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Gnomeo & Juliet

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Gnomeo & Juliet
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKelly Asbury
Screenplay by
  • Rob Sprackling
  • John Smith
Story by
  • Rob Sprackling
  • John Smith
  • Andy Riley
  • Kevin Cecil
  • Kelly Asbury
  • Steve Hamilton Shaw
Based onRomeo and Juliet
byWilliam Shakespeare
Produced by
Starring
Edited byCatherine Apple
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 23, 2011(2011-01-23)(El Capitan Theatre)
  • February 11, 2011(2011-02-11)(United Kingdom and United States)
Running time
84 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United Kingdom[1]
  • United States
  • Canada[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$36 million[5]
Box office$193.9 million[6]

Gnomeo & Julietis a 2011 animatedromantic comedyfilm directed byKelly Asburyfrom a screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. It is loosely based on the playRomeo and JulietbyWilliam Shakespeareand features the voices ofJames McAvoy,Emily Blunt,Michael Caine,Jason Statham,Maggie Smith,Ashley Jensen,Stephen Merchant,Matt Lucas,Jim Cummings,Julie Walters,Richard Wilson,Patrick Stewart,andOzzy Osbourne.The story follows Gnomeo and Juliet, a pair of garden gnomes who fall in love, but due to the feud between their respective families, they must find a way to keep their blossoming romance a secret.

Gnomeo & Julietpremiered at theEl Capitan TheatreinHollywoodon January 23, 2011, and was theatrically released on February 11 byEntertainment One Filmsin the United Kingdom[3]andTouchstone Picturesin the United States. The film grossed $193 million worldwide and received nominations for severalAnnie Awards.The song "Hello Hello" byElton JohnandLady Gagawas nominated for theGolden Globe AwardforBest Original Song,theSatellite AwardforBest Original Song,and theCritics' Choice Movie AwardforBest Song.A sequel,Sherlock Gnomes,was released in 2018 byParamount PicturesandMetro-Goldwyn-Mayerwithout achieving the success of the first film.

Plot[edit]

InStratford-upon-Avon,elder neighbours Miss Montague and Mr. Capulet despise each other. When they leave their respective gardens, theirgarden gnomesand other lawn ornaments come to life. The Montague garden is filled with blue-hatted gnomes led by Lady Blueberry, and the Capulet garden is filled with red-hatted gnomes led by Lord Redbrick, who share in their owners’ feud.

One day, in a back-alley lawnmower race, Lady Blueberry's son Gnomeo competes against his Red rival Tybalt, who destroys Gnomeo's lawnmower. That night, Gnomeo and his best friend Benny infiltrate the Red garden in disguise to vandalise Tybalt's mower as revenge, but Benny instead vandalizes Tybalt's pedestal and accidentally triggers a security light. During their escape, Gnomeo ends up in an abandoned garden nearby and bumps into a disguised Juliet, daughter of Lord Redbrick, who dislikes her father's overprotective nature and is attempting to retrieve a unique Cupid's Arroworchidfrom the roof of the greenhouse. The two are enthralled by each other until they both fall into a pond and discover each other's colours. Shocked, Juliet flees home and tells her frog-sprinkler friend Nanette about her newfound love.

Gnomeo and Juliet continue to meet secretly in the nearby garden, where they encounter a pinkplastic flamingonamed Featherstone who encourages their love. Lord Redbrick pairs Juliet with an overbearing Red gnome named Paris, but Juliet distracts him with Nanette, who quickly falls for him. After the Reds infiltrate the Blue garden and destroy a plant nurtured by Gnomeo's late father, Gnomeo tries to take revenge by spraying the Reds' tulips withinsecticide,but Juliet catches him in the act. Back in the abandoned garden, the two argue until Featherstone tells them about how he lost his beloved mate when the couple living in the garden's house divorced and each took a flamingo. Inspired by Featherstone's story, Gnomeo and Juliet reconcile and vow to build a garden together.[7]

Benny sees the two about to kiss and runs into the alleyway, unaware that Tybalt is waiting with his lawnmower. He successfully breaks Benny's hat, but an enraged Gnomeo intervenes, instigating a fight until the lawnmower runs into the wall, shattering Tybalt. The Reds attack Gnomeo, who is accidentally pushed into a busy road; a blue teapot falls from a passing truck and leads everyone to believe Gnomeo has been run over. A distraught Juliet attempts to rush into the road, but Lord Redbrick has her taken back to the garden and her feet glued to her tower for her own safety.

