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Though there are many great villains in the world of film, surprisingly few of them are female. Generally, there aren't anywhere near as many female villains as male ones. Maybe it's because society generally sees women as above that sort of thing. But, spoiler alert: they're not.

Many an unsuspecting child watching an animated film has been lured in by a kindly and motherly character, only to be stabbed in the back when they turn out to be evil. Certain iconic female villains prove they're just as good at evil-doing as the men... in fact, in many cases, they're better.

The Fairy Godmother Was Ruthless Movie: Shrek 2

The Fairy Godmother doted on her son, Prince Charming, and she wanted him to be the one to marry Princess Fiona. Unfortunately, Fiona returned to Far, Far Away as an ogre married to Shrek, and so the Fairy Godmother was utterly consumed by rage.

Shrek 2 remains the franchise's crowning achievement with greater stakes, new characters, and an epic final battle scene. Shrek 2 takes full advantage of new characters like Puss in Boots and the devious Fairy Godmother in the glamorous Far Far Away. There are plenty of pop culture references in Shrek 2, from parodies of Los Angeles to a hilarious battle scene set to Bonnie Tyler's classic hit.

The Shrek franchise is one of the most iconic in all of modern media. Every '90s and '00s kid who grew up with the franchise can likely rattle off dozens of its iconic quotes. There's plenty to choose from, as Shrek has put out four movies (and two spin-offs centered on Puss in Boots) since 2001. After a decade-and-a-half away from the big screen, the titular green ogre is set to make his return with 2026's Shrek 5.

With so many sequels,...

Shrek movies are among the most popular animated franchises, but their quality varies greatly from project to project. Despite challenges, Shrek reshaped the world of animated movies, ensuring DreamWorks' competition with Disney/Pixar. The success of films like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish gives hope for a possible revival of the beloved Shrek franchise.

With the 2001 original being a near-instant smash financial and critical success, the Shrek movies ranked among the most popular animated franchises of all time. The franchise has spawned the Shrek film series up to Shrek 4, two Puss In Boots spin-offs, and a Shrek Broadway musical. Given the success over the years, it wouldn't be surprising if there were still more adventures with Shrek (Mike Myers) and his pals, including the long-awaited Shrek 5. However, the quality of these projects varies greatly.

Despite the long and difficult production of the first movie, including losing Shrek's original voice actor Chris Farley,...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

"Shrek" was a very important movie in animation history. It provided DreamWorks with its first true breakthrough hit, taking in $492 million in 2001. It ensured that Disney would have meaningful competition in the animation space for years to come, which has only been furthered in recent years with the dominance of Illumination in the marketplace. For DreamWorks though, it birthed what would become the studio's flagship franchise, one that has generated more than $3 billion since its inception. That franchise's biggest moment came in 2004 when "Shrek 2" hit theaters.

The animation house founded by former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg hit a home run by pairing Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy as Shrek and Donkey in the first film, in no small part thanks to the stellar supporting cast.

Shrek 2 is a perfect animated comedy sequel that has aged better than its predecessor. The genre satire in Shrek 2 is sharper, with deeper cuts and fantastic new characters. Shrek 2 offers surprising emotional depth, blending positive messages with loving humor.

If you grew up in the late '90s and early 2000s, odds are that Shrek was a huge part of your childhood. DreamWorks’ breakout hit took the world by storm in 2001, offering a fresh and edgier alternative to those bored by Disney’s then-familiar fairy tale structure and supplying an entire generation with instantly iconic moments that have been memed to death ever since. It was the first film to ever win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature (the award didn't exist before then) and even got an Adapted Screenplay nomination.

Its immediate sequel, Shrek 2, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a brief theatrical re-release. As unlikely as it seems today,...

When it premiered in theaters twenty years ago, Shrek 2 became one of the most beloved animated sequels of all time, with the titular ogre voiced by Mike Myers having trouble while meeting Princess Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) family. And now, due to the special anniversary coming up for the film, Universal Pictures has officially announced that Shrek 2 will be returning to theaters on April 12, with a limited engagement set to last for a week. Members of the audience who never had the opportunity to experience Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon's fantasy adventure on the big screen will now finally have the opportunity to do so.

