Balto (film)

Balto
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed bySimon Wells
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Cliff Ruby
  • Elana Lesser
Produced bySteve Hickner
Starring
CinematographyJan Richter-Friis (live action)
Edited by
Music byJames Horner
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • December 22, 1995 (1995-12-22) (United States)
  • March 29, 1996 (1996-03-29) (United Kingdom)
Running time
78 minutes
CountriesUnited States[1]
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$31 million[2]
Box office$11 million[3]

Balto is a 1995 live-action/animated adventure film directed by Simon Wells, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures.[4] It is loosely based on the true story of the eponymous dog who helped save children infected with diphtheria in the 1925 serum run to Nome. The film stars the voices of Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Phil Collins, and Bob Hoskins. Though primarily an animated film, it uses a live-action framing device that takes place in New York City's Central Park and features Miriam Margolyes as an older version of one of the children. This was the third and final film to be produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, before the studio's closure in 1997.

Although the film was a financial disappointment due to being overshadowed by the success of Pixar's Toy Story, its subsequent sales on home video led to two direct-to-video sequels: Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002) and Balto III: Wings of Change (2005), though none of the original voice cast reprised their roles.

  1. ^ "Balto (1995)". Archived from the original on April 24, 2017.
  2. ^ "Balto (1995)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  3. ^ Balto at Box Office Mojo.
  4. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 166. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.