Sing 2 | |
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Directed by | Garth Jennings |
Written by | Garth Jennings |
Based on | Characters by Garth Jennings |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Edited by | Gregory Perler |
Music by | Joby Talbot[1] |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates | |
Running time | 110 minutes[3] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $85 million[4] |
Box office | $268.2 million[5][6] |
Sing 2 is a 2021 American computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the sequel to Sing (2016), and was written and directed by Garth Jennings and co-directed by Christophe Lourdelet. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Jennifer Saunders, and Nick Offerman, reprising their roles from the first film. The sequel also features new characters voiced by Bobby Cannavale, Spike Jonze, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Chelsea Peretti, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Adam Buxton, and Bono. Like the previous film, Sing 2 features songs from many artists, most of which are performed diegetically. The story is set after the events of the previous film, where Buster Moon and his group put on a show in Redshore City while working to impress an entertainment mogul and enlist a reclusive rock star to perform.
Sing 2 had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 14, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2021, in RealD 3D, by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and has grossed $268 million worldwide against a production budget of $85 million, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of 2021.
Some time after the events of the first film, Buster Moon is thriving with his new theater. However, he fails to impress talent scout Suki, who tells him he would not make it in Redshore City. Buster, encouraged by Nana Noodleman, reunites the singers who competed in the first film and takes them to the city.
They sneak in for an audition with entertainment mogul Jimmy Crystal. Crystal is uninterested in Buster's original show pitch, therefore, Gunter pitches a space-themed show which would feature Clay Calloway, a rock star who has not been seen in 15 years. Intrigued, Crystal greenlights it, telling them to have the show up and running within three weeks.
During production on the show, Rosita develops a fear of heights during rehearsal and is unable to keep on her role, which is given to Crystal's daughter Porsha while Rosita is delegated to a minor role. Meanwhile, Johnny has been assigned to work with top choreographer Klaus Kickenklober for his part in the show but senses that Klaus dislikes him due to his inability to dance. Johnny comes across a street dancer named Nooshy, who agrees to help him out. Meena has been cast in a romantic scene with Darius, a self-absorbed actor with whom Meena has no chemistry with. She later meets and falls in love with an ice cream vendor named Alfonso.
Ash and Buster visit Clay Calloway to convince him to be in the show. He refuses at first, but Ash changes his mind. Back at the theater, Buster asks Porsha if she would like to switch roles with Rosita as she cannot act. Porsha interprets this as Buster firing her. Upon learning this, Crystal blames Porsha for embarrassing him and nearly throws Buster off his building before locking him in a closet. Suki frees Buster and warns him to get out of Redshore City, before Crystal can kill him. Ash arrives with the crew and Calloway, who advises Buster not to run and hide like he did after he lost his wife. Buster then decides to have the cast and crew put on the show one night behind Crystal's back and has Miss Crawly get Porsha to rejoin them in the show.
During the show, a jealous Klaus takes the place of Johnny's performance partner to try to undermine his number, but Johnny defeats Klaus with encouragement from Nooshy and finally earns Klaus' respect. Meena visualizes Darius as Alfonso and performs a romantic duet with him. Having found out about the show and angered when Porsha stands up to him during her part, Crystal tries to stop it by dropping Buster off the top of the stage which causes Rosita to overcome her fear of heights to save the latter. When the time comes for Calloway to take the stage, he claims that he is not ready. Ash leads the crowd in a rendition of one of Calloway's songs, giving him the courage to perform.
After the show, Suki has Crystal arrested by the police for endangering Buster and his friends. While Buster and his friends prepare to leave, Suki stops them and tells them that a major theater wants to put on their show. As the cast puts on their first performance, Buster watches from the VIP section, proud to have succeeded in Redshore City.
