Migration (2023 film)

This article might be using a American English for its pagename. (February 2023)

Migration
Directed by	Benjamin Renner
Produced by	Chris Meledandri
Screenplay by	Mike White
Based on	The Mallards Take on Migration  by Jean Christopher Reianomer Saverio Giacomo Bianchi
Starring	Kumail Nanjiani Elizabeth Banks Awkwafina Keegan-Michael Key David Mitchell Carol Kane Casper Jennings Tresi Gazal Danny DeVito
Music by	John Powell
Edited by	Christian Gazal
Production company	Illumination
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	December 22, 2023 (2023-12-22)
Language	English
Country	United States

Migration is a American computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by Benjamin Renner, co-directed by Guylo Homsy, and written by Mike White. Produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film features the voices of Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, Casper Jennings, Tresi Gazal, and Danny DeVito. The story follows a family of mallards as they go on a vacation of a lifetime and attempt to migrate from New England, through New York City, and to Jamaica.

Illumination announced Migration in February 2022, with Renner, Homsy, and White attached as director, co-director, and writer, respectively. Renner, who had previously helmed traditionally animated films, was tasked with adapting his simple drawing style for a computer-animated film. In hiring Renner, studio head and producer Chris Meledandri sought to focus on a filmmaker's vision for the project in comparison with Illumination's recent films. John Powell will compose the score, marking his second collaboration with Illumination following The Lorax (2012).

Migration is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2023.

Voice cast

• Kumail Nanjiani as Mack, the anxious father of the Mallards
• Elizabeth Banks as Pam, the daring and quick-witted mother of the Mallards
• Awkwafina as the leader of a New York City pigeon gang
• Keegan-Michael Key as Delroy, a homesick Jamaican-accented parrot locked away in a Manhattan restaurant
• David Mitchell as the yogic leader of a duck farm
• Carol Kane as Erin, a heron whom the Mallards befriend in their journey
• Caspar Jennings as Dax, the Mallards' confident and restless son
• Tresi Gazal as Gwen, the Mallards' innocent and lovable daughter
• Danny DeVito as Dan, the curmudgeonly and adventure-averse uncle of the Mallards

Production

On February 18, 2022, Illumination announced a new film titled Migration, with French animator and comic book creator Benjamin Renner set to direct with Guylo Homsy as co-director and Mike White set to pen the script. Renner previously directed the traditionally animated films Ernest & Celestine (2012) and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales... (2017), and was already a household name among the staff of Illumination Studios Paris prior to his involvement with the company. Illumination head and film producer Chris Meledandri hired Renner to direct the studio's first original project since 2016 for his filmmaking sensibility, stating during his visit to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival that there is a "filmmaker attention" for Migration in comparison with Illumination's recent releases up to The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Renner was tasked with adapting his minimalist drawing style from previous films for a computer-animated film, which requires backgrounds to be fully visualized and rendered instead of suggested; he had previously designed the visuals for the 2014 Franco-Belgian computer-animated film about migrating birds titled Yellowbird, which was noted for not strictly adhering to photorealism. For Migration, Renner explained that he took inspiration from naturally expressive animals in the wild in creating characters that have distinctly expressive features in their designs. He also noted that the film's tone would increasingly become more tense as the story progresses.

On April 26, 2023, Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, David Mitchell, and Carol Kane were announced to be part of the film's lead voice cast, while some of the film crew such as co-director Guylo Homsy, editor Christian Gazal and production designer Colin Stimpson were also revealed.

Music

On June 18, 2023, it was announced that John Powell will compose the film's score, marking his return to Illumination since The Lorax (2012), as well as his 24th animated film score, following DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019).

Release

Theatrical

Migration is scheduled to be released on December 22, 2023. It was previously scheduled to be released on June 30, 2023, but was pushed back to its current release date, with DreamWorks Animation's Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken taking its previous date.

On June 14, 2023, Illumination gave a special 25-minute preview of Migration at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, with Renner and producer Chris Meledandri attending the event.

Marketing

A teaser trailer for the film was released on April 5, 2023, alongside Illumination's previous film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and was attached to screenings of the aforementioned film in the United States.

Home media

As part of their 18-month deal with Netflix, the film will stream on Peacock for the first four months of the pay-TV window, then will move to Netflix for the next ten, and then will return to Peacock for the remaining four.

External links

• Official website
• Migration at the Internet Movie Database

Template:Benjamin Renner Template:Universal theatrical animated features