In 2012, the 3D-animated movie, Rise of the Guardians hit cinema screens. The action fantasy film, about a group of mythical characters who join forces to fight evil, featured the voice talents of Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, and Isla Fisher.
In the movie, Santa Claus, Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny, work together to stop the evil Pitch Black from spreading darkness across the world. Thankfully, they achieve their goal, and do so to the backdrop of stunning animation, funny lines, and a great story.
Rise of the Guardians is a superb animated feature, which has won over countless audiences since it made its debut. And whether you have watched the movie once, twice, or twenty times, there is always room for another screening – and room to learn more about the film.
In celebration of this great picture, I am diving into a few facts about Rise of the Guardians which may have passed you by. Below you will discover nine little nuggets of info, which will keep you informed about this cartoon classic.
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Calling the shots
Rise of the Guardians was directed by Peter Ramsey, a former illustrator and storyboard artist turned director. Although he had previously directed an animated special, Rise of the Guardians marked Ramsey’s directorial debut.
Since the release of Guardians, Peter Ramsey has continued his work in animated features, becoming one of three co-directors on the critically acclaimed and Academy Award-winning picture, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
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The Guardians of Childhood
Rise of the Guardians is based on the work of writer and filmmaker, William Joyce. The film is based on Joyce’s The Guardians of Childhood series of novels, as well as his short film, The Man in the Moon.
Joyce initially acted as co-director on the movie, working alongside Peter Ramsey. However, he stepped away from the project in 2010, due to the tragic death of his daughter Mary Katherine Joyce.
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You say it best, when you say nothing at all
Despite the Guardians team comprising five members – Jack Frost, Nicolas St. North, E. Aster Bunnymund, Toothiana, and Sandy the Sandman – only four actors were called on to provide voiceover duties for the characters in the film. This is because the Sandman does not speak at all and instead communicates with images.
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The music man
Alexandre Desplat composed the music for Rise of the Guardians. Desplat has composed scores for an extensive collection of movies including The Golden Compass (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and Isle of Dogs (2018), amongst others.
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A dream come true
American operatic soprano, Renée Fleming performed the movie’s end-credit song, ‘Still Dream’.
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“A fantasy to get lost in”
When the movie was released, leading UK film magazine, Empire, awarded Rise of the Guardians an impressive four stars out of five, with reviewer Ollie Richards providing a positive write-up. He said: “It’s gorgeously designed, deftly written and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. For child or adult, this is a fantasy to get lost in.”
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Awarding-winning stuff
Shortly after its release, Rise of the Guardians was nominated for multiple awards and won seven, including two Annie Awards for Best Animated Effects in an Animated Production and Best Storyboarding.
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Game on
To accompany Rise of the Guardians, a game – appropriately titled Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game – was released on various platforms including the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation 3, Wii, WiiU and Xbox 360. The game was a 4-player, 3D beat-em-up.
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And finally…
Although Rise of the Guardians performed OK at the box office, taking $306.9 million against a budget of $145 million, the film fell far below the expectations of DreamWorks Animation/Paramount Pictures. However, it soon found a second audience on home video, and performed above expectations when it came to DVD sales.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Rise of the Guardians. For more movie-related content, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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