Asher Blinkoff, Julianna Gamiz, Asa Jennings, Caspar Jennings, Remy Edgerly, Leo Jennings, Oscar Jennings, Ayden Soria, and Jack Stanton voice Rosita and Norman's piglets, while Matthew McConaughey's daughter Vida Alves McConaughey voices a piglet that goes splashing in chocolate.[10] Edgar Wright provides the voice of a dog cop and a pig chauffeur.[11]
On January 25, 2017, Universal Pictures and Illumination announced a sequel to its 2016 animated film Sing was in development. Writer/director Garth Jennings and producers Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy return along with voiceover stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, and Tori Kelly.[12]
In December 2020, Bobby Cannavale, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Chelsea Peretti, longtime Illumination collaborator Pharrell Williams, Bono and Halsey were added to the voice cast.[13] Work on the film shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was done remotely following the temporary closure of Illumination Mac Guff.[14]
The scope of the theatre in the finale was a major stepping stone to take over 10,000 animals for the crowd department, old and new ones designed by longtime Illumination artist Eric Guillon who not only worked on Sing but have designed the new characters in the sequel like choreographer Klaus and the tarsiers.[15] Fashion brand Rodarte designed some of the costumes used in the film.[16]
In December 2020, Joby Talbot returned to compose the score.[1] U2 performed the film's original song "Your Song Saved My Life". The song was released on November 3, 2021.[17] Additional music includes songs by Kiana Ledé, BTS, Sam i, Billie Eilish, Elton John and more. The film's soundtrack was released on December 17, 2021.[18]
Sing 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
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Soundtrack album by various artists | |
Released | December 17, 2021 |
Genre | |
Label | Republic |
Singles from Sing 2 | |
|
No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Your Song Saved My Life (from Sing 2)" | U2 | 3:31 |
2. | "Let's Go Crazy" | 3:09 | |
3. | "Can't Feel My Face" | Kiana Ledé | 3:21 |
4. | "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" | Elton John | 3:14 |
5. | "Heads Will Roll" | Scarlett Johansson | 3:36 |
6. | "Holes" | Mercury Rev | 5:54 |
7. | "Bad Guy" | Billie Eilish | 3:12 |
8. | "Sing 2 Audition Medley[a]" | Sing 2 Cast | 1:47 |
9. | "Where the Streets Have No Name" |
| 2:36 |
10. | "Higher Love" | 3:48 | |
11. | "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" |
| 3:23 |
12. | "Suéltate (from Sing 2)" | 3:30 | |
13. | "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" | Johansson | 3:39 |
14. | "Soy Yo (Sing 2 Mix)" | Bomba Estéreo | 2:57 |
15. | "A Sky Full of Stars" | Egerton | 3:26 |
16. | "Could Have Been Me" | Halsey | 2:28 |
17. | "I Say a Little Prayer" |
| 2:09 |
18. | "Break Free" |
| 1:34 |
19. | "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" |
| 3:01 |
20. | "Tippy Toes (Bonus Track)" |
| 2:08 |
21. | "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Bonus Track)[b]" |
| 2:36 |
Total length: | 65:08 |
Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] | 9 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 80 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] | 144 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22] | 59 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[23] | 31 |
US Billboard 200[24] | 41 |
Sing 2 had its world premiere, opening the AFI Fest Celebration on November 14, 2021,[2] and was theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2021 in RealD 3D, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[25] after previously being scheduled to be released in the United States on December 25, 2020,[26] and July 2, 2021.[27] Early access screenings occurred in the United States on November 27, 2021.[28] The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2022.[29] The film had a VOD release on January 7, 2022.