Tim Burton loves to make things spooky and morbid, but his favorite holiday might well be Christmas. Look at how many of his films take place during the Yuletide season: "Batman Returns," "Edward Scissorhands," etc. He also conceived of "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which is all about Halloween Town's top ghoul, Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), getting Christmas fever. While Burton handed off directing duties of the stop-motion picture to Henry Selick, it's easy to see his fingerprints and why he would empathize with Jack.

David A. Bossert's "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Visual Companion" was released this year for the film's 30th anniversary. The book features interviews with the film's crew, from Selick to Art Director Kelly Asbury, where they describe forming the film's distinct visual style — since there were multiple holiday-themed dimensions, they couldn't stick to just one aesthetic.

For Halloween Town, though, they took after Burton's...

Just two years ago, it seemed like the summer blockbuster might be a thing of the past. After Covid kept cinemas closed across the United States for the majority of 2020, the box office reopened in 2021 on uncertain footing, with many high profile flops and a soft performance for the movies overall. That summer seemed like the harbinger of the end for the seasonal release strategy that “Jaws” perfected all the way back in 1975, wherein the hottest months hosts the biggest titles — marketed aggressively to theatergoers. It seemed like those days were behind us, and the streaming age had finally overtaken the days when movies could be events. So thank goodness for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”

Things aren’t entirely rosy at cinemas again (and Hollywood writ large is a mess), but things are improving at the box office with those July 21 releases helping to massively goose theatrical business, picking up where...

Starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, Shrek was made by DreamWorks Animation, a company that Steven Spielberg co-founded. But before the inception of that famous animation studio, near the turn of the decade in 1991, he bought the rights to a children’s book called Shrek!, written by William Steig. And despite moving onto other projects as the decade went by, Spielberg nonetheless had a vision in mind for the now-famous animated feature.

He wanted Bill Murray to play the titular ogre, while Steve Martin was his first choice for Donkey. That wouldn’t be the cast he moved forward with for the short time that Spielberg actually worked on the project. But with the director’s penchant for adding scenes to screenplays and storyboards in tandem with the vastly disparate voices in the lead roles, imagining Shrek through the family-oriented, adventure-packed lens of Spielberg’s directorial vision nonetheless makes for an intriguing prospect.

The lore of the “Boss Baby” universe is as extensive as it is bewildering. Loosely based on the book by Marla Frazee, 2017’s “The Boss Baby” — which was, shockingly, Oscar nominated — covered the existence of Baby Corp, the company in the sky that creates infants and sends them to Earth either to be raised by human parents or on missions to ensure babies’ hegemony as the most loved creatures. (Puppies are a close runner-up.)

A magical milk formula prevents those chosen ones from growing up, and a whole protocol à la “Men in Black” erases the memories of the adults who received these babies in suits that were never meant to be part of the family but just transient employees for the corporation.

All of these plot points remain in place for the sequel, “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” which follows the franchise’s Netflix spin-off series. With director Tom McGrath,...

Stuart Cornfeld, the producing partner with Ben Stiller on Zoolander, Dodgeball and Tropic Thunder, died Friday of cancer. He was 67.

His friend, actress Liliana Greenfield-Sanders confirmed the news on Twitter.

Very sad to let you know that our dear friend Stuart Cornfeld died today from cancer. He was the funniest person on the planet. I will miss him terribly. Do yourself a favor and watch one of the many amazing films he produced. He was truly one of the greats. pic.twitter.com/ONcuOl56Hk

— Greenfield-Sanders (@Liliana) June 26, 2020

Cornfeld was born in Tarzana in 1952, and graduated from the American Film Institute in 1975. While working with Anne Bancroft on two Directing Workshop for Women projects, she introduced him to husband Mel Brooks. That led to Cornfeld becoming the assistant on 1977’s High Anxiety.

He worked on several other Bancroft and Brooks projects, becoming the executive producer on the Brooks-produced The Elephant Man.

Kelly Asbury, an animator who directed Oscar-nominated films such as “Shrek 2” and “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” has died. He was 60.

Asbury died Friday morning in Los Angeles following a long battle with abdominal cancer, a representative for Asbury, Nancy Newhouse Porter, told Variety.

Asbury, who started his career at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1983, directed five animated feature films during his career: “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” which was released in 2002; “Shrek 2″ in 2004, which he co-directed with Conrad Vernon; 2011’s “Gnomeo & Juliet”; 2017’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village”; and his final directorial effort was 2019’s “Ugly Dolls,” which starred Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton and Pitbull.

