Nimona (film)
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''Nimona'' is a 2023 American computer-animated science fantasy
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor. It is based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name by
ND Stevenson Nate Diana Stevenson or simply ND "Indy" Stevenson (formerly Noelle Diana Stevenson; born December 31, 1991) is an American cartoonist and animation producer. He is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the animated television ser ...
. Set in a sci-fantasy world influenced by the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the film features the voices of
Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began actin ...
as the titular character and
Riz Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed (; ; born ) is a British actor and rapper. As an actor, he has won an Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards, and as a rapper he has won an Academy Award for the short ...
as her sidekick and former knight, with Eugene Lee Yang and
Frances Conroy Frances Hardman Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and received four Prime ...
voicing supporting roles. Originally a production of Blue Sky Studios, it was originally set to be directed by Patrick Osborne, with an initial release date of 2020. Following
the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Blue Sky, the production received pushback from Disney's leadership due to the film's
LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...
themes, after which it was delayed multiple times before being canceled due to Blue Sky's closure in April 2021. However,
Annapurna Pictures Annapurna Pictures is an independent American media company founded by Megan Ellison in 2011, that specializes in film production, live theatre production, television through its Annapurna Television division, and video game publishing through i ...
revived the project the following year, with Bruno and Quane announced as directors, DNEG Animation providing animation, and
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
acquiring worldwide distribution. ''Nimona'' had its world premiere at the
Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...
on June 14, 2023, was released in select cinemas on June 23, 2023, and made its streaming debut on June 30, 2023, by Netflix. The film received highly positive reviews from critics.


Plot

In a medieval-futuristic kingdom, the citizens are protected by the Institute for Elite Knights, established by the legendary heroine Gloreth, who, a thousand years ago, vanquished a "Great Black Monster" and enclosed the kingdom with a high wall for its protection. Ballister Boldheart, along with his confidant and boyfriend Ambrosius Goldenloin, is about to be knighted, with Ballister being the first commoner to achieve this, as Queen Valerin is trying to change tradition so that "anyone can be a hero". During the ceremony, Valerin is murdered by a mysterious laser shot from Ballister's sword. Ambrosius tries to stop this by cutting off Ballister's right arm, and he is hunted by the Institute and its Director. As Ballister hides and crafts a
prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
replacement arm, he is visited by Nimona, a mysterious teenage shapeshifter, who has faced persecution for her powers. Seeing a "villainous spirit" in Ballister, as he is facing similar treatment for his commoner origin and the murder of the Queen, Nimona hires herself as his new
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
. To clear Ballister's name, the duo kidnaps Diego, the squire who gave him the murder weapon. Diego gives them video evidence revealing that the Director is the murderer. The duo confronts Ambrosius and the Director with the evidence, but it is destroyed in a sudden fight with the Institute's knights. After reconvening, Ballister and Nimona return to the Institute and trick the Director by having Nimona impersonate Ambrosius. The Director admits the truth of her actions, as she objected to the Queen revising tradition by allowing commoners to become knights, fearing that doing so would lead to the kingdom's downfall. Ballister records her confession and posts it online, leading to public outcry. The Director, recognizing Nimona's powers, discovers through ancient scrolls that Nimona is the Great Black Monster defeated by Gloreth. She uses this to convince the public that Ballister used Nimona's powers to fake the confession, while also stating that Nimona could be impersonating anyone, leading to distrust among the citizens. Ambrosius meets with Ballister and reveals Nimona's past, insisting that the two were deceived by her. Shocked by the revelation, Ballister argues with Nimona and questions their friendship; feeling betrayed, Nimona flees into the woods. Stopping at an old abandoned well, Nimona reminisces about her past: a thousand years ago, she wandered the world and turned into other animals to try and fit in with the wildlife, but none of the creatures she encountered accepted her. One day, she encountered Gloreth as a child by the well, and turned into a human for the first time. After seeing Nimona, Gloreth immediately welcomed her and the two became best friends, even after Gloreth discovered Nimona's powers. Eventually, the rest of Gloreth's village discovered Nimona and quickly accused her of being a monster. While attacking Nimona with pitchforks and torches, the village was accidentally set on fire. Instead of defending her friend, a confused Gloreth turned on Nimona after her parents called Nimona a monster, having been raised to believe that anything called a monster was bad. With Ballister's abandonment and Gloreth's betrayal echoing in her head, a distraught Nimona breaks down, and transforms into the Great Black Monster. She then attacks the city, intending to commit suicide by impaling herself on the sword of Gloreth's statue. However, before Nimona is about to pierce her own heart, Ballister stops her and apologizes to her, causing Nimona to change back to human form as they embrace and make amends, while the whole Kingdom watches and are touched by it. Meanwhile, the Director, unmoved, orders a laser cannon to be fired from the wall to kill Nimona; Ambrosius protests, knowing that firing the laser into the city will kill innocent civilians. The Director then turns on them using the same laser she used to kill the Queen and prepares to fire the cannon herself. To save the kingdom, Nimona assumes a giant, red
phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
-like form and flies into the cannon, resulting in her death as well as the death of the Director. The resulting explosion destroys part of the wall, revealing a beautiful, mountainous valley behind it. Sometime later, the kingdom undergoes several changes: the breach in the wall has become a trade road, Nimona and Ballister are honored as heroes, and Ballister restores his relationship with Ambrosius. Ballister visits his old hideout; he hears Nimona's voice, and joyfully realizes that she has been resurrected.


