The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Template:Film infobox The Mitchells vs. The Machines, originally titled Connected, is an original animated comedy from producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs). The film will be released April 30, 2021 on Netflix, while China will release the movie theatrically.

Plot

The Mitchells are a dysfunctional but loving family whose road trip is interrupted by a tech uprising that threatens mankind: all around the world, the electronic devices people love–from phones, to self driving cars, to a sleek new line of personal robots–turn on humanity. With the help of two malfunctioning robots and the family's delightfully overweight pug Monchi, the Mitchells will have to get past their problems and work together to save each other and the world!

Cast

• Abbi Jacobson as Katie Mitchell
• Danny McBride as Rick Mitchell
• Maya Rudolph as Linda Mitchell
• Mike Rianda as Aaron Mitchell
• Doug the Pug as Monchi Mitchell
• Eric Andre as Dr. Mark Bowman
• Olivia Colman as PAL
• Blake Griffin as a new, sleek kind of robot from PAL Labs
• Fred Armisen
• Beck Bennett
• Chrissy Teigen as Mrs. Posey
• John Legend as Mr. Posey
• Charlyne Yi
• Conan O'Brien
• Sasheer Zamata
• Elle Mills
• Jay Pharoah
• Alex Hirsch
• Griffin McElroy

Development

In May 2018, Sony Pictures Animation announced the title of a Phil Lord and Christopher Miller-produced animated film that was in development, entitled The Mitchells vs. the Machines. The film is the duo's fourth collaboration with SPA following the two Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs films and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, as well as the studio's first original feature film since The Star. Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, former writers of the Disney Channel animated series Gravity Falls, served as the film's screenwriters, with Rianda serving as director and Rowe as co-director. The film also had a set release date of September 18, 2020.[1]

Production

In May 2019, animation work had begun as confirmed by animator Nick Kondo on Twitter.[2] In June 2019, Sony Animation president Kristine Belson revealed that the film would be using an animation style similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and that the worlds the Mitchell family and the robots live in are initially separate universes before colliding.[3] In February 2020, first images were revealed through Entertainment Weekly, and it was announced the title was changed to Connected. Additional cast members were also announced such as Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, director Rianda, Eric Andre, and Olivia Colman. [4]

Post-Production

In March 2020, Phil Lord confirmed on Twitter that his frequent collaborator Mark Mothersbaugh will compose the score for the film.[5] In April 2020, the film was delayed by one month to October 23 when Sony made changes to its theatrical release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] In May 2020, Lord confirmed that basketball player Blake Griffin had joined the voice cast as one of the robots.[7] In September 2020, the film was removed from Sony’s film schedule, but it was still planned to be released in 2020.[8]

Trivia

• This is Sony Pictures Animation's first film to feature an original female protagonist.
• Although unknown when the rating was certified, it is confirmed to be rated PG for action and some language.
• The film was originally set for release on January 10, 2020 under the title of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, but was pushed back the following month to September 18, 2020 and renamed to Connected. This may have occurred on February 20, 2020 since an article published by Deadline Hollywood the previous date included the previous title.
• This is Sony Pictures Animation's first original film since The Star.
• The film is inspired by Rianda's own delightfully crazy family, and a childhood infatuation with robots.
• Sony Animation's 21st animated feature film.
• This is Sony Animation's first film of the 2020's to be produced in 1.85:1.
• Sony Animation's first Netflix exclusive film.
• The film went through a release date change due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the release date is now April 30th, 2021
• This film has gone through a lot of changes.
• This is one of Sony Pictures Animation's only two theatrically-produced films not to have a theatrical release (alongside Wish Dragon), as it will instead be streaming on Netflix.
  • Thus, it is also the fourth animated film to be released straight to digital instead of having a theatrical release following the COVID-19 pandemic; the first four being Warner Animation Group's Scoob!, Disney/Pixar's Soul, and Paramount Animation/Nickelodeon Movies' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (which had a theatrical release in Canada, though, and was already released on Netflix internationally as the second animated film to do so in international countries).
  • Not counting the aforementioned SpongeBob film for the latter reason, it is also the third Netflix original animated film that was originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States after Paramount's The Little Prince and Aardman Animations' A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon.
• With a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes, this is the second longest Sony Pictures Animation film, behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
• The third Sony Pictures Animation film to be released in April, after The Pirates! Band of Misfits and Smurfs: The Lost Village.
• Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph and Beck Bennett all previously co-starred in the preceding Sony Pictures Animation film The Angry Birds Movie 2.

Videos

CONNECTED - Official Trailer (HD) - Sony Pictures Animation

Trailer with the alternate title.

Connected - Official Trailer - At Cinemas Soon

United Kingdom trailer

The Mitchells vs. The Machines - Date Announcement - Netflix

THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES Trailer 2 (2021)

Gallery

Second logo showing the previous title

First logo showing the original (and current) title