His other work includes credits on “The Little Mermaid,” Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “The Prince of Egypt,” “Chicken Run,” “Shrek,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Frozen” and “Sherlock Gnomes.”

In addition, the Texas native...

Kelly Asbury, an animation writer-director and voice actor whose credits include Shrek 2, Smurfs: The Lost Village and Beauty and the Beast, died today after battling cancer for several years. He was 60. His rep Nancy Newhouse Porter of Newhouse Porter Hubbard confirmed the news to Deadline.

“He was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking for everyone.”

A three-time Annie Awards nominee for helming 2004’s Shrek 2 and writing and directing 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet, Asbury also was nommed twice by the Cannes Film Festival: He was up for the Palme d’Or for Shrek 2 and the Camera d’Or for best debut feature for 2002’s Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

His also directed last year’s UglyDolls, and his writing credits included co-penning the story for Disney’s 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast.

Born on January 15, 1960, in Beaumont,...

Kelly Asbury, an animation director known for directing “Shrek 2,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” and most recently “Uglydolls,” has died. He was 60.

Asbury died peacefully Friday in Encino, California, following a long battle with cancer, a representative for Asbury, Nancy Newhouse Porter, told TheWrap.

Asbury has a story credit on Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and additionally wrote the screenplay and story for “Gnomeo & Juliet,” which he also directed in 2011. Asbury got his start at Disney between 1983 and 1995, contributing storyboards for Golden Age Disney films such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Black Cauldron,” “The Rescuers Down Under” and more.

Also Read: Lewis John Carlino, 'The Great Santini' Writer and Director, Dies at 88

Upon shifting to DreamWorks in 1995, his directorial debut was for the 2002 animated film “Spirit,” which was nominated for an Oscar. He would even provide additional voices for “Shrek 2” and in “Shrek the Third.

Kelly Asbury, the respected animator who directed such films as Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Shrek 2 and Gnomeo & Juliet, has died. He was 60.

Asbury died Friday after a long battle with cancer, rep Nancy Newhouse Porter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. "This was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry," she said.

Most recently, Asbury helmed the STX animated film UglyDolls (2019), a musical starring Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton and Pitbull.

A CalArts alum and three-time Annie Awards nominee who started his career at Walt Disney Feature Animation ...

Kelly Asbury, the respected animator who directed such films as Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Shrek 2 and Gnomeo & Juliet, has died. He was 60.

Asbury died Friday at his home in Encino after a long battle with cancer, rep Nancy Newhouse Porter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. "This was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry," she said.

Most recently, Asbury helmed the STX animated film Uglydolls (2019), a musical starring Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton and Pitbull.

A CalArts alum and three-time Annie Awards nominee who started his career ...

Launched by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen as DreamWorks in 1994, DreamWorks Animation celebrates its silver anniversary, marking 25 years since embarking on its first voyage with the Academy Award-nominated biblical epic “The Prince of Egypt.”

Since then, DreamWorks Animation has released 38 feature films, including the blockbuster “Shrek,” “Madagascar,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Trolls” franchises and its newest release, “Abominable.” Earning more than $15 billion at the global box office, DreamWorks has received a multitude of accolades over its history, including three Oscars and three Academy Sci-Tech Awards.

Women have long been in the spotlight at DreamWorks Animation, well known for promoting female talent within their ranks to leadership roles. Here, six female directors share their memories of working at the studio during its first quarter century: Lorna Cook, Vicky Jenson, Elaine Bogan, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Brenda Chapman, and Jill Culton.

Lorna Cook

Animator-director

For Cook,...

Unconventionality rules in Uglyville, a remote town where dolls who aren’t considered to be perfect by kids confront what it means to be different. The title dolls in this spring’s animated comedy, ‘UglyDolls,’ are ultimately proving to the children who discarded them that no one has to be perfect to be amazing. ‘UglyDolls’ is now […]

The post Exclusive Interview: Kelly Asbury Talks UglyDolls appeared first on Shockya.com.

To mark the release of Uglydolls on 16th August, we’ve been given Family Gala Screening tickets, as well as a merchandise bundle for one star winner. We have 6 family tickets to the Manchester screening on 3rd August, and 6 family tickets for the London screening on 11th August.

Directed by Kelly Asbury (Gnomeo and Juliet, Shrek 2), Uglydolls features original songs by the incredible pop artist voice cast, including Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, Pitbull, Charli Xcx and Bebe Rexha.

