Spirit (franchise)
| Spirit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | John Fusco |
| Original work | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) |
| Owner | DreamWorks Animation (Universal Pictures) |
| Years | 2002–present |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Animated series |
|
| Television special(s) |
|
| Games | |
| Video game(s) |
|
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) |
| Original music | "Here I Am" |
| Official website | |
| Spirit | |
Spirit is an American media franchise owned by DreamWorks Animation, which began with the 2002 animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron written by John Fusco. The franchise follow the adventures of a Kiger Mustang stallion named Spirit.
The first film, Stallion of the Cimarron, received mostly positive reviews from critics and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.[1]
A computer-animated television series, Spirit Riding Free, premiered on Netflix in 2017 and introduced new characters like Lucky Prescott, who became one of the franchise main protagonist alongside Spirit. It spawned a short-form series titled Pony Tales, a spin-off series titled Riding Academy, and two television specials.
The television series also served as the basis for the 2021 film Spirit Untamed, which is a re-imagined version of the first episode Spirit Riding Free.[2]
Films[]
| Film(s) | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | May 24, 2002 | Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook | John Fusco | Mireille Soria and Jeffrey Katzenberg |
| Spirit Untamed | June 4, 2021 | Elaine Bogan Co-Directed by: Ennio Torresan Jr. |
Aury Wallington and Kristin Hahn Additional dialogue by: Katherine Nolfi |
Karen Foster |
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)[]
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 American animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. It was directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook, in their feature directional debuts, from a screenplay by John Fusco.[3]
The film follows Spirit, a Kiger Mustang stallion (voiced by Matt Damon through inner dialogue), who is captured during the American Indian Wars by the United States Cavalry; he is freed by a Native American man named Little Creek who attempts to lead him back into the Lakota village.
The film was released in theaters on May 24, 2002. In July 2014, the film's distribution rights were purchased by DreamWorks Animation from Paramount Pictures (owners of the pre-2005 DreamWorks Pictures catalog) and transferred to 20th Century Fox[4] before reverting to Universal Studios in 2018.
Spirit Untamed (2021)[]
Spirit Untamed is an 2021 American computer-animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is directed by Elaine Bogan, in her feature directorial debut, and co-directed by Ennio Torresan Jr..
It is a spin-off and a stand-alone sequel of the traditional animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and based on its spin-off television series Spirit Riding Free, created by Aury Wallington, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kristin Hahn. The film is a re-imagined version of the series story that 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 she names "Spirit" and immediately begins to bond with him.[2]
The film was released in the United States on June 4, 2021.[5]
Television series[]
| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Network | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riding Free | 1 | 6 | May 5, 2017 | Netflix | |||
| 2 | 7 | September 8, 2017 | |||||
| 3 | 7 | November 17, 2017 | |||||
| 4 | 6 | March 16, 2018 | |||||
| 5 | 7 | May 11, 2018 | |||||
| 6 | 6 | August 17, 2018 | |||||
| 7 | 7 | November 9, 2018 | |||||
| 8 | 6 | April 5, 2019 | |||||
| Riding Free: Pony Tales | 1 | 6 | August 9, 2019 | ||||
| 2 | 4 | October 18, 2019 | |||||
| Riding Free: Riding Academy | 1 | 7 | April 3, 2020 | ||||
| 2 | 9 | September 4, 2020 | |||||
Spirit Riding Free (2017–2019)[]
Spirit Riding Free is a computer-animated spin-off television series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television based on the traditionally animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Created by Aury Wallington, it premiered on Netflix on May 5, 2017.[6]
The series is set in small frontier town of Miradero and follow Lucky Prescott, a 12-year-old girl who had recently relocated from the city. She encounters a wild kiger mustang named Spirit. Lucky immediately bonds with the stallion and also makes friends with Pru Granger and Abigail Stone. Pru owns a palomino horse called Chica Linda, and Abigail a pinto horse called Boomerang. The girls call themselves the PALs.[6]
Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales (2019)[]
Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales is a computer-animated short-form television series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and the second spin-off television series of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and the first from the first television series Spirit Riding Free. It premiered on Netflix on August 9, 2019.[7]
Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy (2020)[]
Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy is a computer-animated, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and the third spin-off television series of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and the second from the television series Spirit Riding Free. It premiered on Netflix on April 3, 2020.[8]
Lucky, Pru and Abigail are preparing to leave Miradero as they move away to boarding school at the Palomino Bluffs Riding Academy. But the girls are faced with fresh responsibilities and experiences. From meeting their new competition, the BUDs, their transition to the academy is anything but easy. Along the way the PALs will make new friends and explore their individual talents as they grow up and discover their new home together.[8]
Television special[]
Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas (2019)[]
Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas is a Christmas special which premiered on Netflix on December 6, 2019. The special starred the characters from Spirit Riding Free television series.[9]
Lucky and her friends embark on a Christmas Eve adventure into the city to find the perfect gift, but their return to Miradero for the holiday festivities are ruined when an avalanche derails their plans.[9]
Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure (2020)[]
Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure is a interactive special which premiered on Netflix on December 8, 2020.[10]
In this special, Lucky and her friends go on a mission to save Maricela's beloved mare, Mystery, from greedy horse thieves who've taken her captive with a wild herd.[10]
Cast and crew[]
Cast and Characters[]
| Characters | Feature films | Television series | Television special(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron |
Spirit Untamed | |||||||
| Spirit Riding Free | Pony Tales | Riding Academy | Spirit of Christmas | Ride Along Adventure | ||||
| Spirit | Matt Damon | Silent | ||||||
| Little Creek | Daniel Studi | |||||||
| Lucky Prescott | Isabela Merced Bridget Hoffman (young) |
Amber Frank | ||||||
| Pru Granger | Marsai Martin | Sydney Park | ||||||
| Abigail Stone | Mckenna Grace | Bailey Gambertoglio | ||||||
| Snips Stone | Lucian Perez | Duncan Joiner | ||||||
| Maricela Gutierrez | Darcy Rose Byrnes | |||||||
| Tito | Andy Pessoa | Character is Mute | ||||||
| Bianca and Mary Pat | Gabriella Graves | |||||||
| James “Jim” Prescott Jr. | Jake Gyllenhaal | Nolan North | ||||||
| Cora Prescott | Julianne Moore | Kari Wahlgren | Kari Wahlgren | |||||
| Al Granger | Andre Braugher | Jonathan Craig Williams | ||||||
| Fannie Granger | Dawnn Lewis | |||||||
| James Prescott Sr. | Joe Hart | Victor Garber (1st voice) Nolan North (2nd voice) |
Victor Garber (Archive recordings) |
|||||
| Kathryn "Kate" Flores | Tiya Sircar | Tiya Sircar | ||||||
| Julian Prescott | Lucas Grabeel | |||||||
| Milagro Navarro | Eiza González | Natalie Otano | ||||||
| Tito | N/A | Eric Lopez | ||||||
| Estrella | Marite Mantilla | |||||||
| Javier | Andy Aragon | |||||||
| Mixtli | Bridger Zadina | |||||||
| Miz McDonnell | Christine Baranaski | |||||||
| Major Gutierrez | Christian Lanz | |||||||
| Mrs. Hungerford | Julie Brown | |||||||
| Bebe Schumann | Julia Lester | |||||||
| Daphne | Georgia Dolenz | |||||||
| Ursula Lin Yang | Charlet Chung | |||||||
| Headmaster Perkins | Rhys Darby | |||||||
| Lydia Sterling | Kitana Turnbull | |||||||
| Jack | Paul-Mikél Williams | |||||||
| Saher Kapoor | Karan Brar | |||||||
| Priya Kapoor | Roshni Edwards | |||||||
| Alex Fox | Justin Felbenger | |||||||
| Beef | Austin Kane | |||||||
| Dr. Annalisa Cope | Briana León | |||||||
| Coach Bradley | Jane Lynch | |||||||
| Major Schumann | Rob Riggle | |||||||
| Mr. Daniels | Piotr Michael | |||||||
| Tyler | Benjamin Flores Jr. | |||||||
| Sally Jessup | Katherine McNamara | |||||||
| The Colonel | James Cromwell | |||||||
| Sgt. Adams | Chopper Bernet | |||||||
| Hendricks | Walton Goggins | |||||||
| Harlan Grayson | James Patrick Stuart | |||||||
| Butch LePray | Katey Sagal | Katey Sagal | ||||||
| Rooster | Thomas Lennon | |||||||
| Frankie LePray | Rachel Kimsey | |||||||
Additional crew[]
| Film | Crew/Detail | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer(s) | Editor(s) | Production companies | Animation producer(s) | Distributing companies | Running time | ||
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | Hans Zimmer | Nick Fletcher Clare De Chenu |
DreamWorks Animation | DWA Glendale Bardel Entertainment Stardust Pictures |
DreamWorks Pictures | 84 minutes | |
| Spirit Untamed | Amie Doherty | R. Orlando Duenas | DreamWorks Animation Dentsu Inc |
Jellyfish Pictures 88 Pictures |
Universal Pictures | 85 minutes | |
Reception[]
Box office performance[]
