Rock Dog
| Rock Dog | |
|---|---|
 Teaser poster | |
| Chinese | 摇滚藏獒 |
| Directed by | Ash Brannon |
| Produced by |
Amber Wang David B. Miller Rob Feng Joyce Lou Zheng Jun |
| Written by |
Ash Brannon Kurt Voelker |
| Based on |
Tibetan Rock Dog by Zheng Jun |
| Starring |
Luke Wilson Eddie Izzard J. K. Simmons Lewis Black Kenan Thompson Mae Whitman Jorge Garcia Matt Dillon Sam Elliott |
| Music by | Rolfe Kent[1] |
| Edited by |
Ivan Bilancio Ed Fuller |
Production company |
Mandoo Pictures Huayi Tencent Entertainment Company Eracme Entertainment Dream Factory Group |
| Distributed by |
Huayi Brothers (China) Lionsgate (United States) |
Release dates | |
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country |
China United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60 million[4][5] |
| Box office | $7.3 million[6] |
Rock Dog (Chinese: 摇滚藏獒) is a 2016 Chinese-American 3D computer-animated comedy film produced by Mandoo Pictures and Huayi Brothers. The film is directed by Ash Brannon, written by Ash Brannon and Kurt Voelker, based on the Chinese graphic novel Tibetan Rock Dog by Zheng Jun. It features the voices of Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, J. K. Simmons, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson, Mae Whitman, Jorge Garcia, Matt Dillon and Sam Elliott. The film follows a young Tibetan Mastiff who leaves the village in the mountains to become a rock musician in the big city, when a radio falls from the sky.
Plot
Bodi, a wide-eyed Tibetan Mastiff, is expected to become the next village guard to a group of fun-loving, country-side sheep, but fears he doesn’t have the passion to assume the role from his dad, Khampa. Everything changes when a radio literally falls out of the sky and Bodi hears a song by rock legend Angus Scattergood, opening his heart to a musical world he must explore.
Leaving home to chase his destiny in the big city, Bodi attracts the attention of Khampa’s nemesis, Linnux. Leader of a hungry wolf pack, Linnux believes that Bodi is his ticket back into the village and closer to delicious sheep. It is up to Bodi to save his family and friends from harm without giving up his newfound dream.
Voice cast
- Luke Wilson as Bodi,[7] a young Tibetan Mastiff who is eternally optimistic and wants nothing more than to play rock music. Conflicted between his sense of duty at home and pursuing his dream in the city, Bodi is determined to be in a rock band and make his dad proud.
- Eddie Izzard[7] as Angus Scattergood, a British cat who is a rock legend suffering from a serious case of songwriter’s block. With enormous pressure from his record label to release a new hit single, he hides away in his grandiose mansion with Ozzie, his robot butler as his only companion.
- J. K. Simmons[7] as Khampa, Bodi's father, an elder Tibetan Mastiff who takes his duties as the village guard extremely seriously. Although he may be too militaristic or overly suspicious of outside threat, he’s motivated by his love for the villagers and his son.
- Lewis Black[7] as Linnux, the CEO of Linnux Industries, alpha male wolf of a sinister gang and club owner of the Fight Palace.
- Kenan Thompson[7] as Riff, the smallest henchman with the biggest ego in the wolf pack. He tries to take on jobs bigger than himself just to impress his boss Linnux, but they almost always result in epic failure due to the lack of unity between him and his absentminded partner, Skozz.
- Mae Whitman[7] as Darma, a fox who has been playing her bass guitar at Rock n’ Roll Park for years, knowing that persistence and hardwork will get her somewhere.
- Jorge Garcia[7] as Germur, the most mellow goat around that can wail on a drum set like no other. Although he is often forgetful or mentally checked-out, he can get along with just about anybody.
- Matt Dillon[7] as Trey, a snow leopard who is arrogant, egotistic and finds pleasure in humiliating any opposition he has. Like the best schoolyard basketball players, his great talent on the electric guitar is overshadowed by his inability to play well with others.
- Sam Elliott[7] as Fleetwood Yak, a cool and wise elder with many stories to tell. Having left the city life long ago, he has found peace living in Snow Mountain among the happy band of sheep, Bodi, and his old friend Khampa.
Production
The film was animated by Reel FX, who produced Free Birds and The Book of Life.[4]
The film cost $60 million to make and was completely financed by Chinese companies, making it the most expensive Chinese animated production.[8] Rock Dog is based on a graphic novel, written and illustrated by Chinese rockstar Zheng Jun.[8]
Release
In the United States, the film will be theatrically released on February 24, 2017, by Lionsgate through its Summit Premiere label.[8]
Earning $5.7 million,[9] the film has been a box office failure in China.[10] It has been suggested that the largest Chinese theater chain, Wanda Cinema Line, attempted to limit the amount of screens the film would be shown on. The film was shown only on seven Wanda's screens — 0.3 percent of all its screens in China. Huayi Bros., the film's production company and an owner of a competing theater chain, poached Wanda's executive Jerry Ye a few months before the film's release and made him CEO of its film division.[9]
References
- ↑ "Rolfe Kent Scoring 'Tibetan Rock Dog'". Film Music Reporter. 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ↑ "摇滚藏獒 (2016)". movie.douban.com (in Chinese). douban.com.
- ↑ "摇滚藏獒（2016）". cbooo.cn (in Chinese).
- 1 2 Amidi, Amid (July 7, 2016). "Report: Duelling Chinese Businessmen Are Sabotaging The Release of 'Rock Dog,' Director Ash Brannon Caught in the Middle". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ↑ Ryan, Fergus (July 6, 2016). "Is Wanda Sabotaging Huayi's 'Rock Dog's Box Office Chances?". China Film Insider. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Rock Dog". The-Numbers.com. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Amidi, Amid (August 3, 2015). "5 Things You Need To Know About The Chinese/American Feature 'Rock Dog'". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Amidi, Amid (October 7, 2016). "'Rock Dog' Gets U.S. Release Date, New American Trailer". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- 1 2 Amidi, Amid (July 7, 2016). "Report: Duelling Chinese Businessmen Are Sabotaging The Release of 'Rock Dog,' Director Ash Brannon Caught in the Middle". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ↑ "China Shocker: Indie 'Big Fish & Begonia' Scores Massive Launch, Expensive 'Rock Dog' Flops". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 14 October 2016.