Unconventionality rules in Uglydolls, the new animated family adventure based on the beloved toy brand. In the adorably different town of Uglyville, the free-spirited Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) and her UglyDolls friends confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.

Stx Entertainment’s “UglyDolls” is set to hit Chinese theaters on Aug. 8, despite rising tensions between China and the U.S. over their trade war. China’s Alibaba Pictures is a co-producer and co-financier of the film.

The movie was originally announced as having a mainland release date of May 31. No reason has been given for its rescheduling.

Alibaba announced its involvement in the film in January, with the company’s president, Zhang Wei, expressing excitement that the partnership would allow Alibaba to “build out this beloved global intellectual property for years to come.” But the movie flopped in the U.S., where it was critically panned. Directed by Kelly Asbury (“Shrek 2”) on a $45 million budget, and featuring the voices of Emma Roberts, Kelly Clarkson and Nick Jonas, “UglyDolls” has grossed less than $20 million in the U.S. since its May 3 debut.

A China release might help it recoup its losses,...

Jonas Mekas, Lost Lost Lost (1976)Today the terrain of self-presentation is built upon digitally mediated hypervisibility. At any given moment, you are (or should) strive to be noticed and recognized, whether on your Instagram or your secret Instagram, on your Stan Twitter account or your YouTube channel. We could think of social media as a democracy that enables self-expression, but there is an artistic process through which the voices of the masses are altered. The most popular of these curated individual brands present themselves to the public through video blogging. But considering the films of Sadie Benning, Naomi Kawase, Jonas Mekas, and so on, vlogging is a continuation of a filmmaking tradition. And just as a film festival or an art gallery screening a work by Mekas or Benning might profit from ticket sales and marketing campaigns, the vlog is entangled in the embrace of art and economy. Within these online spaces,...

When it launched in 2014, Stx Entertainment was supposed to be a smarter and nimbler entertainment company, one that could open compelling movies and launch quality television shows while keeping a lid on costs.

Five years later, the upstart studio has little to show for its efforts, and following the box office failure of “UglyDolls,” an animated movie that the company hoped would launch a franchise, its financial and creative future looks perilous. As if to rub salt in the wounds, Stx’s release of “Poms,” a low-budget movie about a cheerleader troupe of senior citizens, has also met with lackluster box office results.

Under the leadership of CEO Robert Simonds and motion picture chair Adam Fogelson, Stx has repeated the same refrain for years — that the company mitigates its financial risk by spending less on marketing and by selling off foreign rights to the films it makes. But the “UglyDolls” returns are not pretty.

Veteran animation director Kelly Asbury talks about the evolving animation business and his latest film, Stx's Uglydolls, in a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Behind the Screen podcast series.

The Cal Arts alum worked in animation as the industry shifted from traditional animation toward the use of CG, and talks about everything from starting his career at Disney, to being mentored by Chuck Jones and working on Toy Story with John Lasseter. Asked how he thinks history will remember Lasseter, Asbury admitted, an "artist, inventor and really a pioneer. I think he will always have that, and there ...

Veteran animation director Kelly Asbury talks about the evolving animation business and his latest film, Stx's Uglydolls, in a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Behind the Screen podcast series.

The Cal Arts alum worked in animation as the industry shifted from traditional animation toward the use of CG, and talks about everything from starting his career at Disney, to being mentored by Chuck Jones and working on Toy Story with John Lasseter. Asked how he thinks history will remember Lasseter, Asbury admitted, an "artist, inventor and really a pioneer. I think he will always have that, and there ...

The Bentonville Film Festival (Bff) announced final additions to their programming which includes the world premiere of the Netflix film Good Sam starring Tiya Sircar. The fest, which was co-created by Geena Davis and champions inclusion in all forms of media, has also added spotlight screenings of Gurinder Chadha’s Sundance Springsteen hit Blinded By The Light from New Line Cinema as well as Stx’s animated feature UglyDolls. Now in its fifth year, the festival kicked off May 7 and continues through May 11 in Bentonville, Ark.

Based on the book by Dete Meserve, Good Sam explores what happens when a mysterious good Samaritan (aka “Good Sam”) leaves $100,000 cash on seemingly random doorsteps. TV news reporter Kate Bradley (Sircar) sets out to discover Good Sam’s true identity and motive, turning her personal life upside down. Kate Melville directs from a script by Meserve and Teena Booth. Good Sam will screen...

