Leslie Mann and Kat Dennings Have Joined 'The Croods 2'

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that two actresses will be lending their voices to new characters in The Croods 2, the sequel to DreamWorks 2012 film following a prehistoric family. These actresses are Leslie Mann and Kat Dennings. More after the break.

Another HTTYD2 Review - These People Are Really Mean to Sheep!

The RSPCA should really have a word with the people of Berk about their treatment of sheep...

*This review contains major spoilers. We find that a lot of the main talking points for HTTYD2 involve discussing the film in depth, so if you haven't seen it yet, don't read any further! Beware spoilers!*

Back in 2010, DreamWorks released a true gem of modern animation; it was only by the bad luck of it being released the same year as Pixar's Toy Story 3 that the film didn't get awards left, right and centre. That film, of course, was How to Train Your Dragon, the touching, exciting and epic story of young Viking Hiccup and his bizarre choice of best friend - a fire-breathing Night Fury dragon, named Toothless. And there has been a phenomenal amount of hype surrounding the much anticipated sequel, which has been playing in America for a few weeks now (Munir has actually already reviewed the film for this site here), and has been previewing on select days in the UK, ahead of a general release on Friday. So, here's a second A113Animation review of How to Train Your Dragon 2 - and I also really rather liked it.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Review - A Sequel Done Right

DreamWorks Animation has been in a rut lately. Not creatively, but financially. The once powerhouse studio, has now become accustomed to sustaining heavy loses with their animated films. Rise of the Guardians, Turbo and, most recently, Mr. Peabody & Sherman have joined the list of box office underperformers. That does not mean the films are bad (Guardians and Peabody are great, in fact), but lousy marketing has prevented them from earning big money and becoming big franchises, which ultimately is what the studio seeks in every animated film they release. After all these 'risky' endeavours, it's understandable that the studio would release a sequel to a film that many consider their best film to date. Sure, sequels are nothing new, but, more often than not, they disappoint creatively by becoming merely retreads of the first film. DreamWorks is no stranger to ruining franchises (the last two Shrek films are complete train wrecks) but recently the studio has strived to make more serious and heartfelt films, and to shy away from the 'sitcom-esque' model that prevailed for most their previous films. So it's comforting to see that they have actually taken the time to make a sequel worthy of its predecessor and, without any reservation, I can call How to Train Your Dragon 2 the best DreamWorks film to date.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #42: Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).

When Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, I was in a phase where I no longer cared for Disney Animation films. After Tarzan, my excitement and interest for Disney films was gone, and replaced by enthusiasm for Pixar's output, which was (and still is) formidable. So, while I was disenchanted by films like Atlantis and Dinosaur, I was utterly thrilled by Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. By the time Lilo & Stitch was released, I was completely devoted to Pixar, so I wasn't excited by this film. When I first saw it, more than ten years ago, I wasn't impressed and quickly discarded it like I did with so many of its contemporaries. As I got older and wiser (hopefully), I've come to realise how good Lilo & Stitch is and how it has stood the test of time to become a true Disney classic.

The Croods coming to Blu-ray on 1st October

DreamWorks Animation's pre-historic film is going to be released on Blu-ray on Oct. 1st. It will be also be available on digital download two weeks earlier on 20th September. The Chris Sanders/Kirk DeMicco helmed film was a strong box office earner and a sequel is already in development. The film will come in 'Deluxe Editions' in both 3D and 2D combo packs and bonus features include:

Interview: Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco, Directors of The Croods

Last month, DreamWorks released their first film under Fox, the prehistoric family comedy, The Croods. We here at A113Animation really rather liked it: it's warm, it's funny and it's visually stunning. So I was very pleased to get the opportunity to talk to its two directors, Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco, late last week.

I'd like to pass on my sincerest thanks to Chloe Adams at 20th Century Fox for setting up the interview, and to Chris and Kirk for taking the time out of their very hectic schedules to fit in an eager fanboy - and for putting up with my God-awful connection.

Kirk has been involved in the production for nine years now, whereas Chris worked on the project both before and after his enormous success with How to Train Your Dragon. In our 20 minute interview, Chris, Kirk and I discuss The Croods, its lengthy production, its recently announced sequel, working with Roger Deakins, Chris's involvement with How to Train Your Dragon 2, and more! Check the transcription of our chat out below.

DreamWorks Bits: The Croods To Get a Sequel; New Turbo Poster

This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to those who've been keeping up to date with how the film's been performing at the box office (particularly, that it's a significant improvement over Rise of the Guardians), but Deadline reports that DreamWorks have green-lit a sequel to The Croods - which will be announced at CinemaCon tomorrow (check out our coverage of Disney's CinemaCon news here).

Damien Reviews The Croods

By Damien.

The Croods is a very good film... sort of

The latest DreamWorks Animation effort, while not the best the studio has given us in the last few years, is still a very solid movie. And this should not be a surprise, as it was co-directed by Chris Sanders, one of the men responsible for what is arguably the best DreamWorks Animation film to date: How to Train Your Dragon.

Still, as I stated before, The Croods come with flaws. Some big, some minor. As always when it comes to reviews, what you will read here is only subjective, but I will try my best to explain what I think the issues and the strengths of The Croods are.

The Croods Review - Prehistoric Fun, Feels and Visual Splendour

*This review is largely spoiler free, but read cautiously if you haven’t seen the film yet*

2012 was an up-and-down year for DreamWorks Animation, with the strong performance of Madagascar 3, but the commercial disappointment associated with Rise of the Guardians (although only in the über-competitive and expensive world of  animation can a gross of $300 million not be a great thing), but 2013 seems to be off to a good start so far. The studio's first film of the year is out now and you know what? The Croods is good. Reviews have been tepidly enthusiastic and, certainly, The Croods isn't up there with How to Train Your Dragon or Kung Fu Panda 2, but it is still a very fun, very funny and suitably warm film - just another in DreamWorks' recent string of really good animated pictures.

