The Star(2017 film)

The Staris a 2017 American animatedbiblicalcomedy filmproduced byThe Jim Henson Company.Sony Pictures Releasingdistributed the film andTimothy Reckartdirected it. The screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin, and the story by Kotkin and Simon Moore,based on an original concept by Tom Sheridan.Inspired by theNativity of Jesus,the film features the voices ofSteven Yeun,Gina Rodriguez,Zachary Levi,Keegan-Michael Key,Kelly Clarkson,Patricia Heaton,Kristin Chenoweth,Tracy Morgan,Tyler Perry,andOprah Winfrey.

The Star
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Timothy Reckart
Screenplay by	Carlos Kotkin
Story by	Carlos Kotkin Simon Moore
Based on	TheNativity of Jesus, Original concepts by Tom Sheridan
Produced by	Jenni Magee Cook
Starring	Steven Yeun Gina Rodriguez Zachary Levi Keegan-Michael Key Kelly Clarkson Patricia Heaton Kristin Chenoweth Tracy Morgan Tyler Perry Oprah Winfrey
Edited by	Pam Ziegenhagen
Music by	John Paesano
Production companies	Columbia Pictures Affirm Films Sony Pictures Animation Walden Media The Jim Henson Company Franklin Entertainment
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates	November 12, 2017(2017-11-12)(Regency Village Theater) November 17, 2017(2017-11-17)(United States)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$62.8 million

The Starwas owned byColumbia Pictures,and released through its parental labelSony Pictures Releasingworldwide on November 17, 2017. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $62 million worldwide with a $20 million budget. It received a nomination forBest Original Song( "The Star"byMariah Carey) at the75th Golden Globe Awardsbut lost to "This Is Me".

Plot

In "9 months B.C.", Mary is visited by an angel telling her she will bear theMessiah.A pygmyjerboanamed Abby overhears and tells the other animals asa starbegins glowing brightly in the night.

Six months later, a youngdonkeyis tired of milling wheat and wishes to join a traveling royal caravan so that he may feel important. An older donkey helps him escape the miller who owns them, and the young donkey ends up with an injured ankle at the house ofJosephandMarywho have just celebrated their wedding. Mary takes the donkey in and names him Bo, and reveals to Joseph that she is pregnant, with Joseph accepting Mary's situation after praying to God. During this time, Bo and his dove friend Dave plot to escape despite Mary's kindness, but end up staying three more months.

Meanwhile, thethree wise menand their camels, Felix, Cyrus, and Deborah, arrive at the home ofKing Herod.The wise men reveal their gifts ofgold,frankincense,andmyrrh,but when they reveal that it is actually for the "new King", he sends them on their way to meet him, but secretly sends his royal hunter and his two dogs, Thaddeus and Rufus, to find and kill the new King.

As Joseph and Mary leaveNazarethin order to head toBethlehem,Bo and Dave try another escape, but are confronted by the dogs, who knew of the home by interrogating Abby. After learning that Joseph and Mary are not home, the hunter and his dogs leave to look for them. Feeling guilty, Bo decides to warn them with Dave joining him. Along the way, they meet a friendly sheep named Ruth who left her flock when she saw the star. They catch up to Joseph and Mary in time to warn them and hide them in a market place where the hunter ties up his dogs. Bo releases the cart Joseph and Mary were using to roll down and cause a chain reaction that knocks the hunter down a well. However, he creates severe damage to the market in the process, and Joseph, unaware of the danger, tells Bo off for his actions.

Upset with being rejected, Bo leaves and Dave follows until they arrive at the royal caravan. While happy to have found it, Bo realizes that he liked being with Mary and tells Dave, who admits that he is not upset and that he just wants Bo to be happy with his decision. Together, the two return and make up with Ruth, and then convince a frustrated Joseph to talk to Mary. Mary admits that it has been difficult for her and that she is scared of the importance of the baby, and they make up when Mary begins havingcontractions.They arrive at Bethlehem where Joseph is unable to find an inn for Mary. The miller, who just so happened to be there, kidnaps Bo with Dave and Ruth leaving to rescue him. The wise men arrive as well, but the camels, who are aware of Herod's plot, are left tied to a post.

Bo ends up in a stable where he meets a horse named Leah, a cow named Edith, and a goat named Zach. They reveal that they have not been able to sleep because the star's bright light has been shining through on theirmangerfor 9 months. Realizing that this is where the baby is supposed to be, the animals help Bo escape and he catches up with Dave and Ruth while spotting the hunter and his dogs. Bo finds Joseph and Mary and gets them back to the stable while Dave runs into Cyrus, Felix, and Deborah and helps them escape their bonds. Ruth finds her flock, who had previously refused to follow her, and tries to convince them to help, but gets unexpected help from the angel who informs them and their shepherds that the Savior is coming. Bo manages to fight off Thaddeus and Rufus, but is outdone by the hunter. Suddenly, Ruth and her flock, the camels, and Dave arrive and dispatch them by having them hang from a cliff. The hunter lets his dogs fall, but they are saved by Bo while the hunter himself falls to his death.

