''Spirit Untamed'' is a 2021 American
computer-animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
adventure film
An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...
produced by
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
and distributed by
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. The film was directed by Elaine Bogan and co-directed by Ennio Torresan Jr. (in their
feature directorial debuts), from a screenplay written by
Aury Wallington
Aury Wallington is an American novelist and TV writer. She has written extensively for TV, and her latest book is based upon science fiction series ''Heroes''. The novel, titled '' Heroes: Saving Charlie'', is the first in what will be a serie ...
and
Kristin Hahn
Kristin Hahn (born 1969) is an American film and television producer, writer and director. Hahn is the founder and president of production company, Hahnscape Entertainment, and the co-founder of production company Echo Films, alongside Jennifer ...
, making this the second theatrical film release of the
''Spirit'' franchise and is both a
spin-off and a stand-alone sequel of the
traditionally animated ''
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' (2002) and loosely based on the characters from its
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 fil ...
animated spin-off television series ''
Spirit Riding Free
''Spirit Riding Free'' is a computer-animated series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and distributed by Netflix, based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated traditionally animated film, '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', and the first se ...
'', developed by Wallington.
Featuring the voices of
Isabela Merced
Isabela Yolanda Moner (born July 10, 2001), known professionally as Isabela Merced since 2019, is an American actress and singer. She played the lead role of CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series '' 100 Things to Do Before High School'' ...
,
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He beg ...
,
Marsai Martin
Caila Marsai Martin (born August 14, 2004) is an American actress, best known for her role as Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022).
In 2019, Martin starred in the comedy film '' Little'', which she also produced, becomin ...
,
Mckenna Grace,
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, a ...
,
Walton Goggins
Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. (born November 10, 1971) is an American actor. He has starred in a number of television series, including ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), '' Justified'' (2010–2015), ''Vice Principals'' (2016–2017), ''The Righteous ...
, and
Andre Braugher
Andre Keith Braugher (; born July 1, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the police drama series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1993–1999), used car salesman Owen Thoreau Jr. in the com ...
, the film follows a young girl named Fortuna "Lucky" Prescott who moves to the small rural community of Miradero, where she meets the titular wild
kiger mustang. As the son of Spirit and Rain from ''
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,'' she names the horse "Spirit" after his father, and Lucky immediately begins to bond with him. The film was announced to be in development in October 2019, and production was 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 identif ...
. The film was dedicated to the memory of
Kelly Asbury
Kelly Adam Asbury (January 15, 1960 – June 26, 2020) was an American animated film director, writer, voice actor, and illustrator. He was best known for directing animated films, including ''Shrek 2'', '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', '' ...
, the co-director of the original ''Spirit'' film, who died on June 26, 2020.
''Spirit Untamed'' was theatrically released in the United States on June 4, 2021. The film received mixed reviews from critics who deemed the film inferior to the original and unnecessary, though its animation was praised. The movie was a
box-office bomb
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
after grossing $42 million worldwide against a budget of $30 million.
Plot
In the early 1900s of the
Wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, Milagro Navarro-Prescott performs her trademark act in the
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
until she falls from a horse during one of her performances and dies. Years later, her young daughter, Fortuna Esperanza "Lucky" Navarro-Prescott, has been living with her aunt Cora and grandfather James in a city on the east coast. However, after Lucky lets a squirrel in their house and ruins her grandfather’s campaign party, she and Cora head to the western town of Miradero where they will stay with Lucky's father Jim, whom Lucky has not really known of after the incident with Milagro, for the summer. On the train over, Lucky notices a
kiger mustang running with his herd, and goes to the back of the train to meet him. Upon arriving in Miradero, the pair meet local young riders Pru Granger (and her father Al), and Abigail Stone (and her brother Snips).
