The History of Percy the Panda | |
---|---|
Directed by | Alan Zaslove Tad Stones |
Produced by | Alan Zaslove Tad Stones Mark Zaslove |
Written by | Peter Ackerman Alan Zaslove Tad Stones Mark Zaslove |
Based on | Percy the Panda by Alan Zaslove Tad Stones |
Starring | Asher Blinkoff Kennedi Clements Jackson Robert Scott Giselle Eisenberg Carol Burnett |
Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
Edited by | Tatiana S. Reigel |
Production companies |
Panda Workshop Village Roadshow Pictures RatPac Entertainment Reel FX Animation Studios |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date | February 19, 2016 |
Running time | 99 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $75 million |
Box office | $456 million |
The History of Percy the Panda is a 2016 American computer-animated musical film based on the children's television series Percy the Panda, and is first theatrical Percy the Panda film since 2003's Delilah's Bicycle Movie. Directed, co-produced, and co-written by series creators Alan Zaslove and Tad Stones (in the last Percy the Panda film Zaslove was involved in before his death in 2019), It tells an origin story of Percy the Panda (Asher Blinkoff), Delilah the Koala (Kennedi Clements), Parker the Penguin (Jackson Robert Scott), and their friends as children, and centers on them traveling to Indianapolis for their first time as children's entertainers and meeting Emily Elfman (Giselle Eisenberg), an elementary school student who has a hard time attempting to write her very own Mother Goose rhyme until Mother Goose herself suddenly (Carol Burnett) appears to spread some good cheer.
The History of Percy the Panda was released in theaters across the United States on February 19, 2016 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $456 million worldwide at the box office. It was the last feature-length Percy the Panda film to feature Ryan before his death in 2021.
Plot[]
In the film, Percy the Panda, Parker the Penguin, Delilah the Koala, Richard the Rabbit, Cheese the Mouse, and Bill the Rhino meet as children at a playground in the city of Indianapolis and decide to look forward to becoming children's entertainers, going by the name of the Panda Gang.
One Autumn day, Percy and his friends, now adults, go to an elementary school on the street and befriend a nine-year-old named Emily Elfman, a nursery rhyme enthusiast, who is having a hard time writing her own Mother Goose rhyme. Seeing it as an opportunity to accomplish their goal, Percy and company claim they are excellent at rhyming rhymes. Mother Goose appears from the book and sings "I Like To Speak In Rhyme". Later, Mother Goose, the Panda Gang, and the kids decide to get out to the playground and play. They sing rhymes such as "Daffy Down Dilly", "London Bridge is Falling Down", and "Up At The Piccadilly, Oh!". Percy, Mother Goose, the kids, and the Panda Gang play a game throughout school which involves looking around for objects that escalate into things that remind them of rhymes like "Humpty Dumpty", "The Clock", "To Market, to Market", and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe". Percy, Parker, Delilah, Richard, Cheese, Bill, Mother Goose, and the kids perform a sheep and lamb medley consisting of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep", "Little Boy Blue", "Little Bo-Peep", and "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Mother Goose decides to take the Panda Gang and kids to her land for a visit, and Percy suggests using their imaginations to get there. They sing "The Land Of Mother Goose". They head inside Mother Goose's house, where she allows the kids and Panda Gang to enjoy themselves, explaining her property's purpose is to be shared with boys and girls. She reveals her very own Mother Goose book and her old quill pen to Emily. Joe and Jill find a candle from "Jack Be Nimble" and hop over it. When Richard jumps over the candlestick, his landing shakes the clock with mice from "Hickory Dickory Dock". Mother Goose reads "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater", and "There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" while explaining that almost anything can become a rhyme. Emily asks Mother Goose if one shoe was in a rhyme. Percy says that he remembers it and sings "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod".
Percy, the Panda Gang, Mother Goose, and the kids return to school to find out that Winter has come and it is snowy outside on the street. Bill decides everyone can write their own rhymes. As Kimberly, Richard, and Cheese get pencils and paper for everyone, Mother Goose gives Emily her old quill pen. Jill reads "I Saw A Bluebird", Joe reads "I Gave Ice Cream To A Whale", Kimberly reads "1 Step, 2 Steps, 3 Steps", and Ron reads "Mr. Elephant, Big and Gray". Emily is missing, so Percy, Mother Goose, the kids, and the Panda Gang set out to find her. When the group finds Emily, they discover that Emily is having another hard time, which worsens when the truth inadvertently comes out that the Panda Gang were not truly masters at writing rhymes in the first place, and had only joined her to be children's entertainers. Feeling unwanted, Emily gives up the quilt pen and book, shuns everyone, and runs away in tears.
