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Ferdinand is a 2017 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox and Davis Entertainment and directed by Carlos Saldanha and It stars John Cena and Kate McKinnon.

The film was released on December 15, 2017 in 3D and 2D. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $296 million worldwide against it's $111 million budget.

Plot[]

In Spain, a friendly, non-violent, flower-loving calf named Ferdinand (Colin H. Murphy) lives on Casa del Toro, a ranch that raises and trains bulls for bullfighting. Not willing to be raised as a violent bull that will one day be forced to fight against matadors in the bull ring, Ferdinand runs away from Casa del Toro after being ridiculed by Bones (Nile Diaz), Guapo (Jet Jurgensmeyer), and Valiente (Jack Gore), his father Raf (Jeremy Sisto) fails to return from a bullfight, and his flower got squished by Valiente and his father (Bobby Cannavale). He arrives at a peaceful farm run by a florist named Juan (Juanes) and bonds with his daughter Nina (Julia Scarpa Saldanha), much to his dog Paco's (Jerrod Carmichael) jealousy. Ferdinand lives happily on Juan's farm, where he spends every day smelling flowers and relaxing in the shade of trees until he grows up into an enormous bull. One day when Ferdinand (John Cena) is all grown up, Ferdinand is left alone when Juan, Nina (Lily Day) and Paco go to Ronda for an annual flower festival. Ferdinand follows anyway, but is stung by a bee on the butt and unintentionally causes chaos around town. Believed to be an aggressive, violent, short-tempered bull, Ferdinand taken to back Casa del Toro, saddening Nina.

Ferdinand reunites with his childhood bullies, Bones (Anthony Anderson), Guapo (Peyton Manning) and Valiente (Bobby Cannavale) and discovers that they’re all grown up and are joined by two new bulls named Angus (David Tennant) and Maquina (Tim Nordquist). Still ridiculed by Bones, Guapo, and Valiente, Ferdinand befriends Lupe (Kate McKinnon), a goat who wants to coach him in bullfighting, and a trio of hedgehogs named Una (Gina Rodriguez), Dos (Daveed Diggs), and Cuatro (Gabriel Iglesias). Legendary bullfighter El Primero (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) arrives to choose the biggest, strongest, most aggressive bull to fight before he retires. Failing to impress the matador, the bulls turn on Ferdinand for making them look bad and blocking the entrance to the ring. Guapo is taken to a slaughterhouse, which Valiente and Bones tell Ferdinand will be their fate if they are not chosen for a bullfight. Ferdinand earns the bulls’ respect except Valiente after a dance-off with German horses (Flula Borg, Boris Kodjoe, and Sally Phillips), but they still believe fighting is their only way to survive. Ferdinand convinces Lupe to escape with him to Nina's farm, aided by the hedgehogs. Close to freedom, Ferdinand sees his father’s horns mounted on a wall with dozens of others, and realizes that every bull chosen to fight is slain by the matador.

Ferdinand warns the other bulls and tells that whether they're selected or not, they'll die either way, but Valiente is unconvinced and charges him outside. Primero witnesses Valiente making Ferdinand inadvertently defeat Valiente by breaking off his horn, and chooses Ferdinand to fight. When Valiente is taken to the slaughterhouse, Ferdinand rallies the remaining bulls to escape, and goes to the slaughterhouse to rescue him. They discover Guapo is still alive, and Ferdinand questions Valiente's courage after he refuses to help rescue him. Ferdinand's tail accidentally activates a series of deadly contraptions, but escapes with Valiente's help. The bulls, hedgehogs and Lupe steal Casa del Toro's truck, and escape the ranch’s owner, Moreno (Raúl Esparza), and his employees. The animals arrive at Atocha train station in Madrid. When the bulls push a small railroad cart to catch the train back to Nina's home, Ferdinand sacrifices himself so the others can escape. Lupe stays behind as Ferdinand is captured. News of the runaway bulls causing chaos around town, Ferdinand's upcoming fight with Primero reaches Nina, and she and Juan set out to rescue the bull.

At Las Ventas arena, Lupe urges Ferdinand to fight in order to survive, but Ferdinand is silently unsure. Released into the ring, he gives a weak performance and accidentally sends El Primero flying into the bull pen. Primero attacks Ferdinand with banderillas, scratching him in the shoulder. Ferdinand almost retaliates, but sees a carnation crushed under his hoof; unwilling to resort to violence, he lets Primero live. Ferdinand resigns himself to being slain by the matador, but the crowd cries out for him to live. Primero spares Ferdinand and leaves with dignity, and Ferdinand is reunited with Nina, as the crowd throws carnations into the ring to praise the bull. The other animals arrive and witness him making history as the first bull ever to leave a bullfight alive by being himself.