All of the animals, who are now joined by Abby who assumed the danger to be ongoing, and the redeemed Thaddeus & Rufus, shepherds, and three wise men arrive to seebaby Jesus.Bo realizes that he has been carrying the new King the whole time. Deborah predicts that this event will be remembered around the world for years to come (which Cyrus and Felix both declare that she's crazy). After that, Joseph buys Bo from the miller, and Bo, Dave, and Ruth help him and Mary raise Jesus.

Cast

• Main animal characters
  • Steven Yeunas Boaz "Bo" – A young mill donkey who is loyal yet worrisome. He sees the star one night thinking it is a sign that his life is soon to change. When he hears of the Royal Caravan marching into Nazareth, he feels this is his purpose and escapes to try to join it. But when he encounters Mary, he feels more dedicated to be with her and keep her out of danger.
  • Keegan-Michael Keyas Dave – A smug and eccentric dove who is Bo's best friend. He joins Bo on his quest to join the Royal Caravan but is more set on that than he is at helping others.
  • Aidy Bryantas Ruth – A light-hearted, bubbly, and naïve sheep who left her flock to follow the star. She later joins Bo and Dave on their journey to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph. At first, she seems to be a nuisance to them, but Bo later grows a soft spot for her and soon becomes friends with her.
  • Ving Rhamesas Thaddeus – A sinister captive purebredwolfwho is determined to find Jesus for his master.
  • Gabriel Iglesiasas Rufus – Analauntwho is a dimwitted sidekick to Thaddeus.
  • Tyler Perryas Cyrus – The intelligent and calm but skeptical leader of the three camels.
  • Tracy Morganas Felix – The youngest of the three camels. He is shown to be rather goofy and loudmouthed, and often gets into arguments with Cyrus.
  • Oprah Winfreyas Deborah – The only female of the three camels. She is the most down-to-earth of the trio, but the other two often think she is crazy despite her attempts at being the voice of reason and keeping her cohorts from making bad choices.
  • Patricia Heatonas Edith – A cow who lives at the stable where Mary and Joseph eventually end up. She is the most level-headed of the animals who reside at the stable and is mostly unamused and pessimistic.
  • Kelly Clarksonas Leah – A horse who lives at the stable where Mary and Joseph eventually end up. She loves to sing, but more often than not, her singing is obnoxiously loud, which is most likely caused by her lack of sleep she got since the star began to shine over the stable.
  • Anthony Andersonas Zach – A goat who lives at the stable where Mary and Joseph eventually end up. He has deformed eyes and is very hyper and paranoid due to the lack of sleep he got since the star began to shine over the stable.
  • Kristin Chenowethas Abby – A pygmy jerboa who first witnesses the Angel coming to Mary. She tells her friends about it and tries to warn the others about the hunter.
  • Mariah Careyas Rebecca – A chicken at a coop.
  • Kris Kristoffersonas The Old Donkey – Bo's fellow elderly mill donkey.
• Main human characters
  • Gina RodriguezasMary– A loving and caring young Hebrew woman and soon to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God.
  • Zachary LeviasJoseph– A usually-pessimistic and paranoid young Hebrew carpenter whom Mary weds, soon to be the personal legal guardian of Jesus.
  • Christopher PlummerasKing Herod– The selfish, treacherous, greedy, and sinister king of Judea who hears about the new King who is arriving and sends the three wise men out to find him in Bethlehem while secretly sending his hunter to find and kill Mary.
  • Lex Langas The Hunter – A large, sinister, yet silent hunter whom King Herod sends out to kill the new King.
• Other characters
  • Phil Morrisas The Miller – Bo's former owner who is determined to get him back after he escaped from his mill.
  • Joel McCrary as The Angel – The Holy Spirit who tells Mary that she will soon be carrying the Son of God.
    • McCrary also voices Zachariah, Elizabeth's husband and John's father.
  • Joel OsteenasCaspar– One of the three wise men wearing red and Deborah's owner.
  • Phil Morris asBalthazar– One of the three wise men wearing purple and Cyrus' owner.
  • Fred TatascioreasMelchior– One of the three wise men wearing blue and Felix's owner.
    • Tatasciore also voices a pottery vendor and an innkeeper.
  • DelilahasElizabeth– Zachariah's wife and John's mother.
  • Roger Craig Smithas The Chamberlain
  • Joe Whyteas A Scribe
  • Will Townsend as A Horse and a Goat.
  • Gregg Berger,Roger Craig Smith,Melissa Sturm andJoe Whyteas The Innkeepers.

