| The King and I | |
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&sq=&lang=&file=File:TheKingAndIAnimated.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Rich |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on |
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| Produced by |
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| Music by | William Kidd |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros.[1] |
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Running time | 89 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States[1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million[3] |
| Box office | $12 million[3][4] |
The King and I is a 1999 American animated musical film directed by Richard Rich. As of February 2024, it is the only animated feature film produced by Morgan Creek Entertainment.[5] Loosely based on Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's 1951 stage musical of the same name, it portrays a fictionalized account of English school teacher Anna Leonowens' historical encounter with king Mongkut of Siam and the royal court. The voice cast stars Miranda Richardson and Martin Vidnovic as Leonowens and Mongkut, respectively, with Ian Richardson, Darrell Hammond, and Adam Wylie. The score, songs, and some of the character names come from the stage musical.[6] Screenwriters Peter Bakalian, Jacqueline Feather, and David Seidler took creative liberties with the history and with the source material from the musical in an attempt to make the film palatable to all audiences.
The King and I was released on March 19, 1999, eight months prior to Anna and the King, a live-action adaptation of the same story. The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes calls it "charmless and shoddily animated." The King and I earned $12 million at the box office,[3] and its gross was seen as disappointing compared to that of other animated films released at the time. The film received five nominations, including the London Critics Circle Film Award for British Actress of the Year for Richardson and the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in an Animated Feature.
Aside from foreign films, television shows, and direct-to-video films, The King and I was the final mainstream theatrical film to officially be released under the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment banner. Warner Bros. has since released theatrical family films under its standard Warner Bros. Pictures banner.
- ^ a b c "The King & I (1999)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "The King and I (U)". British Board of Film Classification. April 15, 1999. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c "The King and I (1999)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ "The King and I (1999)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Kaltenbach, Chris (March 21, 1999). "The man behind Morgan Creek". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.