DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures have dropped the first trailer for The Croods: A New Age, the follow-up to the 2013 film. The three big names from the first film return – Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds – but this time, the titular prehistoric family run into a new family named The Bettermans who they come across while in search of a new home.
The Bettermans, as the name suggests, have better shelter, better inventions and better food than The Croods, but when the two families start living together, tensions escalate between the two families.
This is a film you’re either already on board to see or not, so the trailer – pretty similar to most for animated movies – probably won’t move the needle much either way. However, the background to the film is somewhat interesting. Universal originally announced a Croods sequel back in 2013, with a motherhood-centric story set around the “first chapter of society”.
However that movie never came to fruition, and was cancelled in 2016 after DreamWorks Animation moved to Universal Pictures. The sequel, this time with a new story, was revived not long after, leading to this film.
The long gap between sequels will be interesting to monitor, especially with a series aimed at kids. A lot of children who enjoyed the first film in 2013 may be too old to appeal to with this one (although, any animated film usually appeals well to any kids, even if it’s a sequel).
However the release of the film might also be intriguing. The Croods: A New Age is currently set for a Wednesday, November 25th release in theatres, but Universal rolled out another animated film, Trolls: World Tour, in controversial fashion earlier this year, skipping the typical 12-week window between theatrical and home release, angering many theatre chains.
The problem was, Universal made a ton on money doing that as families happily purchased/rented Trolls: World Tour at home. So expect something similar to happens here, which will only further dent Universal’s relationship with cinemas, one that is already completely fractured with some chains.
Joel Crawford is making his feature directorial debut with the film, replacing original directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. Alongside the aforementioned cast, The Croods: A New Age also stars Catherine Keener, Leslie Mann, Peter Dinklage, and Kelly Marie Tran.
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