| The Bugliest Bug' | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Will Finn |
| Produced by | Teresa Cheng |
| Written by | Pamela Ribon |
| Based on | The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggery Shields |
| Starring | Michelle Trachtenberg Ben Stiller Meaghan Jette Martin Lil Rel Howery Tituss Burgess Russell Brand Rachel McAdams Damon Wayans Jr. Letitia Wright Wanda Sykes |
| Music by | Abel Korzeniowski |
| Edited by | James M. Palumbo Pam Ziegenhagen |
| Production company |
HumboldtMation |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date | January 17, 2020 |
| Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $80 million |
| Box office | $197 million |
The Bugliest Bug is a 2020 American animated comedy film directed by Will Finn from a screenplay penned by Pamela Ribon and based on the 2002 book of the same name by Carol Diggery Shields. It was HumboldtMation's second feature film after 2019's Toys To Life. The film stars the voices ,of Michelle Trachtenberg (in her final film role), Ben Stiller, Meaghan Jette Martin, Lil Rel Howery, Tituss Burgess, Russell Brand, Rachel McAdams, Damon Wayans Jr., Letitia Wright, and Wanda Sykes. In the film, many insects gather for a contest that demonstrates the "bugliest" bug around. As a damselfly named Dilly, who believes herself to be too "plain" to be the bugliest bug, watches the contest, she notices something odd about the judges.
The Bugliest Bug was theatrically released in the United States on January 17, 2020 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received positive reviews and grossed $197 million worldwide.
Cast[]
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Dilly, a damselfly who, never clever nor frilly, believes herself to be to "plain" to the bugliest bug and notices something suspicious odd about the contest's judges. This was Trachtenberg's final feature film before her death in 2025.
- Ben Stiller as Judge Arachnid
- Rachel McAdams as TBA
- Lil Rel Howery as a cicada
- Tituss Burgess as stinkbugs
- Russell Brand as a walking stick
- Constance Wu as a mantis
- Letitia Wright as TBA
- Damon Wayans Jr. as TBA
- Wanda Sykes as the mayor of Bugdom
Reception[]
Box office[]
The Bugliest Bug was released in theaters on January 24, 2020, and grossed $100 million in its opening weekend. It grossed $101 million in North America and $96 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $190 million. Produced on an $80 million budget, the film performed okay the box office.
Critical response[]
The Bugliest Bug received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 76% approval rating based on 243 reviews. The consensus reads, "In this enjoyable (yet not entirely ambitious) adaptation of Carol Diggery Shields' children's tale, The Bugliest Bug has visuals impressive to look at as they are, and a story an characters that can sometimes go with its strongest ways to engage audiences without (pun intended) "bugging" them". It is the first film from the studio to receive mixed reviews. On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, it holds a score of 62 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.