Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
Story byCindy Davis[1]
Based onPigeon: Impossible
by Lucas Martell
Produced by
Starring
Edited by
  • Randy Trager
  • Christopher Campbell[2]
Music byTheodore Shapiro[3]
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox[5]
Release dates
  • December 4, 2019 (2019-12-04) (El Capitan Theatre)
  • December 25, 2019 (2019-12-25) (United States)
Running time
102 minutes[6]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million
Box office$171.6 million[5]

Spies in Disguise is a 2019 American animated spy comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Loosely inspired by the 2009 animated short Pigeon: Impossible by Lucas Martell, the film is directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno (in their feature directorial debuts) from a screenplay by Brad Copeland and Lloyd Taylor, and a story by Cindy Davis. It stars the voices of Will Smith and Tom Holland, alongside Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Rachel Brosnahan, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled, and Masi Oka in supporting roles. The plot follows a secret agent who is transformed into a pigeon by an intelligent young scientist; the two must then work together to stop a revenge-seeking cybernetic terrorist, and return the agent to his human form.

The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on December 4, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 25, 2019. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the animation, music, humor, and vocal performances (particularly Smith and Holland). However, the film was a box office disappointment, grossing $171.6 million worldwide against a $100 million budget.[7][8]

The film was the last film to be produced by Blue Sky Studios,[9] as well as the only animated film from 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company, and the last animated film to use the 20th Century Fox name.

  1. ^ a b c "Denali Publishing Announces Spies in Disguise: Agents on the Run" (Press release). November 13, 2019. Archived from the original on November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019 – via Gamasutra.
  2. ^ "Spies in Disguise reviews". The Hollywood Reporter. December 16, 2019. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  3. ^ "Theodore Shapiro to Score Blue Sky Studios' 'Spies in Disguise' & Karyn Kusama's 'Destroyer'". Film Music Reporter. June 12, 2018. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Film releases". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Spies in Disguise". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Spies in Disguise". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  7. ^ "Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox's Once-Dominant Animation House Behind 'Ice Age' Franchise". Deadline. February 9, 2021. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  8. ^ "Disney Shutting Down Ice Age Animation Studio Blue Sky". Screen Rant. February 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  9. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 9, 2021). "Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox's Once-Dominant Animation House Behind 'Ice Age' Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.