The Uglydolls movie opened in theaters over the weekend and the result for Stx Films was, well, ugly. Stx has been making inroads over the last handful of years in Hollywood, positioning themselves as a mid-level studio that can compete by keeping budgets low and delivering entertaining results for the money spent. It's a model that, when clicking, allows for maximum profit. The studio recently tried to apply that to the world of animation for the first time and, to put it lightly, things didn't work out so well.

UglyDolls, which is based on the popular toy line of the same name, opened on more than 3,600 screens over the weekend, battling Avengers: Endgame in its second week of release, as well as Long Shot, The Intruder and, to a much lesser degree, El Chicano, which also bombed in a big, bad way. Unfortunately for Stx, the animated movie, which was...

No film has ever dominated business on its second weekend as much as Marvel/Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame.” After a staggering 89% share on weekend one –notching an all-time record $357 million domestic gross — “Endgame” came roaring back with a sophomore weekend initial estimate of $146 million.

That marked an astonishing 74% of the weekend’s total gross, even with a 59% drop from last weekend and three new wide releases (no other studio film bothered to open against the Marvel onslaught last week). For a film making a full-on assault on records (some of which don’t need pretending constancy in ticket prices), this is one of its most impressive yet. That’s the best second weekend share ever.

This “Endgame” gross did not set the biggest second weekend record. With adjusted numbers, that remains “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $154.5 million ($149 million in 2015 dollars). But that movie boasted the best possible date for...

As the old saying goes, you can make it fast, you can make it cheap, and you can make it good, but you can’t have all three. In the case of STXfilms and Alibaba’s UglyDolls, it was the first two points making for a disastrous start at the box office of $8.5M for this reported $45M-$53M net production, intended to launch the mini-major’s foray into the feature animation space.

Based on this weekend’s box office results, it’s clear that the doll line isn’t as universal as originally perceived by Stx. Stx eventually got ahold of UglyDolls and believed that the property would resonate over in China. While the pic has yet to lock down a release date there, box office history for family pics in China is against UglyDolls: family fare under-indexes there, with even Pixar films challenged.

Based on the 2001 doll line...

Directed by Kelly Asbury and based on the plush toy line by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, UglyDolls is an animated musical about embracing who you are and celebrating what makes you different.

Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) and her friends reside in Uglyville, a place where imperfect dolls go after being discarded by The Factory. But when Moxy decides to venture into The Big World and find her perfect kid, she and her friends encounter the perfect — and mean — preppy doll, Lou (Nick Jonas). Told by Lou that they're too ugly to be wanted, Moxy and her friends work ...

Directed by Kelly Asbury and based on the plush toy line by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, UglyDolls is an animated musical about embracing who you are and celebrating what makes you different.

Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) and her friends reside in Uglyville, a place where imperfect dolls go after being discarded by The Factory. But when Moxy decides to venture into The Big World and find her perfect kid, she and her friends encounter the perfect — and mean — preppy doll, Lou (Nick Jonas). Told by Lou that they're too ugly to be wanted, Moxy and her friends work ...

Chicago – The animation formula, for entertaining both kids and adults, is to never make the story too serious, and “UglyDolls” gets it right. The obvious moral lesson of “accepting yourself” is covered with great animating, memorable characters, peppy songs, and a sly sense of humor. In essence, made for the whole family.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

And what a voice cast, a virtual here and now! Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, Nick Jonas and Pitbull step from the 400 Awards Shows they do every year, and connect right through their characters. They do add a transitional modernity to the celebrity voiceovers, Steve Carell can’t live forever. The fabric of the animation is literal fabric, as the UglyDoll world is constructed as a cloth-like material world. The morality of the story is easy to surmise, but still important … even in a place called the Institute of Perfection … there is room for the imperfect, and it...

Summer break is fast approaching so it must be time for another toy “tie-in” feature animated flick. Well, to be honest, the “break’ thing shouldn’t matter since this subject’s “core” audience is probably “pre-pre-k” (guess that’s a thing). Early this year we saw the follow-up to the surprise hit The Lego Movie from 2014. So, how about another “property” that’s a tad more cuddly than those hard interlocking plastic blocks. We’re a few months away from the fourth visit with Woody, Buzz, and their pals so maybe this is a “softer warm-up” showcasing a toy line that’s been around since 2001 (that long…I am so out of it). And, going by the brand name, we may be in for a lesson or two with the big screen debut of Uglydolls.

