Larrikins

Larrikins is an upcoming 2024 Australian-American computer-animated musical comedy film based on the 2018 short film Bilby, produced by DreamWorks Animation and Di Bonaventura Pictures, and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film will be directed by Tim Johnson and co-directed by Andrew Erekson.

Synopsis
When Finn, a young human boy, leaves his sheltered life in Sydney, he goes on a musical adventure across the mystical Australian Outback. There, he meets Perry, a timid and uptight bilby who gets kicked out of the sheltered life of his family burrow after being surrounded by dingos. Perry is told the secret location of a royal egg. However, he's also told not to tell anyone but the pelicans. On the way to the pelicans, Finn and Perry also befriend a kangaroo named Red and a cane toad named Andrew, who together must save the empire from a villainous white-bellied sea eagle named Hotspur.

Plot
The movie follows the journey of a young human boy in Australia. His name is Finn. He lives in a normal house in Sydney with his family. One day, he goes out to explore the Australian Outback. There, he meets a timid and uptight bilby named Perry, who lives in a small burrow with his family. Perry is recently kicked out of his burrow after being surrounded by dingos and is told the secret location of a royal egg. However, he's also told not to tell anyone but the pelicans. Finn quickly befriends the bilby, and the two embark on an unexpected journey to the pelicans. Along the way, they meet a variety of animals, both friendly and hostile, who teach them about the wonders of the natural world.

On their journey, they also meet a kangaroo named Red and a cane toad named Andrew. Eventually, they cross paths with Hotspur, a villainous white-bellied sea eagle who is determined to get his claws on the royal egg for his own sinister purposes. With the help of their new friends, Finn and Perry must save the empire from Hotspur and his evil plans. In the end, their courage, friendship, and determination prevail, and they successfully protect the egg from the evil sea eagle. As their adventure comes to an end, Finn and Perry part ways. Finn returns home to Sydney while Perry returns to his burrow and reunites with his family. But their friendship will always be strong, no matter where they are or where they go.

Cast

 * Jacob Tremblay as Finn, a young human boy who longs for adventure and freedom.
 * Anthony Ramos as Perry, a bilby whom Finn befriends.
 * Hugh Jackman as Red, a red kangaroo.
 * Ice Cube as Andrew, a cane toad.
 * Margot Robbie as Jackie, a dingo.
 * Leah Lewis as Zoe, an albatross.
 * Rose Byrne as Bonnie, a frilled lizard.
 * Taika Waititi as Sonny, a frilled lizard.
 * Mamoudou Athie as Rocky, a frilled lizard.
 * Sam Rockwell as Howard, a crocodile.
 * Shila Ommi as Doris, an elderly rabbit.
 * Josh Lawson as Harry, a koala.
 * Nicole Kidman as Meg, a great white shark.
 * Chris Pine as Derek, a human man who is Finn's father.
 * Wendi McLendon-Covey as Olivia, a human woman who is Finn's mother.
 * Damon Herriman as Jake, a rabbit.
 * Will Ferrell as Hotspur, a white-bellied sea eagle.
 * Sam Worthington as Stanley, a pelican.

Development
In June 2013, it was announced that Tim Minchin would compose the songs and score for Larrikins, which was based on an original concept by Harry Cripps. Minchin said, "I was lucky enough to grow up in Western Australia and know that the Australian outback is vast and spellbinding and heart-stoppingly beautiful, and the characters that inhabit it are unique and hilarious and tough and cheeky. I am hugely excited to be working with Harry and the DreamWorks Animation team in their mission to capture some of this unique aesthetic and quirky, iconoclastic culture on film. It's going to be bloody good fun." DWA chief creative officer Bill Damaschke said, "Our whole team is incredibly excited about this project. We've been looking to work with the immensely talented Tim Minchin on something for a while, and there is no doubt that this project is a perfect fit. He and Harry Cripps will be a fantastic team."

Cripps started working on the script in 2011, after DreamWorks Animation decided to make a film set in Australia. The story was about a desert-dwelling bilby named Perry who leaves his burrow to go on a road trip with a music band in Australia. Minchin, who liked classical Disney animated musicals such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, made a deal with DWA after complaining to Will Davies, one of the writers of How to Train Your Dragon, that no one had been making such musicals anymore. Waiting for almost four years for the right screenplay, DWA gave Minchin Cripps' script, which he approved of: "...it's a bit Star Wars, a bit Gods Must Be Crazy, a big road journey... It's really funny and cheeky and Australian, without being parochially, nationalistically Australian." Minchin and Cripps reworked the story with songs, successfully setting the project in motion.

By 2014, Minchin's role expanded to director, with Chris Miller joining him by 2016. In June 2014, 20th Century Fox announced that the film would be released on February 16, 2018. Following NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation in 2016, Universal Pictures took over the distribution rights for the film. In June 2016, it was officially announced that Minchin and Miller were to co-direct Larrikins while Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, and Ewen Leslie were to voice characters for the film.

Cancellation
In March 2017, Minchin announced on his personal blog that Larrikins had been canceled. Minchin wrote on his blog, "I've recently been working in 3 different continents, missing my kids a lot, sleeping too little, and not playing piano enough. And then a couple of days ago, the animated film to which I've dedicated the last 4 years of my life was shut down by the new studio execs. The only way I know how to deal with my impotent fury and sadness is to subject members of the public to the spectacle of me getting drunk and playing ballads." Peter de Sève said, “Very sad to hear DWA killed LARRIKINS, their Aussie project. I was the first designer on that and had high hopes. Silly me. Fun though!” According to Deadline, the reason for the cancellation was that "creatively it just wasn't working out well."

Revival
In March 2021, it was announced that Larrikins was revived and would be released in 2024. It was also announced that Tim Johnson would direct the film, with Andrew Erekson co-directing. Johnson, who was previously a director at DreamWorks Animation, is best known for directing Over the Hedge (2006) and Home (2015). Erekson, who was previously a story artist at DreamWorks Animation, is best known for drawing storyboards for films such as Home (2015) and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) and was the head of story for The Boss Baby 2: Family Business (2021). Minchin, who was previously attached to direct the film, returns to the project as a screenwriter and songwriter. Universal Pictures will distribute the film.

Writing
In an interview with Variety, Minchin said that he kept the story the same as the original script, but "the characters have evolved, the way they talk has changed, the music has changed, and the jokes have changed." He also said that he was inspired by the "Australian larrikin" culture, which is characterized by irreverence, eccentricity, and creativity.

Casting
In May 2021, it was announced that Jacob Tremblay, Anthony Ramos, Hugh Jackman, Ice Cube, Margot Robbie, Leah Lewis, Rose Byrne, Taika Waititi, Mamoudou Athie, Sam Rockwell, Shila Ommi, Josh Lawson, Nicole Kidman, Chris Pine, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Damon Herriman, Will Ferrell, and Sam Worthington would be voicing characters for the film. Most of the cast is new with a few original actors returning to voice their characters.

Animation and design
The film will be animated by DreamWorks Animation and Animal Logic and will feature a unique Australiana aesthetic. The characters will be designed by Peter de Sève, who previously worked on films such as Ice Age (2002), Finding Nemo (2003), and The Incredibles (2004).

Music
The film will feature an original score composed by Tim Minchin, Heitor Pereira, and Hans Zimmer, as well as original songs written and performed by Minchin. The soundtrack will be released by Back Lot Music.

Release
Larrikins is set to be released in theaters by Universal Pictures on March 18, 2024, in the United States.

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Critical response
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