As the Panda Gang becomes despondent, Mother Goose and the kids discover that Emily is about to leave Indianapolis forever, and inform the Panda Gang. Realizing this would mean the end of Emily's dream, Percy, the Panda Gang, Mother Goose, and the kids follow Emily across Indianapolis and meet up with her in a snowy forest. Panda Gang makes amends with Emily and convinces her to stay in Indianapolis. Just as Emily regains her confidence, however, an avalanche suddenly occurs. Though Mother Goose, the Panda Gang and the kids make it to safety, Percy and Emily are swept away. Thinking quickly, they manage to use their imaginations to escape the avalanche.
When the avalanche subsides, Mother Goose, the Panda Gang and the kids return to school, where Emily reads her original rhyme "Smiles Are Like Sunshine", declaring her true place is with her friends. Impressed by Emily's newfound courage, Mother Goose, Percy, the Panda Gang, and the kids praise her, with the Panda Gang being loved even more for their selflessness and honesty. Emily and the Friendly Animal Family share a hug, and Mother Goose returns to her home in the book. Sometime later, the Panda Gang turns the playground into "Panda Playground" on Christmas, with Emily, Jill, Joe, Kimberly, and Ron visiting to celebrate with the Percy and his friends on their first day as children's entertainers.
Cast[]
- Asher Blinkoff as Percy the Panda
- Kennedi Clements as Delilah the Koala
- Jackson Robert Scott as Parker the Penguin
- Beckett Hipkiss as Richard the Rabbit
- Aidan McGraw as Cheese the Mouse
- Zackary Arthur as Bill the Rhino
- Carol Burnett as Mother Goose, the mother of all rhymes. Before Burnett was cast, Judi Dench and Angela Lansbury were considered, but they all turned down the role.
- Giselle Eisenberg as Emily Elfman, a feisty 9-year-old girl who aspires to write rhymes like Mother Goose, but has several hard times.
- Vivienne Jolie-Pitt as Jill
- Max Calinescu as Joe
- Lidya Jewett as Kimberly
- Luke Judy as Ron
- Tara Strong as Mrs. Rachmaninoff, Emily's noble teacher at the Children's Workshop.
Production[]
Development[]
Following the release of Delilah's Bicycle Movie, Percy the Panda films were put on a hiatus until a computer-animated Percy the Panda prequel film was subsequently announced in October 2013 by Warner Bros., and began production a month later. It is the first Percy the Panda film to be animated with computer animation.
Casting[]
The voice cast from the previous films, show, and home media did not reprise their roles for this film, because the characters are depicted as themselves in their childhood years, being replaced by child actors. Famous elderly actresses and celebrities began auditioning for the role of Mother Goose when Zaslove and Stones decided the film would have the inclusion of the character. Judi Dench and Angela Lansbury were considered, but these sounded too obvious, and were replaced by Carol Burnett.
Music[]
Alexandre Desplat was revealed to be composing for the film's score. The film features many nursery rhymes composed by the show's composer, Stephen James Taylor, followed by an original song called "The Land of Mother Goose" written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and composed by Menken.
Release[]
Theatrical[]
The History of Percy the Panda was released on February 19, 2016.
Home media[]
The History of Percy the Panda was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Warner Home Video on May 15, 2016. On February 25, 2020, it was included on the streaming service Max.
Reception[]
Box office[]
The History of Percy the Panda opened in theaters on February 19, 2016, and was projected to gross $35 million from theaters in its opening weekend. In its opening weekend, it earned $107 million, including $30 million in its first day and $5.7 million from Thursday night previews. It has grossed $192 million in North America and $264 million internationally, and by the end of its run, it grossed a total of over $456 million worldwide. The film was a box office success since it beat its $75 million budget.
Critical reception[]
The History of Percy the Panda received positive reviews upon release. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 75% approval rating based on 205 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "The History of Percy the Panda tells a "stuuu-panda-ous", though relatively unambitious, origin story that stays true to Percy the Panda's simple spirit". On Metacritic, the film was reported to have received a score of 67 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.
Accolades[]
The History of Percy the Panda received a Kids' Choice Award nomination for Favorite Movie. The film was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Film, and the music composed by McNeely was nominated for a BMI Film Music Award.