Gnomeo'smushroomfriend, Shroom, discovers that Gnomeo is still alive and has been carried off by a dog to a nearby park, where he climbed onto a statue ofWilliam Shakespeareand tells him his story. Shakespeare notes that Gnomeo's tale is similar to his own story ofRomeo and Julietand predicts that Gnomeo's will have a tragic ending like his. Meanwhile, Benny sneaks into Miss Montague's house and uses her computer to order a powerful Terrafirminator lawnmower, seeking revenge on the Reds. The Terrafirminator quickly arrives and initially works well with destroying the Red garden, but Benny ultimately loses control of it and the machine starts destroying both gardens while the gnomes wage a full-scale war.

After Gnomeo hears that Juliet's in danger, he races back to the gardens with Featherstone and Shroom's help. Meanwhile, the Terrafirminator has destroyed most of the gardens and is now targeting Juliet's tower. Gnomeo and Juliet share a passionate kiss as the lawnmower crashes into the tower and self-destructs, seemingly killing them both. Realizing the consequences of their vendetta, Lady Blueberry and Lord Redbrick end their feud. Suddenly, Gnomeo and Juliet emerge from the ruins unscathed and, as the two clans celebrate, the couple kiss. Later on, a reformed Tybalt is rebuilt, and Featherstone is reunited with his mate. Everyone happily sees Gnomeo and Juliet off as they get married and drive away on a purple lawnmower, signifying the new union between the families.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

The film was the original idea of Sprackling and Smith, who sold the spec script toDisneythroughRocket Pictures.Disney studio chairmanDick Cookgreenlit the film, under then Disney-ownedMiramax Filmsin 2006, after turning it down previously asWalt Disney Animation Studiosproject. Miramax was later sold by Disney in 2010, but the latter studio retained the rights to the film.Starz Animationproduced and animated the film. After first sitting on the film as it was an animated film not by a Disney animation unit, Disney Studios then opted to release the film through itsTouchstone Picturesbanner.[8]Australian directorAdam Elliotwas approached and asked to direct the film, but he rejected the offer due to the film's incompatibility with his style, as well as his lack of experience with CGI.[9]

Asbury got on board in 2006, and was attracted to the movie in order to work withElton John.[10]Asbury and Hamilton Shaw then rewrote the film "sort of from scratch,"[10]A particular challenge, according to Asbury was how to differentiate the ending between the original play and the movie in order to "keep daggers and poison and suicide out".[10]Asbury had free range of the casting and conducted the process only through listening to voices, not knowing which actor was auditioning until he felt they were right for the character.[10]Prior to the casting ofJames McAvoyandEmily Blunt,the roles of Gnomeo and Juliet were originally to be voiced byEwan McGregorandKate Winslet,respectively.[11]

Music[edit]

Main article:Gnomeo & Juliet (soundtrack)

Gnomeo & Juliet: Original Soundtrackis thesoundtrack albumand was released byBuena Vista Recordson February 1, 2011.[12]It features music byElton John(who was also the film's executive producer),Nelly Furtado,Kiki Dee,and selections from the score composed by Chris Bacon andJames Newton Howard(who played keyboards for Elton John and arranged strings on many previous projects).

The duet of John andLady Gagafor "Hello, Hello" was featured in the film, released on February 11, 2011, but the soundtrack version only features John.[13]Additionally, on May 4, 2011, the duet was leaked online and available for download on most sharing websites.

Release[edit]

Gnomeo & Juliet's worldwide premiere was atEl Capitan TheatreinHollywoodon January 23, 2011. The film was released byWalt Disney Studios Motion Picturesunder the LabelTouchstone Pictureson February 11, 2011.[1]The film was Touchstone's first animated film since 1993'sThe Nightmare Before Christmasand also Touchstone's first and only film to receive aG ratingfrom theMPAA.The film was distributed by Disney worldwide except for a few countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, whereEntertainment One Filmsreleased the movie.[4]Elton Johnand director Asbury presented 10 minutes of the film at theCannes Film Festival.[14]

Home media[edit]

