A flower-sniffing bull goes on a journey of self-discovery in this fun adaptation of a 30s children’s book
Based on Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson’s 1936 children’s book The Story of Ferdinand, this gently subversive Madrid-set feature from animation studio Blue Sky and frequent collaborator Carlos Saldanha (the Ice Age films, Rio) follows an adorable, flower-sniffing bull named Ferdinand. “Is it Ok if that’s not my dream?” the baby bull asks his father of fighting. When he discovers that he has no choice, Ferdinand scarpers, hoofing it to a flower farm, where he befriends a human girl and her shaggy sheepdog. Ferdinand’s passivity (and flower obsession) isn’t explicitly coded as queer, though the film hints that this might be the case.
Either way, Ferdinand celebrates his mild temperament and non-confrontational masculinity, which remain unchanged as his bull’s body grows resplendently large. The adult Ferdinand...
Based on Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson’s 1936 children’s book The Story of Ferdinand, this gently subversive Madrid-set feature from animation studio Blue Sky and frequent collaborator Carlos Saldanha (the Ice Age films, Rio) follows an adorable, flower-sniffing bull named Ferdinand. “Is it Ok if that’s not my dream?” the baby bull asks his father of fighting. When he discovers that he has no choice, Ferdinand scarpers, hoofing it to a flower farm, where he befriends a human girl and her shaggy sheepdog. Ferdinand’s passivity (and flower obsession) isn’t explicitly coded as queer, though the film hints that this might be the case.
Either way, Ferdinand celebrates his mild temperament and non-confrontational masculinity, which remain unchanged as his bull’s body grows resplendently large. The adult Ferdinand...
- 12/17/2017
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s the latest round of People’s Kids Interview — and the cast of Ferdinand is in the adorable hot seat.
First up is 8-year-old Beckett, who wants to know from John Cena what it’s like being the voice of Ferdinand.
“Well being Ferdinand is kind of like being John Cena,” he says. “I’m big and strong but everybody kind of expects me to be a fighter and I’m more than just a fighter. It’s kind of a struggle sometimes to be myself but I always do my best to be me and let people decide...
First up is 8-year-old Beckett, who wants to know from John Cena what it’s like being the voice of Ferdinand.
“Well being Ferdinand is kind of like being John Cena,” he says. “I’m big and strong but everybody kind of expects me to be a fighter and I’m more than just a fighter. It’s kind of a struggle sometimes to be myself but I always do my best to be me and let people decide...
- 12/15/2017
- by Kara Warner
- PEOPLE.com
With the big holiday school break fast approaching, parents may be looking for a way to keep the kiddies entertained. Maybe they can be dropped off at the mall’s multiplex while the folks do some last-minute shopping (or exchanging/returning a few weeks from now). Perhaps the pre-teen action of the Jumanji reboot may be a bit overwhelming, along with the new adventure in that “galaxy far, far away”. Well, hopefully they’ve been dazzled by the wonders of the new Disney/Pixar masterwork Coco (you parents and teens should see it, too). Like that recent flick, this one has a distinct Latin flavor, but it’s fairly mild rather than spicy. And it’s based (inspired really) by a 1938 Oscar-winning cartoon short from the “house of mouse”. However, those doing the “re-imagining” (stretching it from eight minutes to over one hundred) are the upstarts from Blue Sky, the...
- 12/14/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
MaryAnn’s quick take… Goofy, charming, faithful to its sweet source material, and all while advancing the standard “Be yourself” message with fresh challenges to gender expectations. I’m “biast” (pro): love the book
I’m “biast” (con): not a fan of Blue Sky’s movies
I have read the source material (and I love it)
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
When the now-beloved children’s book The Story of Ferdinand was first published in 1936, some grownups were worried that it might have a bad influence on children. Apparently its sweet, simple story — from writer Munro Leaf, with instantly iconic illustrations by Robert Lawson — was seen as promoting (take your pick) pacifism, fascism, communism, and/or anarchism. To be fair, its tale of a bull in Spain who wasn’t interested in bullfighting and only wanted to loll about in fields of flowers could...