The next day, Lucky goes to a corral where she sees the same horse from before trying to be abusively manhandled by a man named Hendricks. Lucky tells Jim and Cora about the horse, thinking he can be her new friend, but Jim does not want Lucky going near the horses after what happened to Milagro. Nonetheless, Pru and Abigail help Lucky win over the trust of the horse, whom she names Spirit. After a while, Spirit trusts Lucky enough to eat an apple she offers him, and allows her to pet him, sealing their bond.
Lucky attempts to ride Spirit but he escapes from the corral and runs away, while Lucky is saved by Pru and Abigail after almost falling off a cliff. Jim finds and scolds Lucky for disobeying him. They go home arguing, making Lucky think he has given up on her. She sneaks out at night through the forest where she finds Spirit and his herd together, but are interrupted by Hendricks and his men, who capture all the horses but Spirit and take them in with a stolen train. Knowing Hendricks and his men are
wranglers, who are taking the horses to a boat to be auctioned and worked to death, Lucky agrees to help Spirit rescue his herd. She enlists Pru and Abigail with their horses to embark on a journey to try and cut the wranglers off on their path by beating them to a
water depot located beyond a summit called Heck Mountain. During the trip, Lucky builds up her relationship with Spirit, and becomes good friends with Pru and Abigail as they travel.
The girls reach the water depot the night before the wranglers are set to arrive, but Lucky wakes up the next day realizing the wranglers made it earlier than expected. Spirit desperately attempts to save his herd on his own, but gets taken in by the wranglers. Determined to save Spirit, Lucky and her friends follow the train to the docks, where the wranglers are boarding the horses onto the boat. The girls arrive too late to stop the boat from leaving, but they manage to save Spirit. Lucky and Spirit get on board by leaping off the docks, and free the other horses and subdue the wranglers, with Spirit knocking Hendricks off the boat. Jim, Cora, and Al (who were notified of the girls absence by Snips) show up on a fast steam train, and arrest Hendricks and the other wranglers.
On their way back to Miradero, the girls travel to a field in the middle of the wilderness, and Lucky lets Spirit go, saying that he needs to stay with his herd. When she returns home, Lucky and Cora initially plan to return to the city, but after Lucky bonds with Jim at a rodeo, she decides instead to stay in Miradero with him and her friends, as Spirit is seen riding through the fields with his herd.
Cast
*
Isabela Merced
Isabela Yolanda Moner (born July 10, 2001), known professionally as Isabela Merced since 2019, is an American actress and singer. She played the lead role of CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series '' 100 Things to Do Before High School'' ...
as Fortuna Esperanza "Lucky" Navarro-Prescott, Milagro and Jim's daughter, Cora's niece, and Pru and Abigail's friend.
**
Bridget Hoffman
Bridget Hoffman (born 1961/1962) is an American voice actress and ADR writer who has provided voices for a number of English-language versions of Japanese anime films and television series, usually under an alias such as Ruby Marlowe. Prior to ...
voices Lucky as an infant.
*
Marsai Martin
Caila Marsai Martin (born August 14, 2004) is an American actress, best known for her role as Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom ''Black-ish'' (2014–2022).
In 2019, Martin starred in the comedy film '' Little'', which she also produced, becomin ...
as Prudence "Pru" Granger, one of Lucky's friends and Al's daughter.
*
Mckenna Grace as Abigail Stone, another of Lucky's friends, and Snips' sister.
*
Walton Goggins
Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. (born November 10, 1971) is an American actor. He has starred in a number of television series, including ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), '' Justified'' (2010–2015), ''Vice Principals'' (2016–2017), ''The Righteous ...
as Hendricks, the leader of a gang of horse wranglers.
*
Andre Braugher
Andre Keith Braugher (; born July 1, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the police drama series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1993–1999), used car salesman Owen Thoreau Jr. in the com ...
as Al Granger, Pru's father.
*
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, a ...
as Cora Prescott, Lucky's aunt, and Jim's older sister.
*
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He beg ...
as James "Jim" Prescott, Lucky's widowed father and Cora's younger brother.
