The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur
The silhouette of Arlo, a dinosaur with Spot, a small boy on his back surrounded by fireflies.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Sohn
Screenplay byMeg LeFauve
Story by
Based onAn original concept
by Bob Peterson
Produced byDenise Ream
Starring
Cinematography
Edited byStephen Schaffer
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures[a]
Release dates
  • November 10, 2015 (2015-11-10) (Paris)
  • November 25, 2015 (2015-11-25) (United States)
Running time
94 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$175–200 million[4][5]
Box office$332.2 million[6]

The Good Dinosaur is a 2015 American animated adventure film[7] produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Peter Sohn (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Denise Ream, from a screenplay written by Meg LeFauve, who also wrote the film's story with Sohn, Bob Peterson, Kelsey Mann, and Erik Benson. It stars the voices of Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Steve Zahn, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A. J. Buckley, Jeffrey Wright, and Frances McDormand. The film explores an alternate history where non-avian dinosaurs never became extinct, following a young, timid Apatosaurus named Arlo (Ochoa) living on a farm with his family, who meets an unlikely human friend named Spot (Bright) while traveling through a dangerous and mysterious landscape in order to return home, after being washed downriver.

Development of The Good Dinosaur began with Peterson and Sohn working on the film in 2009, when the former came up with the idea of exploring what dinosaurs represent in the present day and how they are represented in stereotypes. The project was officially announced in 2011, with the release date, plot, director and co-director, producer, and other small details being revealed. During its production, the team encountered various problems, which led to multiple story revisions, as well as changing directors and voice cast. To create a realistic background for the film, the team traveled to various American landscapes, which were later incorporated into the film. Arlo is designed to look distinct and relatable, in order to connect with audiences. In addition, the film pays homage to the Western genre in its themes, character representation, and western North American landscapes. Mychael and Jeff Danna composed the film's musical score, marking Pixar's first film to be scored by two composers.

The Good Dinosaur premiered on November 10, 2015, in Paris, and was released in the United States on November 25 in the Disney Digital 3D and RealD 3D formats, marking the first time where two Pixar films were released in the same year, following the release of Inside Out earlier that year. The film garnered generally positive reviews from critics for its animation and themes, though its storytelling was not considered to be up to Pixar's standards. It became Pixar’s first box office failure, grossing $332.2 million on a $175–200 million budget, and losing the studio an estimated $85 million. The film received a nomination for Best Animated Feature Film at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.

  1. ^ Chang, Justin (November 13, 2015). "Film Review: 'The Good Dinosaur'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "The Good Dinosaur". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Good Dinosaur". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference McLintock (2015-11-23) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Faughnder (2015-11-24) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "The Good Dinosaur". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Tiples, Dondi (July 22, 2015). "Pixar Releases Trailer for 'The Good Dinosaur' (Video)". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2015.


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