I’m “biast” (con): not a fan of Blue Sky’s movies
I have read the source material (and I love it)
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
When the now-beloved children’s book The Story of Ferdinand was first published in 1936, some grownups were worried that it might have a bad influence on children. Apparently its sweet, simple story — from writer Munro Leaf, with instantly iconic illustrations by Robert Lawson — was seen as promoting (take your pick) pacifism, fascism, communism, and/or anarchism. To be fair, its tale of a bull in Spain who wasn’t interested in bullfighting and only wanted to loll about in fields of flowers could...
- 12/11/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the animated comedy “Ferdinand” starring John Cena and Kate McKinnon!
“Ferdinand,” which opens on Dec. 15, 2017 and is rated “PG,” also stars Anthony Anderson, Bobby Cannavale, Peyton Manning, Gina Rodriguez, David Tennant, Jerrod Carmichael and Gabriel Iglesias from director Carlos Saldanha based on the book by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson.
To win your free passes to “Ferdinand” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017 at 11 a.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition!
Deadline: Entries can continue being submitted through Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 at 10 p.m. Cst.
“Ferdinand,” which opens on Dec. 15, 2017 and is rated “PG,” also stars Anthony Anderson, Bobby Cannavale, Peyton Manning, Gina Rodriguez, David Tennant, Jerrod Carmichael and Gabriel Iglesias from director Carlos Saldanha based on the book by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson.
To win your free passes to “Ferdinand” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017 at 11 a.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition!
Deadline: Entries can continue being submitted through Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 at 10 p.m. Cst.
- 12/8/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Louisa Mellor Dec 11, 2017
To mark this weekend’s release of Ferdinand, from the studio behind the Ice Age films, we chatted to its art director, Thomas Cardone…
When art director Tom Cardone talks about designing the style of a film, he could be talking about music. It’s all a matter of rhythm and counterpoint, contrast and dynamics. For Ferdinand, Blue Sky Studio’s adaptation of Munro Leaf’s 1936 children’s book about a Spanish bull who prefers flowers to fighting, Cardone and his team developed a stylised visual language inspired by the rolling landscapes of Southern Spain.
See related Chad Stahelski interview: John Wick 2, Highlander
The goal was to make things “a little more fun than photorealism”, something achieved by sparing, but bold use of colour, comically stretching proportions, and repeating patterns the team discovered in authentic Spanish ceramics in the film’s paving slabs, wooden table tops and more.
To mark this weekend’s release of Ferdinand, from the studio behind the Ice Age films, we chatted to its art director, Thomas Cardone…
When art director Tom Cardone talks about designing the style of a film, he could be talking about music. It’s all a matter of rhythm and counterpoint, contrast and dynamics. For Ferdinand, Blue Sky Studio’s adaptation of Munro Leaf’s 1936 children’s book about a Spanish bull who prefers flowers to fighting, Cardone and his team developed a stylised visual language inspired by the rolling landscapes of Southern Spain.
See related Chad Stahelski interview: John Wick 2, Highlander
The goal was to make things “a little more fun than photorealism”, something achieved by sparing, but bold use of colour, comically stretching proportions, and repeating patterns the team discovered in authentic Spanish ceramics in the film’s paving slabs, wooden table tops and more.
- 12/8/2017
- Den of Geek
It’s no Coco, but Ferdinand, a CG-animated adaptation of the classic 1936 Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson book about a flower-loving bull who’d rather sniff than fight, manages to squeak by with enough charming set-pieces and amusing sight gags to compensate for a stalling storyline.
Nimbly choreographed by Carlos Saldanha, marking the seventh Blue Sky feature he has either directed or co-directed, with John Cena agreeably voicing the role of the “peace-a-bull” protagonist, the Fox release should handily hit the bullseye with targeted holiday family audiences when it charges into theaters next weekend.