Voice cast

*
Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began actin ...
as Nimona, a
shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...
who insists on being the sidekick to Ballister Boldheart. ** Mia Collins voices Nimona's Demon Baby disguise. *
Riz Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed (; ; born ) is a British actor and rapper. As an actor, he has won an Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards, and as a rapper he has won an Academy Award for the short ...
as Ballister Boldheart, a former knight for the Institution who was kicked out when he was accused of murdering Queen Valerin. ** Zayaan Kunwar as young Ballister * Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin, the champion knight of the Institution, direct descendant of Gloreth, and Ballister's boyfriend. *
Frances Conroy Frances Hardman Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and received four Prime ...
as The Director *
Lorraine Toussaint Lorraine Toussaint () is a Trinidadian-American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Toussaint began her career in theatre before ...
as Queen Valerin *
Beck Bennett Christopher Beck Bennett (born October 1, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, and writer, who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' for eight seasons (2013–2021). Before then, he performed in AT&T "It's Not Complicated" commercials in ...
as Sir Thoddeus Sureblade *
RuPaul Charles RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960; stylized as RuPaul) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' ...
as Nate Knight * Indya Moore as Alamzapam Davis *
Julio Torres Julio Torres (born February 11, 1987) is a Salvadoran writer, comedian, and actor. He is best known as a writer for ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO series '' Los Espookys''. He previously ...
as Diego the Squire *
Sarah Sherman Sarah Sherman (born March 7, 1993), also known professionally as Sarah Squirm, is an American comedian, actress, and screenwriter. Sherman is known for using surreal and body horror comedy. She became a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy ...
as Coriander Cavaverish * Karen Ryan as Gloreth. Ryan also voices a knight version of herself, as well as providing additional voices. ** Charlotte Aldrich as young Gloreth. Aldrich also provides additional voices. * Cindy Slattery as Syntheya - voice of the Kingdom. Slattery also provides additional voices. * Sommersill Tarabek as an Institute Analyst. Tarabek also provides additional voices. * Lylianna Eugene as Patinece. Eugene also provides additional voices. Other members of the production crew who voice knight versions of themselves include directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, Julie Zackary, Christopher Campbell, and Randy Trager; Bruno, Quane, Zackary, and Trager also provide additional voices, alongside Wesley Turner. Bruno's sons, Jarrett (who voiced young Walter Beckett from Bruno and Quane's ''
Spies in Disguise ''Spies in Disguise'' is a 2019 American computer-animated spy comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Loosely inspired by the 2009 animated short ''Pigeon: Impossible'' by Lucas Martell, the film is direc ...
'') and Jake, voice the kids who play a board game in a commercial as well as provide additional voices, and Taryn Bruno voices a concerned citizen; Trager's relative Sadie also voices a concerned citizen, while Sebastian Trager voices the Danks Kid. Maurissa Horwitz—who also provides additional voices—and former Blue Sky editor Tim Nordquist voice the zombies in a movie Nimona and Ballister watch. Comic book creator
ND Stevenson Nate Diana Stevenson or simply ND "Indy" Stevenson (formerly Noelle Diana Stevenson; born December 31, 1991) is an American cartoonist and animation producer. He is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the animated television ser ...
has a voice cameo as Kwispy Dragon, a cartoon cereal mascot.