This story begins inside a big zany factory, with conveyor belts and robotic big shoes...

It’s safe to say Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame” won’t be done breaking records any time soon. Up next, the Marvel box office behemoth has its sights set on securing the biggest domestic second weekend of all time.

That crown currently belongs to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” with its mighty $149 million sophomore outing in North America. “Avengers: Endgame” is already in uncharted territory after its jaw-dropping $357 million opening weekend, making it all the more difficult to predict just how big of a second weekend the superhero blockbuster is heading for. Even so, “Endgame” could endure a massive 57% decline in box office receipts from its debut and still surpass the benchmark set by “The Force Awakens,” which dipped 39.8%.

By comparison, “Avengers: Infinity War,” the precursor to “Endgame,” saw a 55% drop in sales during its second frame. It’s undisputed that the superhero finale will assemble sizable ticket sales this weekend,...

In “UglyDolls,” an air-popped animated musical fairy tale about learning to embrace the ugly — that is, ordinary — specimen most of us are, the title plush toys are monochromatic fuzzy-felt factory rejects who get tossed off the assembly line for one reason or another. Each has a flaw that fails to meet the corporate standards of eye-pleasing symmetry and cuddliness. Moxy (voiced by Kelly Clarkson), the movie’s heroine, is a rambunctious blob of pinkness whose problem is her teeth. Ox (Blake Shelton), a rabbity green customer, has an X where his left eye should be — though at least he’s meant to have another eye. Ugly Dog (Pitbull), a cyclops canine mascot, has one glaring yellow peeper at the center of his forehead. And Wage, voiced by Wanda Sykes, sports two ungainly lower incisors, an homage, I assume, to the gargoyle voiced by Sykes on Disney Junior’s “Vampirina.”

The Ugly Dolls,...

Doubling as both a colorful recycling bin for tropes and ideas from a variety of preexisting children animated features and a casting session for “The Voice”‘s next batch of hosts, Kelly Asbury’s plush-inspired film “UglyDolls” is underscored by a well-intentioned message of self-acceptance, even if the delivery vehicle is unremarkable.

Developed from a story by Robert Rodriguez and written by newcomer Alison Peck, this musical adventure about misshapen plush dolls that were rejected by quality control in a toy factory is as energetic as its mechanics are perplexing. Sure, one must give in to the fantastical elements in films of this kind, but some of the plot details in this mashup production (“Toy Story” + “Monsters Inc.” + a generic stage show) are as visibly defective as its heroes but much less huggable.

Singer Kelly Clarkson, who herself has been on the receiving end of judgmental comments about her physical appearance throughout her career,...

A cappella group Pentatonix is all in for “UglyDolls’” message of embracing what makes one different.

Scott Hoying, one of five group members, told Variety at the “Ugly Dolls” red carpet when asked why they were attracted to providing a song for the soundtrack, “We love animated films and the message of the film is just so beautiful. Being different is cool. And all five of us are very different.”

Pentatonix covers the hit Hall & Oates song “You Make My Dreams.” “We love that song,” said group member Kristin Maldonado at L.A. Live Saturday.

The animated film’s director Kelly Asbury seemed to be on the same page with the a cappella group. “When someone leaves the theater, I hope they’re a little kinder to themselves and to other people,” said Asbury.

“UglyDolls” is a musical with a voice cast full of singers, including Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, Janelle Monáe,...

We have some Hollywood scoop! If you are a Nick Jonas fan, here is some great news for you! The singer-actor, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming animated flick UglyDolls, will also be performing an original song in the film.

Jonas will be voicing one of the UglyDolls’ characters in the film.

UglyDolls is an animated musical comedy film. Jonas will be seen playing the character of Lou who is a mean and preppy leader from Perfection world. He is a perfect doll who trains recruits for perfection and has contempt for the UglyDolls for falling short of his standards.

Apart from the voiceover, Jonas will also perform his original music, The Ugly Truth, in the film.

The actor-singer is excited to be part of the project and says, “It’s exciting to bring something joyful into the world with a positive message of hope and acceptance.

If you are a Nick Jonas fan, here is some great news for you! The singer-actor, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming animated flick UglyDolls, will also be performing an original song in the film. Jonas will be voicing one of the UglyDolls? characters in the film.