*
Eiza González
Eiza González Reyna (born 30 January 1990) is a Mexican actress and singer. She gained popularity for her debut role as Lola Valente in the Mexican musical telenovela ''Lola, érase una vez'' (2007–2008) and later starred in the lead role of ...
as Milagro Navarro-Prescott, a famous horse rider and Lucky's late mother.
*Lucian Perez as Snips Stone, Abigail's younger brother.
*Joe Hart as James Prescott Sr., Lucky's grandfather
*Alejandra Blengio as Valentina
*Gino Montesinos as Wrangler/Rodeo Cowboy
*Jerry Clarke as Wrangler/Llama Cowboy
*
Lew Temple
Lew Temple (born October 2, 1967) is an American actor, known for his roles as Locus Fender in the action film, '' Domino'', Cal, the diner manager in the comedy-drama '' Waitress'', and Axel in the third season of '' The Walking Dead''.
Early ...
as Wrangler/Conductor
*
Gary Anthony Williams
Gary Anthony Williams (born March 14, 1966) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He voiced the character of Uncle Ruckus on ''The Boondocks'', and a number of video game characters. He also appeared on the television series '' Weeds'', ...
as Wrangler
*Renie Rivas as Lady with Dog
*Horse vocals are provided by Gary Hecker
Production
Development
On October 7, 2019,
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
announced that a spin-off film of ''
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' as well as an adaptation of its spin-off TV series ''
Spirit Riding Free
''Spirit Riding Free'' is a computer-animated series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and distributed by Netflix, based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated traditionally animated film, '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', and the first se ...
'' was in development, with Elaine Bogan serving as director and Ennio Torresan Jr. serving as co-director from a script by series developer
Aury Wallington
Aury Wallington is an American novelist and TV writer. She has written extensively for TV, and her latest book is based upon science fiction series ''Heroes''. The novel, titled '' Heroes: Saving Charlie'', is the first in what will be a serie ...
, and produced by Karen Foster.
While ''Spirit Riding Free'' explores the characters of Lucky and her PALS, ''Spirit Untamed'' focuses deeper for Lucky in an emotional take in the standalone film that's not a sequel to the original nor the TV Series.
Animation and design
The film would be produced on a lower budget and be made by a different animation studio outside of DreamWorks, similar to ''
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie''.
Following the first trailer, it was confirmed that
Jellyfish Pictures
Jellyfish Pictures is a British VFX company specializing in the creation of digital visual effects and animation.
History
The studio opened up in 2001 with a team of three artists and one producer, opening up their first studio around 2003 i ...
, who worked on ''
How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming'', would be providing the animation for the film, making Jellyfish's first animated project for over 300 people working on it. The film uses a style that is a mix of 3D with the look of a handpainted look from ''Riding Free'', taking about 1300 shots, 25 of which were animated by Jellyfish, and used 2D drawings to make 3D maquettes, some of which were supplied by DreamWorks. Additional animation was provided by 88 Pictures from ''
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans'', model rigging for the characters was provided by Minimo VFX.
Production of the film started on August 2019 and was done and shifted to work 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 identif ...
.
Music
On May 6, 2021, while
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, Oscars and four Grammy Awards, Grammys, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmys and a Tony Awar ...
composed the score for ''
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'',
Amie Doherty, composer for the DreamWorks Animation short film ''Marooned'', was confirmed to be composing the music for the film without using any themes from the original, but also the first woman to compose a DreamWorks film. The following day, a single titled "Fearless (Valiente Duet)", written by Doherty and performed by
Isabela Merced
Isabela Yolanda Moner (born July 10, 2001), known professionally as Isabela Merced since 2019, is an American actress and singer. She played the lead role of CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series '' 100 Things to Do Before High School'' ...
and
Eiza González
Eiza González Reyna (born 30 January 1990) is a Mexican actress and singer. She gained popularity for her debut role as Lola Valente in the Mexican musical telenovela ''Lola, érase una vez'' (2007–2008) and later starred in the lead role of ...