Tomy made a deal with Illumination and Universal to develop the Sing 2 toy line, featuring plush toys, collectible figures, and a role-playing game.[30] By its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, the film had made 393.1 million impressions across all social media platforms, a statistic 24% above those of a film released before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the film had a better social media reach than 2021's Encanto, The Addams Family 2, Tom & Jerry, Spirit Untamed, and The Croods: A New Age.[31]
As of January 31, 2022[update], Sing 2 has grossed $134.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $133.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $268.2 million.[5][6]
In the United States and Canada, the film earned $1.6 million from sneak previews held on November 27, 2021.[32] The film had its wide release the following month on Wednesday, December 22, alongside The King's Man and The Matrix Resurrections, and was projected to gross $40–50 million from 3,892 theaters over its first five days of release.[33] The film ended up grossing $22.3 million in its opening weekend (and a total of $41 million over the five-day frame) from an estimated 4.1 million theater admissions, placing second at the box office behind Spider-Man: No Way Home. Women made up 58% of the audience during its opening, with those below the age of 25 comprising 56% of ticket sales and those below 17 comprising 44%. The ethnic breakdown of the audience showed that 39% were Hispanic and Latino Americans, 35% European Americans, 15% African American, and 7% Asian or other.[31] In its second weekend, the film remained in second place with $20.2 million.[34] Sing 2 once again retained second place at the box office in its third weekend with $11.6 million.[35] On January 8, 2022, Sing 2 became the first animated film of the COVID-19 pandemic to cross $100 million at the U.S. and Canadian box office as well as the first film since Frozen II (2019) to reach this milestone.[36][37][38] The film earned $8 million in its fourth weekend,[39] $5.75 million in its fifth,[40] and $4.7 million in its sixth.[41]
Outside the United States and Canada, Sing 2 opened in several international markets on December 3, 2021. The film made $1.12 million in its first weekend,[42] $1.5 million in its second,[43] and another $1.5 million from 16 markets in its third.[44] After screening in an additional 22 markets, Sing 2 earned $19.2 million in its fourth weekend and had the biggest opening for an animated film during the COVID-19 pandemic in both France ($6 million) and Mexico ($3.6 million).[45] The film made $17.2 million in its fifth weekend, which included a $1.2 million opening in Ukraine,[46] $17.1 million in its sixth weekend,[47] and $8.4 million in its seventh weekend.[48] In its eighth weekend, the film had strong openings in Germany ($3 million), Poland ($2.4 million), and Austria ($500,000).[49] In its ninth weekend, the film earned $17.4 million from 62 markets, which included a $9.3 million opening in the U.K.[50]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of 119 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Second verse, same as the first: For audiences that enjoyed the first installment, Sing 2 should prove another endearing diversion."[51] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[52] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale (the first Illumination film to receive this grade), while PostTrak reported 91% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 78% saying they would definitely recommend it.[31]
Justin Lowe, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, praised the musical set of the film, calling the "ragtag cast that Buster had brought for an amateur cast, had blossomed into a full-fledged company of professional performers".[53] Peter Debruge, of Variety, gave a positive review, saying the film is "an elaborate machinery of joy, and it's easier to appreciate how every choice seems designed to put a smile on people's faces".[54] Emily Clark of Plugged In praised the film's inspiring and emotional elements, but took issue with the fact that "(Meena) tells Buster she’s not OK kissing someone on stage, and he sort of dismisses her...The whole affair made me a bit queasy thinking about how many a young starlet has received her first smooch from a total stranger at the behest of adult directors and producers."[55]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Reference(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 17, 2021 | Best Music Supervisor(s) - Film | Mike Knobloch Rachel Levy |
Nominated | |
Best Original Song - Animated Film | Your Song Saved My Life - U2 (Bono, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and David Evans) | Nominated | |||
Best Soundtrack Album | Sing 2 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Nominated | |||
Visual Effects Society Awards | March 8, 2022 | Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature | Patrick Delage, Nathalie Vancauwenberghe, Christophe Lourdelet, Boris Jacq | Pending | [56] |
Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature | Ludovic Ramière, Théo Rivoalen, Henri Deruer, Frédéric Mainil (for Crystal Theater) | Pending | |||
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature | Richard Adenot, Guillaume Gay, Frédéric Valz-Gris, Antoine Brémont | Pending | |||
Annie Awards | March 12, 2022 | Best Animated Feature | Sing 2 | Pending |
After the success of Sing 2, Matthew McConaughey spoke on CinemaBlendisn’t exactly known to be a singer, his confidence will get him far. Based on his answer to if he’s completely on board to see Buster Moon become a singer himself in the next Sing movie:
"Maybe Sing 3, but it wasn’t in this one and a lot of people have been saying that and I’m like that’s right, Buster Moon should sing, whistle, diddy, hum, dance, something. Oh, that’d be super fun. That could be it. Bring it up to the director, I’m with you. You hear that Garth?"[57]
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