UglyDolls is an animated musical comedy film. Jonas will be seen playing the character of Lou who is a mean and preppy leader from Perfection world. He is a perfect doll who trains recruits for perfection and has contempt for the UglyDolls for falling short of his standards. Apart from the voiceover, Jonas will also perform his original music, The Ugly Truth, in the film.

The actor-singer is excited to be part of the project and says, ?It?s exciting to bring something joyful into the world with a positive message of hope and acceptance.?

The film also features the voices of Kelly Clarkson,...

Stx has launched a the third and final trailer for the animated family feature ‘Ugly Dolls’ featuring the voice of Kelly Clarkson and Nick Jonas.

Directed by ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ and ‘Shrek 2’ Kelly Asbury, the animation has a voice cast that consists of Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Janelle Monáe, Nick Jonas, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Charli Xcx, Bebe Rexha, Lizzo and Pitbull.

Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas and Pitbull have all created original songs that will appear in the film.

Created as a plush toy line by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, the UglyDoll brand quickly gained a cult following around the world. Beloved by children, teenagers and adults alike, UglyDoll characters are distinct for their endearing “ugliness,” in a wonderful “uglyverse” where differences are celebrated and embraced.

Also in trailers – New trailer for ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ welcomes you back to bird island...

Kelly Clarkson declares herself a “superwoman” on her sleek new electro-pop song “Broken & Beautiful,” which appears on the upcoming soundtrack to animated film UglyDolls. The song was co-written by Pink and co-produced by Marshmello.

“I never held my hand out and asked for something free/I got pride I could roll out for miles in front of me,” the singer softly croons over a four-chord synth pulse. “I don’t need your help, and I don’t need sympathy/I don’t need you to lower the bar for me.

A new trailer for the Uglydolls movie has arrived. In an age where Hollywood is trying anything and everything to find the next big franchise, it's become increasingly popular to turn to the world of hot selling toys in order to craft a potential movie series. In this case, STXFilms has turned to the Uglydoll line of plush toys and brought them to life on the big screen in a music-filled, colorful, sprawling adventure. Will that bet pay off?

The trailer sets up an almost depressing premise that sees imperfect toys thrown out into a faraway land. Sort of like the Island of Misfit Toys. It then turns into an adventure with a group of these castaways looking for the "big world" in hopes of finding a kid that would like to play with them. The footage then highlights the musical nature of the movie, along with its human characters...

Stx has launched a brand new trailer for the animated family feature ‘Ugly Dolls’ featuring the voice of Kelly Clarkson and Nick Jonas.

Directed by ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ and ‘Shrek 2’ Kelly Asbury, the animation has a voice cast that consists of Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Janelle Monáe, Nick Jonas, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Charli Xcx, Bebe Rexha, Lizzo and Pitbull.

Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas and Pitbull have all created original songs that will appear in the film.

Created as a plush toy line by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, the UglyDoll brand quickly gained a cult following around the world. Beloved by children, teenagers and adults alike, UglyDoll characters are distinct for their endearing “ugliness,” in a wonderful “uglyverse” where differences are celebrated and embraced.

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The film is released...

Stx Entertainment is partnering with Alibaba Pictures to co-produce and co-finance content from its upcoming UglyDolls franchise as the studio looks to build a long-term global IP. The animated feature film based on David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim’s popular toy line opens on May 3.

Already, Stx is planning an animated TV series with Hulu, as well as digital and print publishing, mobile and educational games, music and merchandising connected to the property.

The venture combines Stx’s multiplatform content making, marketing and distribution expertise with Alibaba Group’s entire ecosystem. With more than 600M consumers across e-commerce, marketing, ticketing, digital media and entertainment platforms, merchandising and consumer insights, Alibaba Pictures serves as the “Gateway to China,” bringing entertainment content to the Middle Kingdom.

Stx’s push into animation comes with the deep experience of its film division leaders, STXfilms chairman Adam Fogelson, who prior to coming to Stx, was instrumental in establishing Illumination Entertainment,...