Although the Leaf book, featuring Lawson’s whimsical...
Nimbly choreographed by Carlos Saldanha, marking the seventh Blue Sky feature he has either directed or co-directed, with John Cena agreeably voicing the role of the “peace-a-bull” protagonist, the Fox release should handily hit the bullseye with targeted holiday family audiences when it charges into theaters next weekend.
Although the Leaf book, featuring Lawson’s whimsical...
- 12/7/2017
- by Michael Rechtshaffen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tim here. It’s Independence Day weekend here in the States, which means that most of you undoubtedly have something better to do than read about old cartoons. But if I promise to keep things short, hopefully you’ll indulge me in chatting up an odd little animated short perfectly timed to the holiday.
I have in mind Ben and Me, one of the oddest one-offs in the history of Walt Disney Productions. Released in November, 1953, it was the studio’s first two-reel animated short, and one of the initial releases under Disney’s own Buena Vista Distribution label, part of a package deal with the nature documentary The Living Desert. But more to the point, for our present purposes, it’s about how a mouse helps Benjamin Franklin write the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. We can wait a minute if you want to process all the ways...
I have in mind Ben and Me, one of the oddest one-offs in the history of Walt Disney Productions. Released in November, 1953, it was the studio’s first two-reel animated short, and one of the initial releases under Disney’s own Buena Vista Distribution label, part of a package deal with the nature documentary The Living Desert. But more to the point, for our present purposes, it’s about how a mouse helps Benjamin Franklin write the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. We can wait a minute if you want to process all the ways...
- 7/3/2014
- by Tim Brayton
- FilmExperience
Fox Animation Studios has acquired The Story of Ferdinand, the classic 1936 children’s book, by author Munro Leaf and illustrator Robert Lawson and is currently developing it into a CGI feature film. Carlos Saldanha (director on the Ice Age movies, Rio) is helming the project and plans to direct.
For those of you not familiar with the story, Ferdinand is about a pacifist bull who’d rather frolick outdoors than thrill with matadors. The book celebrates its diamond anniversary this year, and continues to be one of the best-selling children’s books of all time: It’s sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone, and millions more in the 36 countries in which it's been published. Sales spiked after Sandra Bullock read the story to her sons in Blind Side; according to Regina Hayes, president of Viking Children’s Books, roughly 100,000 copies were sold as a result of the film alone.
For those of you not familiar with the story, Ferdinand is about a pacifist bull who’d rather frolick outdoors than thrill with matadors. The book celebrates its diamond anniversary this year, and continues to be one of the best-selling children’s books of all time: It’s sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone, and millions more in the 36 countries in which it's been published. Sales spiked after Sandra Bullock read the story to her sons in Blind Side; according to Regina Hayes, president of Viking Children’s Books, roughly 100,000 copies were sold as a result of the film alone.
- 2/19/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
We were wondering what children’s book adaptation comes next. Well, guess what, it’s going to be “the fabulous” Ferdinand, or if you prefer – the adaptation of 1936 children’s book The Story of Ferdinand that will be directed by Ice Age franchise director Carlos Saldanha.
In 3D of course. No, wait, it’s going to be “CGI featured film”!
Author Munro Leaf and illustrator Robert Lawson are responsible for a simple story that follows a bull whose only desire in life is to smell flowers and refuses to fight when placed in a bullfighting arena.
And ok, it’s published more than 50 years ago, but it still remains one of the bestselling children’s books of all time.
And, just for a record, The Story Of Ferdinand was previously brought on to the big screen by Disney as a short in 1938.
So here’s detailed description of the novel:...
In 3D of course. No, wait, it’s going to be “CGI featured film”!
Author Munro Leaf and illustrator Robert Lawson are responsible for a simple story that follows a bull whose only desire in life is to smell flowers and refuses to fight when placed in a bullfighting arena.
