploc, and Lawrence move in with Iggy, and Marka reconciles with Vanellope. The film ends with everyone in Disneyville singing a reprise of "I Wish", and with Vanellope shouting with excitement as the iris closes on her.

Cast

• Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz, a resident of Disneyville. She is the film's protagonist.
• Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, a resident of Disneyville and Vanellope's new best friend.
• Ed O'Neill as Hank, Disneyville's greatest septopus.
• Tom Hanks as Woody, a resident of Disneyville. He is the film's deuteragonist.
• Dakota Fanning as Sally Hader, the princess of the Hader's Kingdom and Conrad's younger sister. She is the film's tritagonist.
• Spencer Breslin as Conrad Hader, the prince of the Hader's Kingdom and Sally's older brother. He is the film's tetartagonist.
• Chris Rock as Agent Gadget, a super spy.
• Michael J. Fox as Mr. Ziploc, an anthropomorphic plastic bowl and the news messenger of Disneyville.
• Owen Laramore as Lawrence Pierce, the mayor of Disneyville.
• Frank Welker as Iggy, Vanellope's pet iguana.
• Dee Bradley Baker as The Little Green Men, residents of Disneyville who are the most excited about Vanellope's dream. Baker also voices Agent P, a citizen of Disneyville and a platypus who is good partners with the Little Green Men.
• Samantha Morton and Sam Elliott as Ginny and Alan, a murderous outlaw husband and wife couple.
• Anthony Anderson as a hideous dragon who killed Marcus' wife.
• Billy Connolly as Marcus III Hader, the optimistic ruler of the Hader's Kingdom.
• Miguel Ferrer as Murray, a knight and Murray's trustworthy adviser.
• Max Casella as Banana, Vanellope's former friend who was killed by poachers. He is later revealed to be a ghost plotting to destroy Disneyville as revenge. Banana is the film's main antagonist.
• Sam Shepard as Commander, the leader of the illegal poachers.
• Helena Bonham Carter as Marka, a British-accented woman and Vanellope's next door neighbor.
• Andy Dick as Skull Housetall, a skeleton who warns Vanellope about Banana's evil plan.
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Mr. Z, Ginny and Alan's bodyguard who kidnaps Sally.
• Tracey Ullman as Quinn, the owner of Quinn's Pizza Place
• John Ratzenberger as Sir, the Hader's kingdom's marriage officiant.

Cameos

The film has cameos of different Disney characters like Tiger Lily (Alicia Silverstone), Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Danny Mann), Aladdin, Scrooge McDuck, Kaa (all three voiced by Derek Stephen Prince) Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear, (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling).

Box office

The film opened on January 9, 2017, and was projected to gross $100 million in its opening weekend. It grossed $484 million in the United States and Canada, and $514 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $984 million at the end of the theatrical run on June 24, 2017, ten days before Disney In The House: 4th Of July was released. It was Walt Disney Wonder Studios' highest-grossing film before being surpassed by Disney In The House: Time Travel in 2019. With a theatrical run lasting for five months, it has had the longest theatrical run of any Walt Disney Wonder Studios film before being surpassed by Disney In The House: Time Travel (which ran in theaters for six months) in December 25, 2019.

Critical response

Disney In The House: Introduction was universally loved by critics and audiences alike. It has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 200 reviews. The consensus reads, "Full of classic family entertainment, eye-popping CGI effects, a few musical numbers, and a thrilling cast, Disney In The House: Introduction marks a successful film debut for Walt Disney Wonder Studios". Metacritic signed the film to a score of 93 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.

Ty Burr of The Boston Globe gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, saying, "Disney In The House: Introduction is the greatest movie of all-time. It is capable of captivating kids". Alison Willmore of Vulture called the film "surprisingly sensational". According to Sarah Silverman's performance of Vanellope von Schweetz, Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun Times gave the film "Two Thumbs Up" and wrote, "There's no protagonist better than Vanellope". Anthony Lane of New Yorker wrote, "Using Dakota Fanning's child voice from archive recordings is just a nicer idea than I can ever imagine". Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight called the film "clever and laugh-out-loud funny". Tim Grierson of Paste wrote, "Disney In The House: Introduction is irresistible".