Production


Development


Blue Sky Studios

In June 2015,
20th Century Fox Animation 20th Century Animation, Inc. (originally known as Fox Family Films, Fox Animation Studios, and 20th Century Fox Animation and sometimes referred to as Fox Animation) is an American animation studio located in Century City, Los Angeles. Formed ...
acquired the rights for an animated feature film adaptation of '' Nimona'', a webcomic by
ND Stevenson Nate Diana Stevenson or simply ND "Indy" Stevenson (formerly Noelle Diana Stevenson; born December 31, 1991) is an American cartoonist and animation producer. He is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the animated television ser ...
. Patrick Osborne was set to direct, from a screenplay by Marc Haimes. The film was to be produced by Fox's former subsidiary, Blue Sky Studios, alongside
Vertigo Entertainment Vertigo Entertainment is an American film and television production company based in Los Angeles, founded in 2001 by Roy Lee and Doug Davison. History In 2001, after leaving BenderSpink, Roy Lee started Vertigo Entertainment with partner Do ...
. In June 2017,
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
scheduled ''Nimona'' to be released on February 14, 2020. In March 2019,
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
completed its acquisition of Fox, then in May 2019, the film was delayed to March 5, 2021. In November 2019, the film was delayed again to January 14, 2022. Through 2020 there was word that the film would be released in 2022, Stevenson stated in June 2020 that the film was still happening, and said the same in an August 2020 podcast. See 52:19-55:36 in this video for her words about the movie. In August of that same year, ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' reported that the animated film was still scheduled to be released in 2022, but gave no further details, with ''
Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...
'' reporting the same in October. Osborne would depart the film by March 2020, and after his departure, Nick Bruno and Troy Quane were brought on in to work on the story after directing Blue Sky's previous film ''
Spies in Disguise ''Spies in Disguise'' is a 2019 American computer-animated spy comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Loosely inspired by the 2009 animated short ''Pigeon: Impossible'' by Lucas Martell, the film is direc ...
'' (2019). Production would be done remotely during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.


Cancellation and aftermath

On February 9, 2021, Disney announced it was shutting down Blue Sky Studios, and that production of the film was canceled. Following the announcement, Stevenson said it was a "sad day" and that he wished the best for everyone who worked at Blue Sky Studios, while Osborne said he was "truly heartbroken" that the studio was closing its doors. Webcomics commenter Gary Tyrrell criticized the decision, saying, "
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
''could'' have allowed a very different kind of young heroine... I mourn for those who would have found a vision of themselves in an animated version". Anonymous staffers at Blue Sky interviewed by ''
Business Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German pub ...
'' bemoaned the cancellation of the film, calling it "heartbreaking", arguing that the film "didn't look like anything else in the animated world", and saying that they believe it will never "be completed and released." The film was set to be the first use of Blue Sky's Conduit, a system that allowed artists to "find, track, version and quality control their work." Had it been made, it would have been Blue Sky's first film with
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...
representation, as a few staffers confirmed to '' BuzzFeed News'' that the film had an "I love you" scene between Ballister Blackheart and Ambrosius Goldenloin. One staffer stated that before being canceled, the film was "on track" to being finished by October 2021. A former animator at Blue Sky, Rich Fournier, stated that the studio was "very very close" to getting the film finished, but that they "found out it simply was not doable." In March 2021, it was reported that
Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began actin ...
and
Riz Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed (; ; born ) is a British actor and rapper. As an actor, he has won an Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards, and as a rapper he has won an Academy Award for the short ...
were to have voiced Nimona and Ballister Blackheart, respectively, and that the film was being shopped around to other studios to be completed. In June 2021, Mey Rude, a writer for '' Out'', said she still held out "hope that this film ... will find its way back to life somehow." In March 2022, amid the controversy of Disney's involvement in Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill and lack of criticism from CEO Bob Chapek until after the bill had passed, three former Blue Sky staff members stated the film received pushback from Disney leadership, centered around the film's LGBT themes and a same-sex kiss.