Ferdinand returns home with Nina, Juan and Paco, joined by Lupe, the three hedgehogs, and the rest of the bulls. During the credits, the hedgehogs are shocked that their brother Tres is still alive.

Cast[]

Development[]

In 2011, it was reported that 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to the story to adapt it into a CGI feature film with Carlos Saldanha attached to direct it.

It was released on December 10, 2017, opening against Ferdinand.

The teaser trailer was released on March 28, 2017 in front of The Boss Baby. The second trailer released on June 14, 2017 In front of Cars 3. The third trailer was released on September 20, 2017 in front of The Lego Ninjago Movie.

Release[]

In May 2013, Fox scheduled the film for April 7, 2017 release. In February 2016, the release date was pushed back from its original release date from April 7, 2017 to July 21, 2017. In August 2016, the release date was again pushed back this time from July 21, 2017 to December 22, 2017, taking over the release date of DreamWorks Animation's The Croods 2, before that film was temporarily cancelled. In February 2017, the film was moved up one week from December 22, 2017 to December 15, 2017.

Trivia[]

  • This is the only Blue Sky Studios film to have John Cena voice a character.
  • This is the first Blue Sky Studios film to be released in December.
  • Ferdinand is the third Blue Sky Studios film in which the main character begins at a young age (the first was Robots and Rio).
  • This marks the end of the 6-year Blue Sky Studio's streak started with Rio releasing a film every year.
  • Ferdinand is the sixth Blue Sky Studios film to have humans, after Ice AgeRioEpic, Rio 2 and The Peanuts Movie.
  • It is the fifth film from Blue Sky Studios to be directed by Carlos Saldanha, after Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Rio, and Rio 2.
  • This is Blue Sky Studios' 12th feature film.
  • This is the last Blue Sky Studios film to be composed by John Powell.
  • It is the 3rd Blue Sky film to be based on a book, after Horton Hears a Who! and Epic (not counting The Peanuts Movie).
  • It is the second and final Blue Sky film to be nominated for an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature after Ice Age in 2002.
  • This is the fifth Blue Sky Studios film to feature humans after Rio, Epic, Rio 2 and The Peanuts Movie.
  • The eighth Blue Sky Studios film to be rated PG by the MPPA, after Ice Age, Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Epic and Ice Age: Collision Course.
  • Ferdinand was released on 4K Ultra HD Blu Ray and DVD on March 13, 2018.
  • This is the second Blue Sky Studios DVD to release in March, after The Peanuts Movie.
  • With the running time of 108 minutes, this is the longest Blue Sky Studios film in history.
  • This is the last Blue Sky Studios film released by 20th Century Fox through themselves, due to Disney's completed acquisition of 21st Century Fox (including 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios) on March 20, 2019. Ironically, Disney previously produced its own adaptation of Ferdinand the Bull as an animated short back in 1938.
  • The Australian Home Media release for DVD & Blu-Ray adaptions have had three scenes removed from the film. One: The Saw from the Slaughterhouse. Two: Revival of the Bunny during the car chase (Maquina - Defibrillator). Three: During the Bull Fight in the arena with the Matador El Primero.
  • This is the second Blue Sky Studios film to be released in the fourth quarter, after The Peanuts Movie.
  • This is the last Blue Sky Studios film to include the 1967 MPAA logo in the end credits.
  • This is the last of two Blue Sky Studios films to have its title appear at the end instead of the beginning alongside Epic.

Videos[]

Gallery[]

Credits[]

Directed by: Carlos Saldanha

Produced by: John Davis and Lisa Marie Stetler

Produced by: Lori Forte, p.g.a. and Bruce Anderson, p.g.a.

Executive Producer: Chris Wedge

Screenplay by: Robert B. Baird, Tim Federle and Brad Copeland

Screen Story by: Ron Burch, David Kidd and Don Rhymer

Based on the book The Story of Ferdinand by: Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson

Music by: John Powell

Production Designer: Thomas Cardone

Edited by: Harry Hitner

Sequences Director: Galen T. Chu

Music Supervisior: Julianne Jordan

Casting by: Christian Kaplan, CSA

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