The Croods Opens Big for DreamWorks

2012 ended in a non-too-pleasant way for DreamWorks, resulting in an $87 million down write-down after the disappointing box-office returns of the very good (though that's bittersweet in the end) Rise of the Guardians. As a result, the studio is facing layoffs of almost 20% of their workforce. So, it's very, very good news to see that the studio is starting off in a big way in 2013.

DreamWorks' first release of the year, caveman-comedy The Croods, is now playing worldwide, and as well as pretty favourable reviews, the Chris Sanders/Kirk DeMicco-directed flick took the number 1 spot at the North American box office this past weekend. The film took home an estimated $44.7 million domestically, as well as $62.6 million internationally, pushing its opening weekend total north of $107 million (figures via Box Office Mojo). To put that into perspective, The Croods has made as much in its opening weekend as Aardman's The Pirates! did during its entire run last year.

Nice to see DreamWorks back in their stride. I'll hopefully be checking out the film myself this weekend.

DreamWorks' The Croods Is Out Now

DreamWorks' The Croods opens today, as the first major animated release of 2013. The caveman comedy, directed by How to Train Your Dragon helmer Chris Sanders and Space Chimps skipper Kirk DeMicco, is the first film under DreamWorks' new distribution deal with 20th Century Fox. Fox, and indeed DreamWorks, are presumably hoping that the film performs better than their last one under Paramount; Rise of the Guardians resulted in a write-down of $87 million for the studio and significant layoffs.

The Art of The Croods Review

The Croods, directed by How to Train Your Dragon's Chris Sanders and Space Chimps' Kirk DeMicco, is DreamWorks' first film under Fox. While it seems critics aren't all too taken with the story of "the world's first family", one area that has been unanimously praised is the film's visuals. As such, and going off the beautiful shots we've seen in the trailers, the Art of book looked to be a must-buy. With just under a week to go until the release of the film, we can say that The Art of The Croods is definitely worth the purchase for animation fans.

UPDATED: First Reviews for The Croods Surface

DreamWorks' first film of 2013, The Croods, opens a week yesterday, and, as such, reviews are slowly starting to roll out, and, while they're so far pretty good, they're not as good as we might have hoped.

New Production Art from The Croods

© DreamWorks 2013
Credit: The Art of the Croods, by Noela Hueso. £24.99, 15th March 2013,
Titan Books.

DreamWorks' first film of 2013, The Croods, is out in ten days and looks absolutely stunning (just look at this still from the film, and this one). As such, the film's companion art book is a must-buy! Titan Books, who're publishing, sent us a review copy of The Art of the Croods (by Noela Hueso) last month, and it's absolutely beautiful (as these books tend to be). It's not quite as brilliant as the book for Rise of the Guardians last year, but there's an awful lot to like - expect to see our review sometime this week.

Watch: A Bunch of New Clips and TV Spots for The Croods

DreamWorks' first film of 2013 is the prehistoric caveman comedy, The Croods. People have mixed feelings about it so far, but I am whole-heartedly excited! The clips we've seen so far are really funny, extremely inventive, utterly beautiful and - if the rest of co-director Chris Sanders' career has been any indication - the film will pack a lot of heart.

Chris Sanders Shares New Storyboards from The Croods

Chris Sanders, director (alongside Space Chimps' Kirk DeMicco) of DreamWorks' next feature film, The Croods, has released some cool storyboards from the caveman-comedy film, due out on 22nd March.

DreamWorks Preview Their 2013 Movies

DreamWorks, fresh off a critical hit, if not a commercial one (yet), with Rise of the Guardians, are looking forward to 2013, where - under their new distribution deal with Fox - they will release three films. Towards the end of last week, some post surfaced about said films, which have been previewed for press at the Fox campus.

Second Trailer for DreamWorks' The Croods

The second trailer for DreamWorks' first film of 2013 is now online. iTunes Movie Trailers brings us the second look at the Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) and Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps) directed caveman-comedy, due for release on 22nd March, 2013.

Not everyone's in full support of the film, some of the character designs are certainly a little blocky, but the world of the film is absolutely breathtaking, and the story promises to be an engaging one, infused with Sanders' usual flair and heart - as well as the abundance of comedy visible in the trailer. And I loved the little wink to Ice Age's Manny at around the 1:30 mark.

I can't stress enough how magnificent this film looks; it's stunning (check out a couple of particularly marvellous shots from the great new trailer above). I have very high hopes for The Croods.

Brand New Trailers: The Croods and The Lone Ranger

Yesterday we showed you some brand new images from Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger, and told you to expect the debut trailers for that and DreamWorks' The Croods today. They're online now, and they're fantastic - and you can check them out after the jump break!

Vibrant Poster for The Croods

Moments ago we shared the new Wreck-It Ralph poster with you, and now we've got another poster for you. Via ComingSoon.net, check out the bright, vibrant and stylised poster for DreamWorks' The Croods!

The Croods was originally in production at Aardman, during their deal with DreamWorks, as Crood Awakening, and directed by Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps), but DreamWorks and Aardman's parting of ways ended that incarnation of the project. Now directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon), and featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone, The Croods will be the first picture in DreamWorks' 5-year distribution with 20th Century Fox when it hits cinemas on 22nd March, 2013