Revival by Annapurna and Netflix

On April 11, 2022, it was announced that
Annapurna Pictures Annapurna Pictures is an independent American media company founded by Megan Ellison in 2011, that specializes in film production, live theatre production, television through its Annapurna Television division, and video game publishing through i ...
had picked up ''Nimona'' earlier in the year, and would be releasing it on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
in 2023. DNEG Animation was announced as the project's animation partner. The voice cast was also retained, with the addition of Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin announced at this point. Bruno and Quane were officially announced as replacements for Osborne as the new directors of the film; Bruno and Quane were heavily involved in the film prior to Blue Sky's shutdown, acting as directors, according to a Blue Sky staffer.
Roy Lee Roy Lee (born March 23, 1969) is an American film producer. Lee's production company, Vertigo Entertainment, has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Early life Lee was born in 1969 at Wyckoff Heights Hospital, in Brooklyn, New York, to Korean ...
, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary were reported as producers on the feature. In December 2022, it emerged that the film would serve as the first release of Annapurna's new division, Annapurna Animation. On April 24, 2023,
Frances Conroy Frances Hardman Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and received four Prime ...
,
Lorraine Toussaint Lorraine Toussaint () is a Trinidadian-American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Toussaint began her career in theatre before ...
,
Beck Bennett Christopher Beck Bennett (born October 1, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, and writer, who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' for eight seasons (2013–2021). Before then, he performed in AT&T "It's Not Complicated" commercials in ...
, RuPaul, Indya Moore,
Julio Torres Julio Torres (born February 11, 1987) is a Salvadoran writer, comedian, and actor. He is best known as a writer for ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO series '' Los Espookys''. He previously ...
, and
Sarah Sherman Sarah Sherman (born March 7, 1993), also known professionally as Sarah Squirm, is an American comedian, actress, and screenwriter. Sherman is known for using surreal and body horror comedy. She became a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy ...
were announced as part of the cast.


Animation and design

''Nimona'' was Blue Sky's most complex film produced. The studio had previous experience with 2D-stylization with ''
The Peanuts Movie ''The Peanuts Movie'' (known in some countries as ''Snoopy and Charlie Brown: A Peanuts Movie'') is a 2015 American computer-animated comedy film based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts'', produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed ...
'' (2015). The film's design was influenced by
Eyvind Earle Eyvind Earle (April 26, 1916 – July 20, 2000) was an American artist, author and illustrator, noted for his contribution to the background illustration and styling of Disney's animated films in the 1950s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Yo ...
and
Charley Harper Charley Harper (August 4, 1922 – June 10, 2007) was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations. Born Charles Burton Harper in F ...
, using both of their styles to combine medieval and the modern world so that it "mirrored the world we live in." The team chose their styles as Earle used more fluidity and Harper used a more geometric and simple shape base, and they had to convey "both sides of the spectrum and both sides of the character ideologies." They also had to incorporate the novel's style as well, including circles for the free-form Nimona, squares for the traditionalist Ballister, and diamonds for the rigid Institute. "In the case of the pink-colored Nimona, her shape-shifting (rhino, whale, cat, gorilla) translated into an explosion of emotions." Aidan Sugano serves as production designer on the film, and described it as having elements of "sci-fi, medieval fantasy, knights, lasers, monsters, dragons, dramatic lighting, nd.. style". Additionally, Goldenloin's ethnicity was changed to be Asian and Ballister's last name was changed from Blackheart to Boldheart, and they were both modeled after Lee Yang and Ahmed respectively. At the time of its initial cancellation, sources told
Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
that the film was "75% complete". Quane later clarified that the film was approximately "70% through layout": they had completed five fully animated sequences, along with character models, story reels, and locations at the time of Blue Sky's shut down. Much of what Blue Sky did remains intact, as Netflix and Annapurna did not start from scratch. However, when DNEG's facilities in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
took over animation, different pipelines had to be built from scratch, but fortunately, the team had a blueprint from Blue Sky, and they were able to translate it and apply it with DNEG's technology. As a tribute to the previous team's work on the film, a section of the end credits is dedicated to listing the entire staff of Blue Sky Studios, and several Easter eggs pay homage to Blue Sky throughout the film. Animation wrapped on October 1, 2022.


