| Stellaluna | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jan Pinkava |
| Produced by | Owen Laramore Teresa Cheng |
| Written by | Jan Pinkava Brian Lynch |
| Based on | Stellaluna by Janell Cannon |
| Starring | Mackenzie Foy Dakota Blue Richards Daniel Huttlestone Freddie Highmore Christine Baranski Jamie Lee Curtis |
| Narrated by | Pamela Reed |
| Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
| Edited by | H. Lee Peterson |
| Production company |
HumboldtMation |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date | September 22, 2028 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $102 million |
| Box office | $400 million |
Stellaluna is a 2028 American animated musical comedy film directed by Jan Pinkava from a screenplay by him and Brian Lynch, based on the 1993 book of the same name by Janell Cannon, and produced by HumboldtMation. Stellaluna features the voices of Mackenzie Foy, Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Huttlestone, Freddie Highmore, Christine Baranski, and Jamie Lee Curtis, with narration by Pamela Reed. It tells the story of a young fruit bat who ends up in a nest and befriends and is adopted by three baby birds and their mother and learns to behave like a bird after being separated from her mother in an attack by an owl.
Stellaluna was released theatrically in the United States on September 22, 2028 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Stellaluna received mostly positive reviews and was a commercial success, earning $400 million worldwide on a $102 million budget.
Plot[]
The film begins with a friendly spotted eagle-owl named Eddie Van Eager who tells an incredible story that takes place in a warm and sultry forest far, far, away, where a mother fruit bat had a new baby, Stellaluna. One night, a large eagle-owl attacks the bats, knocking Stellaluna out of her mother's embrace, and she falls into the forest below, before finally ending up in a sparrow's nest filled with three baby birds named Pip, Flitter, and Flap. The mother bird will let Stellaluna be part of the family only if she eats bugs, does not hang by her feet, and sleeps at night.
When the babies grow, they learn to fly. Later on, when Stellaluna, Pip, Flitter, and Flap are out playing, it gets dark and the birds go without her because they will not be able to see in the dark. Stellaluna keeps flying solo, but when her wings hurt, she stops to rest. When she does, she hangs by her thumbs, fearing she will break her promise with Mother Bird. Soon another bat comes to tell her why she is hanging by her thumbs. As she tells the other bats her story, Mother Bat reunites with her, and Stellaluna finally understands why she is so different.
Excited about learning how to be a bat, Stellaluna decides to find Pip, Flitter, and Flap in order to share her new experiences. After being unable to find them in a cave, Stellaluna sinks into despair, but Mother Bat sings a song that proves that bats don't give up, restoring her daughter's confidence. A grizzly bear chases them, but Pip, Flitter, and Flap help Stellaluna and Mother Bat defeat the bear.
They agree to join Stellaluna and the bats at night, but find that they are unsuited to flying at night and nearly crash. The owl attacks them for the final time. Stellaluna rescues Pip, Flitter, and Flap, and, with courage, defeats the owl once and for all. The bats and birds safely reach Mother Bird's nest, and they decide that while they may be different, they are still friends and family.
Cast[]
- Meaghan Jette Martin as Stellaluna, a young fruit bat who was adopted by birds.
- Christine Baranski as Mother Bird, a sparrow and the mother of Pip, Flitter, and Flap who adopts Stellaluna.
- Pamela Reed as Narrator
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Mother Bat, a fruit bat and the mother of Stellaluna.
- Dakota Blue Richards as Pip
- Daniel Huttlestone as Flitter
- Freddie Highmore as Flap
Box office[]
Stellaluna was released on October 13, 2028 and grossed $145 million in its opening weekend. It grossed $150 million in the United States and Canada, and $250 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $400 million by the end of the theatrical run on March 20, 2029. Produced on a $102 million budget, it was a box office success.
Critical response[]
Stellaluna has a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 135 reviews. The consensus reads, "Led by winning voice performances and amazing animation, Stellaluna, although far from an animation classic, raises proof of a heartwarming take on the Janell Cannon book about the lovable titular bat". Metacritic signed the film to a score of 63 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.