Gnomeo & Julietwas released byTouchstone Home EntertainmentonBlu-ray 3D,Blu-ray,andDVDon May 24, 2011.[15][16]The film was produced as three different packages: a 1-disc DVD, a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, and a 3-disc Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, and DVD combo pack. The 3-disc package also includes access to a digital download of the film.[17]Both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the release include the music video forElton JohnandNelly Furtado's version of John's "Crocodile Rock",as well as the extras" Elton Builds a Garden "and" Frog Talk "with Ashley Jensen.[18]In addition, the Blu-ray version also has severaldeleted and alternate scenes,as well as a feature withOzzy Osbournecalled "The Fawn of Darkness".[19]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

OnRotten Tomatoesthe film has an approval rating of 55% based on reviews from 129 critics, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While it has moments of inspiration,Gnomeo & Julietis often tooself-referentialfor its own good. "[20]OnMetacritic,it has a score of 53 out of 100, based on 28 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21]Audiences surveyed byCinemaScoregave the film a grade B+ on scale of A+ to F.[22]

Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journalgave it a positive review, "This lively little film, a comic take on Shakespeare's tragedy, is really entertaining."[23]Ty Burr of theBoston Globesays "It has its own bizarre charms and a breezy confidence that renders it the very definition of a simple pleasure."[24]Justin Chang ofVarietywrites "A welcome dose of honest silliness at a time when most family-oriented toons settle for smart-alecky."[25]

In a mixed review Tasha Robinson fromThe A.V. Clubcriticizes the film "Far too much of the film is devoted to eye-rolling pop-culture gags and long montages set to recycled Elton John songs."[26]

Box office[edit]

Gnomeo and Julietearned about $100 million in North America and $94 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $193.9 million.[6]Gnomeo & Julietwas ultimately a hit for Disney, outperforming the much higher-budgeted (and eventualbox office bomb)[27]Mars Needs Momsthe studio released a month followingGnomeo & Juliet.On the first weekend of its US release, the film had a worldwide opening of $30,700,000, finishing in second place behindJust Go with It($35,800,000).[28][29]On its second weekend —Presidents' Day weekend— it topped the worldwide box office (without being in first place either in North America[30]or internationally[31]) with $29,800,000, ahead ofUnknownwhich ranked second ($26,400,000).

It opened in 2,994 theaters in North America on Friday, February 11, 2011, grossing $6,200,000 on its first day and ranking third behindJustin Bieber: Never Say NeverandJust Go with It.It then finished the weekend with $25,400,000 in 3rd place.[32]However, it scored the largest opening weekend ever for an animated feature released during the winter period (both January and February). It also made the largest debut on record for a minor animated movie (i.e., one with little status, expectations or built-in audience), according toBox Office Mojo.[33]With a $99,970,000 total it became the highest-grossing animated feature among those released in winter, until it was surpassed byThe Lego Moviein 2014.[34]

In the United Kingdom, Ireland, andMalta,it topped the weekend box office by earning £2,900,000 ($4,700,000) on its opening. In total it has grossed $25,300,000, making the UK the only market, except North America, where it grossed more than $10,000,000.[35]

Accolades[edit]

Award Category Recipients Result
Annie Awards[36] Directing in a Feature Production Kelly Asbury Nominated
Storyboarding in a Feature Production Nelson Yokota
Voice Acting in a Feature Production Jim Cummings
Writing in a Feature Production Andy Riley,Kevin Cecil,Mark Burton,Kathy Greenburg, Emily Cook, Rob Sprackling, John Smith, Kelly Asbury, Steve Hamilton Shaw
Critics' Choice Movie Awards[37] Best Song "Hello Hello", performed byElton JohnandLady Gaga/written by Elton John andBernie Taupin
Golden Globe Awards[38] Best Original Song
Satellite Awards[39] Best Original Song

Sequel[edit]

Main article:Sherlock Gnomes

In March 2012, it was reported that a sequel titledSherlock Gnomeswas in development at Rocket Pictures. Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil, two of the nine writers on the first film, were writing the script for the sequel. Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish produced the film, and Elton John was an executive producer, and again composed songs for the film. The film featured Sherlock Gnomes, "the greatest ornamental detective" hired by the characters from the first film, to solve the mystery of disappearing gnomes.[40]John Stevenson,director ofKung Fu Panda,directed the sequel, andJohnny Deppvoiced Sherlock Gnomes.[41]The film was released March 23, 2018.[42]Unlike the original, it was released by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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