Music

In May 2023, it was confirmed that
Christophe Beck Jean-Christophe Beck (born November 30, 1972) is a Canadian television and film score composer and conductor. He is a brother of pianist Chilly Gonzales. He is best known for his collaborations with Disney and its subsidiaries, which include co ...
had composed the film's score. American singer and rapper
K.Flay Kristine Meredith Flaherty (born June 30, 1985), better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and rapper. Her debut album '' Life as a Dog'' was released in 2014, peaking on ''Billboard''s Heatseekers Albums chart at No. ...
performed the original song "T-Rex" as part of the single music in the film's soundtrack and released on June 23, the same day as the film's limited release date. The film's score album was released on June 30 by Netflix Music.


Release

''Nimona'' was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on February 14, 2020 by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...
through their 20th Century Studios banner, but it was delayed multiple times to March 5, 2021 and then for January 14, 2022. The movie was pulled from Disney's release schedule and canceled after the closure of Blue Sky Studios on April 10, 2021. It was revived by Annapurna Pictures with
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
handling the distribution and was scheduled for the summer 2023 release. The movie premiered at the
Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...
on June 14, 2023. The film received early screenings at select theatres on June 23 and 24, and released digitally on Netflix on June 30.


Reception

Reviewing the film following its premiere at Annecy for ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', Peter Debruge called ''Nimona'' "such subversive fun", praising the "hip and impulsive" character of Nimona, "outside-the-box" animation, LGBTQ+ themes and vocal performances—particularly that of Moretz, which he remarked as a "delicious sense of anarchy". Ben Travis of ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' compared the film to ''
Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...
'' (2001) in their "satirical subversions of the fairytale formula" and wrote: "Both enthusiastically irreverent and deeply sincere, ''Nimona'' is a revisionist fairytale that forges its own path visually and narratively to beautiful effect". In ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'', Frank Scheck called it "a consistent delight" and commended the screenplay, direction, animation, score, and lead performances. In '' Screen International'', Wendy Ide called it a "slick, enjoyable package" with "a couple of distinctive selling points that should set it apart" and opined: "Whether or not they understand the film's subtext, younger audiences will no doubt relish the exuberant mischief and humour that Moretz brings to her voice performance—as well as Nimona's gleeful disregard for authority and her appetite for destruction". Peter Bradshaw of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave the film a score of 3 out of 5 stars and concluded: "''Nimona'' is likable and engaging entertainment that finds its way through self-created chaos to some humane life-lessons". ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
'' critic Lindsay Bahr called it a "fantasy adventure with riot grrrl energy" and praised the animation, soundtrack and lead performances.


See also

*
List of unproduced Disney animated projects __NOTOC__ This is a list of unmade and/or unreleased animated projects by The Walt Disney Company. These include feature films, short films, and television series/specials, stemming from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Disney Television Anima ...
*
List of unproduced 20th Century Studios animated projects __NOTOC__ This is a list of unmade and unreleased animated projects by 20th Century Studios. Some of these films and shows were, or still are, in development limbo. These also include the co-productions the studio collaborated with in the past ( ...


References


External links

* * {{Portal bar, Film, LGBT, United States, Speculative fiction, Fantasy, Comics, Cartoon, Animation 2020s American animated films 2020s English-language films 2023 computer-animated films 2023 films 2023 LGBT-related films American animated fantasy films American computer-animated films American LGBT-related films Animated films about shapeshifting Animated films based on American comics Animated films set in the future Anime-influenced Western animation Annapurna Pictures films English-language Netflix original films Animated films based on webcomics Films directed by Nick Bruno Films directed by Troy Quane Films produced by Roy Lee Films scored by Christophe Beck LGBT-related animated films LGBT-related fantasy films LGBT-related science fiction films