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The Mitchells vs The Machines, previously 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 in 2021.
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[1]
- Danny McBride as Rick Mitchell
- Maya Rudolph as Linda Mitchell
- Mike Rianda as Aaron Mitchell
- Eric Andre as Mark Bowman[2]
- Olivia Colman as PAL
- Blake Griffin as a new, sleek kind of robot from PAL Labs
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
- It was Sony Pictures Animation's first film to feature its original female protagonist.
- 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.[3]
- 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 2020s to be produced in 1.85:1.
- It will be released on March 26th, 2021.
- This film has gone through a lot of changes.
- This is Sony Pictures Animation's first theatrically-produced film not to have a theatrical release, 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 second Netflix original animated film that was originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States after Aardman Animations' A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon.
Video
Gallery
References
- ↑ Cast list for Connected, Sony Pictures Animation website, February 20, 2020
- ↑ "An ordinary family battles a robot uprising in first look at Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Connected", Entertainment Weekly, February 20, 2020
- ↑ "Abbi Jacobson To Star In Sony Animated Film ‘The Mitchells Vs The Machines’ From Producers Chris Miller & Phil Lord", Deadline Hollywood, February 19, 2020