The Boxtrolls

The Boxtrolls
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
  • Irena Brignull
  • Adam Pava
Based onHere Be Monsters!
by Alan Snow
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJohn Ashlee Prat
Edited byEdie Ichioka
Music byDario Marianelli[1]
Production
company
Distributed byFocus Features (North America)
Universal Pictures (International)
Release dates
  • August 31, 2014 (2014-08-31) (Venice)
  • September 12, 2014 (2014-09-12) (United Kingdom)
  • September 26, 2014 (2014-09-26) (United States)
Running time
97 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million[3]
Box office$108.3 million[4]

The Boxtrolls is a 2014 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Graham Annable (in his feature directorial debut) and Anthony Stacchi loosely based on the 2005 novel Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow. Produced by Laika, the film was the animated film debut of Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who voices Eggs, the main protagonist, and features the voices of Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, and Simon Pegg.[5] Set in the fictional European country of Norvenia in the late-19th century, the film tells the story of Eggs, a human boy raised by trash-collecting trolls, known as "Boxtrolls", as he attempts to save them from Archibald Penelope Snatcher, a pest exterminator.

Laika unveiled a slate of projects in development, among which was also an animated feature film adaptation of the Alan Snow novel Here Be Monsters! in June 2008. While the animation technique wasn't yet decided upon, Stacchi was set to direct the film. On February 7, 2013, Laika announced that it would be released in October 2014, which later changed to September 2014 in May 2013. Originally focused on all five species of creatures found in the original book, producer Travis Knight noted that the script ultimately was hollow with all the monsters, that it didn't really have anything to say. As the result, the team ended up focusing on the Boxtrolls as Knight thought there was something that was really compelling about that group of characters. Dario Marianelli composed the film's musical score.

The film was released in the United States on September 26, 2014, by Focus Features, and received generally positive reviews from critics.[6] It earned $108 million[4] on a $60 million budget.[3] It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and a BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, but lost to Big Hero 6, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The Lego Movie, respectively.

  1. ^ "Dario Marianelli to Score 'The Boxrolls'". Film Music Reporter. December 4, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2014.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "THE BOXROLLS [2D] (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "'The Equalizer' Gunning for Nearly $40 Million at Weekend Box Office". Variety. September 27, 2014. Archived from the original on September 28, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "The Boxrolls (2014) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference CSAnnounce was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ColliderTeaser was invoked but never defined (see the help page).