A lifelong fan of Sherlock Holmes, director John Stevenson had a set of specific conditions for taking on the Paramount animated sequel, Sherlock Gnomes. Coming off Kelly Asbury’s 2011 feature Gnomeo & Juliet, the follow-up would retain key elements—namely, a band of charming garden sculptures, who get into a series of comedic misadventures. At the same time, Stevenson’s take wouldn’t be overly goofy or broad. Set in contemporary London, it would show reverence for an iconic literary character, who would be “repositioned to work for a family film.” An interesting and unusual challenge for the director was to take a franchise that began in one genre—the musical romantic comedy—and recontextualize it for another. “That’s not a normal thing to do with any kind of movie, let alone an animated one,” Stevenson says. “But that was the condition for me to work on it, and...

With Disney making it official that for a second year in a row summer will start during the last weekend of April with Avengers: Endgame, Stx Entertainment is jumping its family animated feature UglyDolls to May 3, up a week from May 10.

UglyDolls will now be the only wide entry May 3 and moves away from Warner Bros’ Pokemon Detective Pikachu which was planted on May 10.

Kelly Asbury directs the animated pic based off David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim’s plush toy line. Voice cast includes Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Pitbull, Blake Shelton, Janelle Monáe, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Bebe Rexha, Charli Xcx, Lizzo, and Wang Leehom.

The film is another bid by Stx to launch a potential franchise in the wake of its hit female comedy Bad Moms.

Stx has released the first trailer for the new animated family adventure based on the beloved toy brand ‘Ugly Dolls’

Directed by ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ and ‘Shrek 2’ Kelly Asbury, the animation has a voice cast that consists of Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Janelle Monáe, Nick Jonas, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Charli Xcx, Bebe Rexha, Lizzo and Pitbull.

Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas and Pitbull have all created original songs that will appear in the film.

Also in trailers – Max takes an unwanted trip to the vet in first trailer for ‘The Secret Life of Pets 2’

The film will hit cinemas nationwide August 16th 2019

Ugly Dolls Official Synopsis

In the adorably different town of Uglyville, the free-spirited Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) and her UglyDolls friends confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t...

"Good morning Uglyville!" Stx Entertainment has unveiled the first trailer for the animated UglyDolls movie, in theaters next May. This is based on the beloved-worldwide little weirdo plush dolls, first created by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim in 2001. This movie has been in development for years, and it's Stx's first animated "family" project, co-produced by Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios - crazy enough. Stx's UglyDolls is an animated musical adventure starring the acting & singing voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, and Pitbull. The story follows a group of UglyDolls who "confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing." Sounds just like the Trolls movie. The voice cast also features Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, and Wang Leehom. Hang with the weirdos below. Here's the...

UglyDolls, the delightfully awkward and unconventional creations of David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim that first appeared back in 2001, have now received the feature-length animated treatment, courtesy of STXfilms. The first trailer for the adaptation is here, and if you love squishy little creatures singing unforgettable and original songs, this one might just be for you. Director Kelly Asbury heads up this unique film with a cast that features the voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Blake Shelton, Janelle Monae, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Wang Leehom and Pitbull. They'll …...

STXfilms' Uglydolls trailer is an animated musical adventure, which champions the weird and the strange. The movie features the acting and singing voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae, Blake Shelton, and even Pitbull. The movie is inspired by the unique and beloved global plush toy phenomenon launched in 2001 by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim. All of your favorites are here in the trailer, including Moxy, Ox, Wage, Babo, Lucky Bat, and Ugly Dog in all of their weird and adorable animated glory.

The UglyDolls trailer begins in the town of Uglyville, where weird is celebrated, strange is special, and beauty is embraced as much more than meets the eye. Kelly Clarkson's Moxy is leading the charge in the trailer, singing a syrupy sugar sweet pop song about how it's awesome to be a little different. Be careful. These songs are going to get lodged in your ear...

The Uglydolls are coming to the big screen this summer. Meet Moxy, Ox, Wage, Babo, Lucky Bat and Ugly Dog in a series of new character posters, along with the first one-sheet teaser and the promise of a first look trailer coming this Thursday.

Unconventionality rules in UglyDolls, STXfilms' new animated musical adventure in theaters this May starring the acting and singing voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Mon&#225e, Blake Shelton and Pitbull. Yes, you heard that right. Pitbull. The film is inspired by the unique and beloved global plush toy phenomenon launched in 2001.

The character posters below were unveiled in advance of the worldwide debut of the trailer for UglyDolls this Thursday, November 8, set to launch in an unprecedented Live global cross-platform event across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube on the film social pages and simulcast on across cast social pages including Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas,...