And ok, it’s published more than 50 years ago, but it still remains one of the bestselling children’s books of all time.
And, just for a record, The Story Of Ferdinand was previously brought on to the big screen by Disney as a short in 1938.
So here’s detailed description of the novel:...
- 2/19/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
When I was a kid I absolutely loved “The Story of Ferdinand” by Munro Leaf and illustrator Robert Lawson, a tale about a peaceful bull who simply wants to be left alone to sit under a cork tree and smell flowers instead of fighting. Now Fox Animation Studios has acquired the rights to the beloved book, with Carlos Saldaha, the director of all three “Ice Age” movies, as well as the upcoming “Rio”, to take the helm on the CGI adaptation. The children’s book, first published in 1936, has sold millions of copies in 36 countries, been adapted into an Oscar-winning short cartoon by Walt Disney in 1938, and popped up in movies, most recently “The Blind Side”. Because it was seen as promoting pacifism, “The Story of Ferdinand” became a target of right wing aggression and was banned in many countries. Here is the entire short film (it’s only eight...
- 2/19/2011
- by Brent McKnight
- Beyond Hollywood
With the story of Mr. Popper's Penguins heading to the big screen with Jim Carrey leading the way, it looks like another beloved, children's classic will be heading to the big screen. Vulture reports Fox Animation and Ice Age franchise director Carlos Saldanha will be bringing the 1936 children's book The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (with illustrations by Robert Lawson). The story follows a tame, quiet , pacifist bull who wants nothing more than to sit under a tree and smell flowers. But when a roaming bee comes by and gives him a little sting, the bull finds himself going wild as five men are looking for the one crazy, tough bull. Uh-oh! Suddenly Ferdinand finds himself in the bullfights of Madrid and in a whole heap of danger. The timing for this project couldn't be better as the book is about to celebrate its 75th anniversary and Saldanha ...
- 2/18/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
The lovable children’s tale of a pacifist bull will be coming to the big screen. Fox Animation Studios have acquired “The Story of Ferdinand” and will plan for it as a CGI featured film. The studios have signed Carlos Saldanha to helm the project. He was the director on all three “Ice Age” movies and the upcoming “Rio.” The story is based on the 1936 children’s book by Munro Leaf and illustrator Robert Lawson. It is about a pacifist bull who would enjoy life outdoors rather than fighting matadors. The book is one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. It sold over four million copies in the United States and millions more in 36 countries around the world. “The Story of Ferdinand” was previously brought on to the big screen by Disney as a short in 1938.Source: Vulture...
- 2/18/2011
- LRMonline.com
The classic children's book, The Story of Ferdinand has been slated for development at 20th Century Fox Animation, Vulture is reporting. The book, published in 1936 from author Munro Leaf and illustrator Robert Lawson, tells the story of a bull whose only desire in life is to smell flowers and refuses to fight when placed in a bullfighting arena. The story (which was actually banned in several countries for its allegedly pacfifist undertones) was adapted by Walt Disney in 1938 as a short animation. In charge of developing the film for a full-length (presumably CGI) feature is said to be director Carlos Saldanha, the man behind all three of the studio's Ice Age films as well as the upcoming Rio .
- 2/18/2011
- Comingsoon.net
The sixth and final volume of the Disney Classic Short Films collection finally found a way to load a disc with cartoons of genuinely similar moral themes. While Mickey and the Beanstalk did well in that regard as far as plots are concerned, the cartoons accompanying The Reluctant Dragon all take a different stance on identity and what it means to measure expectations of who people think you should be against who you actually are. Each of the cartoons does this in its own way – some more deftly than others. While more consistently thematically, it’s also worth noting that the average age of the four cartoons in this set is noticeably lower than those in other volumes; where volumes 1-5 each had about 2-4 cartoons from the mid 1930s, this volume has but one – and its 1938 creation date gives it a stylistic leg up over its 1933/1934 brethren of past volumes.
- 5/17/2009
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
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