Production

The film's script was originally developed during the late 1990s bythe Jim Henson Company,partially inspired by the success of the 1995 filmBabe.

In September 2014, it was reported thatDeVon Franklinwould produce a faith-based film inspired by theNativity storyunder his production company, Franklin Entertainment, in collaboration withSony Pictures Animation.In April 2015,Varietyreported thatTimothy Reckartwould direct the film in his directing debut.On August 5, 2015, it was announced that the film, then titledThe Lamb,was given an official release date of December 8, 2017.On June 20, 2016, it was announced thatBrian HensonandLisa HensonfromThe Jim Henson Companywould be executive producers for the film, now titledThe Star,making it the first Henson-produced film for Sony sinceThe Adventures of Elmo in Grouchlandin 1999.

In an interview withAnimation Magazine,Reckart expressed that he felt encouraged to direct the film, as he felt that there was a lack of Christmas films centering on the Nativity of Jesus: "It felt like an opportunity to be part of a movie that has not been done before, that's really going to fill a void."

The animation was produced byCinesite Studios.Animation work began in January 2017.

Casting

On January 5, 2017, it was reported that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry would be in the film.The rest of the cast was announced on January 19, 2017.

Soundtrack

Main article:The Star (Mariah Carey song)

The Star (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)was released on October 27, 2017, including contributions fromJessie James Decker,Jake Owen,Kelsea Ballerini,Zara Larsson,Casting Crowns,Kirk Franklin,Fifth Harmony,Yolanda Adams,Saving ForeverandMariah Carey.Pentatonixalso contributes a bonus track to the digital release of the album.The main singleThe Star,interpreted byMariah Careyranked at No. 6 on theBillboardUS Holiday Digital Song Sales in 2017.The song was nominated for theBest Original Songat the75th Golden Globe Awards.

The Star: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"The Star"	Mariah Carey	4:01
2.	"Children Go Where I Send You"	Kelsea Ballerini	2:40
3.	"We Three Kings"	Kirk Franklin	4:06
4.	"Can You See"	Fifth Harmony	3:57
5.	"Life Is Good"	A Great Big World	3:16
6.	"Mary, Did You Know?"	Zara Larsson	3:23
7.	"O Holy Night"	Yolanda Adams	4:20
8.	"What Christmas Means to Me"	Saving Forever	3:03
9.	"Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)"	Jessie James Decker	4:51
10.	"His Eye Is on the Sparrow"	Casting Crowns	4:19
11.	"What Child Is This?"	Jake Owen	3:16
12.	"Carol of the Bells"	Pentatonix	3:13
Total length:			44:17

Release

In July 2016, the release date was set for November 10, 2017,but it was later pushed back to November 17, 2017.The Starhad its world premiere inLos Angelesat theRegency Village Theateron November 12, 2017.

Marketing

The first trailer was released on July 26, 2017.On November 16, 2017, the official video for the songThe Star,performed byMariah Carey,was made available on herYouTubechannel.

Home media

The Starwas released on digital on February 6, 2018, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 20, 2018, bySony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Reception

Box office

The Starhas grossed $40.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $22 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $62.8 million, against a production budget of $20 million.

In the United States and Canada,The Starwas released alongsideJustice League,WonderandRoman J. Israel, Esq.and was projected to gross around $10 million from 2,800 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $2.8 million on its first day.It ended up grossing $9.8 million in its opening weekend, finishing 6th at the box office.

Critical response

On review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes,the film has an average rating by critics of 44% based on 52 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Starmay not leave audiences singing 'Hallelujah', but its offbeat yet sincere approach to the nativity story makes for acceptably diverting holiday viewing. "OnMetacritic,which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has aweighted averagescore of 42 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

The A.V. Club'sIgnatiy VishnevetskycriticizedThe Staras a "rote cartoon feature" existing for purely commercial reasons: "...even the kid-friendliest, Sunday-school-iest kind of religious art can't spring from religion alone; it needs artistry, too. Otherwise, you end up with a generic product aimed at a market segment who'll buy anything as long as it seems sufficiently churchy."

Accolades

Award	Category	Recipients	Result
Golden Globe Awards	Best Original Song	"The Star"	Nominated
Annie Awards	Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production	Louie del Carmen	Nominated
	Best Editorial in an Animated Feature Production	Pamela Ziegenhagen	Nominated
Heartland Film Festival 2017	Truly Moving Picture Award	Timothy Reckart	Won
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards	Best Music Supervision for Film: Budgeted Under 25 Million Dollars	Spring Aspers and Ron Fair	Nominated
MovieGuide Awards	Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movies	"The Star"	Won

See also

• List of Christmas films
• Christmas in the media
• The Night the Animals Talked

External links

• Official website
• Official websiteat Sony Pictures Animation
• The StaratIMDb