Puppet Pals Forever

Puppet Pals Forever is an 2018 American 3D computer animated action adventure comedy film produced by 20 Century Fox Animation for 20 Century Fox. It is 4 installment in Puppet Pals franchise, following 2012 Puppet Pals 3 and was directed by Steve Martino from a screenplay by Seth Grahame Smith, Peter Ackerman, Mike Reiss, and Jon Vitti and a story by Jim Chapman and Tom Ropelewski with Jesse Mccartney, Anne Hathaway, Josh Peck, Seth Rogen, Patton Oswalt, Jon Lovitz, John Cleese, with Minnie Driver, and Sarah Vowell reprising their roles from previous installments, New cast members Nick Kroll, Woody Harrelson, Josh Gad, with Keegan Michael Key, and Karen Gillan.

Puppet Pals Forever premiered in Los Angeles on September 7, 2018 and was released in US on September 21, 2018, by 20 Century Fox in 3D, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX. Film received mixed reviews from critics some praised it vocal performances, animation, and score, while others criticized it story as unimaginative and derivative. However, film grossed $1.2 billion worldwide, against a budget of $200 million. it is highest grossing Puppet Pals film and making it 6 highest grossing film of 2018, and 3 highest grossing animated film. Film was nominated at 76 Golden Globe Awards and 91 Academy Awards, both for Best Animated Feature Film.

Release
Puppet Pals Forever premiered at Regency Village Theater on September 7, 2018 and was released in US on September 21, 2018 by 20 Century Fox in 3D, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX. It was originally scheduled for release on March 2, 2018, but in December 21, 2016, Fox had to advanced release date to June 29, 2018. Release was then shift to September 21, 2018. On August 29, 2018, it was announced that film would be accompanied by a new short film title Virtual Reality Officer, starring Officer Alice Summers from Pixelators.

Film is rated PG by Motion Picture Association of America for mild action, rude humor, and brief language.

Due to popularity and preference of IMAX in 2D as opposed to 3D among filmgoers in North America, film will be show in IMAX theaters in only 2D domestically, but will be screened in 3D formats internationally.

Marketing
A customized page was created on Fandango. Coinciding with film release, Fox also partnered with Mcdonald to produce 8 toys in their Happy Meals.

Film also has it own Play Station VR game, being Fox Animation 1 Play Station VR development.
 * Teaser trailer was released on December 14, 2017, and was shown before Star Wars 8 Last Jedi, Jumanji 2 Welcome To Jungle, Paddington 2, Peter Rabbit (2018), Black Panther (2018), and Early Man, and it quickly became viral, getting more than 112 million views in 24 hours.


 * 1 official trailer was released online on March 5, 2018, and was shown before A Wrinkle In Time (2018), Sherlock Gnomes, Rampage (2018), Avengers 3 Infinity War, and Show Dogs.
 * 2 and final trailer was released online on June 6, 2018, and was shown before Incredibles 2, Jurassic World 2 Fallen Kingdom, Cool Spot (2018), Ant Man And Wasp, Hotel Transylvania 3 Summer Vacation, Birdz, and Teen Titans Go To Movies.

Home media
Film was released on Digital HD and Movies Anywhere on December 4, 2018 and on DVD, Blu ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu ray on December 18, 2018. Bonus features include a behind scenes featurette, a short highlighting some of Easter eggs hidden throughout film, and deleted scenes.

Box office
Puppet Pals Forever has grossed $589.6 million in US and UK, and $612.6 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $1.204 billion, making it highest grossing Puppet Pals film in whole franchise.

United States And Canada
Puppet Pals Forever open alongside House With A Clock In It Walls, Assassination Nation, Life It (2018), and Fahrenheit 11 9. and was projected to gross $95 110 million in it open week, which would be biggest open for an animated film released in September.

By week of it release, domestic estimates had risen to $130 150 million, with some insiders still suggesting a $165 million debut was possible. Film play in 4,606 theaters, of which 3,878 venues were in 3D, along with 512 premium large format locales, approximately 420 IMAX theaters and a handful of Dolby Cinema sites, and it was widest release ever, surpassing record of Despicable Me 3 4,529 theaters until it was surpassed by Avengers 4 Endgame next year. Within 1 24 hours of pre sale tickets going on sale, it broke Fandango pre sales record to become top animated pre seller of all time, eclipsing Incredibles 2.

Film made $56.5 million on it 1 day including $17.2 million in Thursday night previews, biggest of all time for Fox Animation, surpassing Alaina Glenn 3 Imaginary Vacation $15.1 million cume. It end up grossing $151.6 million in it opening weekend, the 3 biggest overall for an animated film in 2018 behind Cool Spot (2018) $158.1 million and Incredibles 2 $182.7 million, and 2 biggest of all time for a Fox Animation film respectively. Film 2 Friday was small Friday to Friday drop for a Fox Animation film with a gross of $25.5 million on that day which is a 100% drop from 1 Friday. In film 2 week, it remained on top of box office, beating Smallfoot and Night School while grossing $70.1 million. Film drop to 2 place in it 3 week while grossing $54.3 million over week. Film grossed $21.3 million while falling to 3 place in it 4 week behind Venom (2018) and A Star Is Born (2018) while beat 1 Man, Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween, and Fox own Bad Times At El Royale. It grossed $18.6 million in it 5 week while remaining in 3 place. Film fell to 4 place while grossing $9.6 million in it 6 week. It drop to 5 in it 7 week with $8.3 million. Film lost 982 theaters in it 8 week while drop to 9 and grossed $4.6 million. In it 9 week, it remained in 9 place while grossing $3.4 million. On November 30, 2018, film was re released in 1,000 additional theaters increasing the theater count to 2,998 and grossed $7.5 million in it 10 week while it went to it 6 place finish. It finally fell outside top 10 in it 12 week with a gross of $2.2 million. It end it theatrical run on March 7, 2019, after 167 days.

Internationally
Outside North America, film made $49.5 million from 25 countries in it open week, for a global debut of $202.1 million. Mexico was large debut with $14.1 million, follow by Australia $8.7 million and Russia $5.6 million. In it 2 week of release film made $61.1 million from 28 countries, bringing it 2 week total to $141.7 million. It largest market was China where it made $22.6 million.

Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, film holds a 100% approval rating based on 214 reviews, with an average rating of 6.56 10. Audiences polled by Cinemascore gave film an A+ on an A+ to F scale, while Posttrak reported filmgoers gave it a 100% overall positive score and an 100% definite recommend.

Epilepsy issues
Many disability advocates, including Epilepsy Foundation, have raised concerns that scenes with flash lights, most in a party sequence as well as Nathan hallucinations, can trigger seizures in viewers affected by photosensitive epilepsy. As a result, several theaters have started posting warn for audiences. Fox issued a statement to USA Today stating that they appreciated efforts theaters had already made in making signs warn people see movie. They then asked theaters to warn audiences about scene in a memo that reads, Puppet Pals Forever contains a sequence of flash lights, which may affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photo sensitivities.

In response to this, UK released a re edited version of film with all affected sequences altered so that any flash lights and strobe effects now pass Harding test.