| Film | Release date | Box office gross | Budget | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories |
Worldwide | ||||
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | May 24, 2002 | $73,280,117 | $49,283,422 | $122,563,539 | $80 million | [11] |
| Spirit Untamed | June 4, 2021 | $17,635,215 | $20,936,000 | $38,571,215 | $30 million | [12] |
| Total | $90,915,332 | $70,219,422 | $161,134,754 | $110 million | ||
Critical and public response[]
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | 69% (128 reviews)[13] | 52 (29 reviews)[14] | A[15] |
| Spirit Untamed | 50% (113 reviews)[16] | 49 (20 reviews)[17] | A |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) | Platform(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Forever Free | The Fizz Factor | THQ | Windows | [18][19] |
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Search for Homeland | Hyperspace Cowgirls | Game Boy Advance | |||
| 2019 | Spirit Trick Challenge | Dreamworks Animation | Dreamworks Animation | Android / iOS | [20][21] |
| 2021 | Spirit: Lucky's Big Adventure | aheartfulofgames | Outright Games LTD. | Windows / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch | [22] |
Music[]
Soundtracks[]
| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron - Music from the Original Motion Picture | May 4, 2002 | 59:55 | A&M Records |
| Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas - EP | December 6, 2019 | 10:42 | Back Lot Music |
| Spirit Untamed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[23] | May 28, 2021 | 68:06 |
Singles[]
| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Artist(s) | Label | Film/Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Here I Am" | June 11, 2002 | 4:06 | Bryan Adams | A&M Records | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron |
| "Riding Free" | May 25, 2017 | 3:07 | Maisy Stella | Back Lot Music | Spirit Riding Free |
| "Friends Forever" | November 7, 2017 | 1:56 | Amber Frank, Sydney Park and Bailey Gambertoglio | ||
| "Unstoppable" | May 3, 2019 | 2:40 | Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales | ||
| "Fearless (Valiente Duet)" | May 6, 2021 | 4:14 | Isabela Merced and Eiza González | Spirit Untamed | |
| "You Belong" | May 20, 2021 | 3:16 | Becky G |
References[]
- ^ "The 75th Academy Awards | 2003". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-10-07). "DreamWorks Animation & Universal To Release 'Spirit Riding Free' & 'The Bad Guys' In 2021". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ^ Chney, Alexandra (July 29, 2014). "DreamWorks Animation Q2 Earnings Fall Short of Estimates, SEC Investigation Revealed". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (10 November 2020). "Jennifer Lopez Romantic Comedy 'Marry Me' Heads To Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (April 18, 2017). "Trailer: DreamWorks' 'Spirit Riding Free' Races to Netflix". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- ^ "SPIRIT RIDING FREE - Pony Tales Trailer - Netflix". YouTube. July 26, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "First Look at 'Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy' Part 1 on Netflix". What's on Netflix. March 20, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas' on Netflix, an Animated Adventure About Some Frontier Girls (and Maybe a Horse?)". Decider. December 9, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure". What's on Netflix. December 8, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Untamed (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ ""Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ ""Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002)". Metacritic. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ ""Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002)". CinemaScore. CinemaScore. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Untamed (2021)". Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Untamed Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)". GameSpot. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ THQ (October 28, 2002). "THQ Ships Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – Search for Homeland for Game Boy Advance and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – Forever Free for PC" (Press release). THQ. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ "Spirit Trick Challenge". App Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Riding Free Trick Challenge - App Review". Common Sense Media. January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ "DREAMWORKS SPIRIT LUCKY´S BIG ADVENTURE". Outright Games LTD. 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "'Spirit Untamed' Soundtrack Album Details | Film Music Reporter".
External links[]
- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
- DreamWorks Animation franchises
- Film franchises
- Television franchises
- American film series
- Children's film series
- Animated film series
- Adventure film series
- Horses in film and television