, was released by
Back Lot Music
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
. A second single, titled "You Belong", performed by
Becky G
Rebbeca Marie Gomez (born March 2, 1997), known professionally as Becky G, is an American singer and actress. She first gained recognition in 2011 when she began posting videos of herself covering popular songs online. One of her videos caught t ...
, was released on May 21, 2021. A soundtrack of the film was released on May 28, 2021, and additionally,
Robin Pecknold
Robin Noel Pecknold (born March 30, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct bariteno ...
of
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), Ch ...
is featured on several tracks contributing vocal harmonies along with Eiza González. "Riding Free", the theme song from ''
Spirit Riding Free
''Spirit Riding Free'' is a computer-animated series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and distributed by Netflix, based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated traditionally animated film, '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', and the first se ...
'' by Kari Kimmel, is featured in Untamed only to be a western piano version.
Release
Theatrical
''Spirit Untamed'' was theatrically released on June 4, 2021 by
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. It was previously scheduled for May 14, 2021.
The film was released on digital rental on June 24, 2021 on streaming services
Apple TV
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
and
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
.
Home media
''Spirit Untamed'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 31, 2021 by
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...
through Studio Distribution Services LLC in the United States.
It was then released on DVD and Blu-Ray as a "''Special Sleepover Edition''" on October 25, 2021 by
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in the United Kingdom which features an hour of special features including "''How to''" sessions on how to create your own indoor "''campfire''", how to Ukulele, and how to make smores, meet the cast, drawing Spirit, finding your Spirit, deleted scenes and sing-along videos. It was later released on
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
on November 3, 2021.
Reception
Box office
''Spirit Untamed'' grossed $17.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $25 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $42.7 million.
[
In the United States, ''Spirit Untamed'' was released alongside '' The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It'', and was projected to gross around $5 million from 3,200 theaters in its opening weekend.] The film made $2.4 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $6.3 million, finishing fourth at the box office. In its sophomore weekend the film dropped 57% to $3.8 million, finishing sixth.
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 49% based on 115 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While it might be a passable diversion for younger viewers, ''Spirit Untamed'' is a middling sequel that lacks the essential energy suggested by its title." On Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, the same as the 2002 film. PostTrak
PostTrak is a U.S.-based service that surveys film audiences for film studios.
History
The service conducts surveys in the top 20 markets in the U.S. and Canada with the use of polling cards and electronic kiosks. A PostTrak report for a film ...
reported 87% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 66% saying they would definitely recommend it.
Lovia Gyarke of ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' praised the film for its animation, writing "''Spirit Untamed'' is beautiful to look at and occasionally genuinely funny. The stunning and detailed animations saturate Lucky's world with an impressive array of colors, from the crimson apples she feeds Spirit to the pistachio and emerald-green leaves on the swaying trees". However, in criticizing the character of Spirit, she noted that Spirit "is more one-dimensional here; he lacks the simultaneous mix of curiosity and complete disdain for humans that made his perspective charming in the first place."
Pete Hammond of ''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 ...
'' praised the film for its female cast, stating that "After all the decades of boy-driven stories set in the wild West, it is refreshing to see the girls get their turn...And that is exactly what ''Spirit: Riding Free'' writer Aury Wallington
Aury Wallington is an American novelist and TV writer. She has written extensively for TV, and her latest book is based upon science fiction series ''Heroes''. The novel, titled '' Heroes: Saving Charlie'', is the first in what will be a serie ...
and Kristin Hahn
Kristin Hahn (born 1969) is an American film and television producer, writer and director. Hahn is the founder and president of production company, Hahnscape Entertainment, and the co-founder of production company Echo Films, alongside Jennifer ...
have in mind, along with their director Elaine Bogan and producer Karen Foster." Additionally, Hammond praised the soundtrack and vocal performances, which he wrote were "perfectly pitched here, a step above the TV show if not quite up to the artistry of the original film."
Peter Debruge of ''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), ...
'' was critical of the film's animation, stating the film "substitutes unappealingly designed, obviously digital characters, who've been badly rigged and stuck in under-detailed environments." He also added that "Spirit still looks like Spirit, but neither the horse nor the girl (who's voiced by live-action Dora actor Isabela Merced
Isabela Yolanda Moner (born July 10, 2001), known professionally as Isabela Merced since 2019, is an American actress and singer. She played the lead role of CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series '' 100 Things to Do Before High School'' ...
) has much of a personality, while the plot is less sophisticated than what audiences might expect from an early-20th-century single-reel silent movie." Beatrice Loayza of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' gave the film a negative review, stating that "This spinoff of ''Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' is a bland, bubbly romp through the Wild West, with a heavy dose of girl power."
Jesse Hassenger of ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the film a C+, stating that "As a Dreamworks production, ''Spirit Untamed'' carries inarguable novelty: It's a sweet, simple Western, relaxed about its identity as a girl-centric adventure story, in contrast to bigger DreamWorks cartoons sweaty about their desire to draw eyeballs from Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
and Minions". He also praised the film for its expansion of the original series, noting that "''Spirit Untamed'' essentially retells, modifies, and expands the events of the show's pilot."
Accolades
In other media
Video game
A video game adaptation, titled ''Spirit: Lucky's Big Adventure'', was released on June 1, 2021, on PC, PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
, Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
and Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
. The game was developed by Aheartfulofgames and released by Outright Games.
NASCAR Cup Series sponsorship
''Spirit Untamed'', in partnership with the hair care and horse care company Mane 'n Tail, would sponsor StarCom Racing
StarCom Racing (SCR) was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. Based in Salisbury, North Carolina, the team last fielded the No. 00 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE full-time for Quin Houff in a te ...
driver Quin Houff
Quin Walton Houff (born September 15, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver.
Racing career Early years
Houff started to race when he was eight, driving go-karts. A year later, he upgraded to Mini-Cup cars and by age thirteen, ...
in the NASCAR Cup Series for select races. Throughout the midway point of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series was the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season started at Daytona International Speedway with the Busch Clash, wher ...
season, Houff would do numerous events including autograph signings with special ''Spirit Untamed'' merchandise being made. As of June 27, 2021, Houff has raced the scheme four times, once at Circuit of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a Grade 1 FIA-specification motor racing track and facilities located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas, in the United States. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand ...
, once at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee, United States (though the track has a Lebanon postal address), about southeast of Nashville. The track was built in 2001 and is currently hosting the Ally 400, ...
, and two during the Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway (formerly Pocono International Raceway), also known as ''The Tricky Triangle'', is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is the site of three NASCAR national series races and an ARCA M ...
doubleheader. Houff would finish 34th at COTA with a DNF, 38th at Nashville with a DNF, 31st at Pocono-1, on the lead lap, and 33rd at Pocono-2, 5 laps down.
Web-series
On February 9, 2022, DreamWorks announced a new series ''Spirit & Friends'' inspired by the characters from ''Spirit Riding Free
''Spirit Riding Free'' is a computer-animated series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and distributed by Netflix, based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated traditionally animated film, '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', and the first se ...
'', which takes place in the setting of ''Spirit Untamed'' and was released on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
on February 12.
References
External links
*
*
Official screenplay
{{Universal theatrical animated features
2021 films
2021 computer-animated films
2021 Western (genre) films
American Western (genre) films
American adventure films
American animated films
American sequel films
Animated adventure films
Animated films about friendship
Animated films about horses
Animated films based on animated series
DreamWorks Animation animated films
2021 directorial debut films
Films scored by Amie Doherty
Films set in North America
Films set in the 19th century
Film spin-offs
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Universal Pictures animated films
Universal Pictures films
Western (genre) animated films
2020s English-language films
2020s American films