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Gnomeo & Juliet

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Gnomeo & Juliet
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKelly Asbury
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Rob Sprackling
  • John Smith
  • Andy Riley
  • Kevin Cecil
  • Kelly Asbury
  • Steve Hamilton Shaw
Based onRomeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Produced by
Starring
Edited byCatherine Apple
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 23, 2011 (2011-01-23) (El Capitan Theatre)
  • February 11, 2011 (2011-02-11) (United Kingdom and United States)
Running time
84 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United Kingdom[1]
  • United States
  • Canada[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$36 million[5]
Box office$193.9 million[6]

Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 animated romantic comedy film directed by Kelly Asbury from a screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. It is loosely based on the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and features the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Maggie Smith, Ashley Jensen, Stephen Merchant, Matt Lucas, Jim Cummings, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson, Patrick Stewart, and Ozzy Osbourne. The story follows Gnomeo and Juliet, a pair of garden gnomes who fall in love, but due to the feud between their respective families, they must find a way to keep their blossoming romance a secret.

Gnomeo & Juliet premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on January 23, 2011, and was theatrically released on February 11 by Entertainment One Films in the United Kingdom[3] and Touchstone Pictures in the United States. The film grossed $193 million worldwide and received nominations for several Annie Awards. The song "Hello Hello" by Elton John and Lady Gaga was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, the Satellite Award for Best Original Song, and the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Song. A sequel, Sherlock Gnomes, was released in 2018 by Paramount Animation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Rocket Pictures without achieving the success of the first film.

Plot

[edit]

In Stratford-upon-Avon, elderly neighbors Miss Montague and Mr. Capulet despise each other. When they leave their gardens, their garden gnomes and lawn ornaments come to life. The Montague garden is inhabited by blue-hatted gnomes led by Lady Blueberry, while the Capulet garden is home to red-hatted gnomes led by Lord Redbrick. The feud between the human owners is mirrored by their respective gnome factions.

During a lawnmower race in an alleyway, Lady Blueberry's son, Gnomeo, competes against Tybalt, a Red gnome, who destroys Gnomeo's mower. Later, Gnomeo and his friend Benny infiltrate the Red garden to sabotage Tybalt's mower but instead damage his pedestal, triggering a security alarm. During the escape, Gnomeo stumbles into an abandoned garden and meets Juliet, the daughter of Lord Redbrick, who is retrieving a unique Cupid's Arrow orchid. They become infatuated until discovering they belong to rival gardens. Juliet flees, later confiding in her friend Nanette.

Despite the rivalry, Gnomeo and Juliet continue to meet secretly. They encounter Featherstone, a plastic flamingo who encourages their relationship. Meanwhile, Lord Redbrick arranges Juliet's pairing with Paris, a Red gnome, though Juliet diverts his attention to Nanette. After the Reds destroy a prized Blue plant, Gnomeo retaliates by spraying the Reds' tulips with herbicide. Juliet catches him in the act, leading to an argument. Featherstone shares his story of losing his mate due to a human divorce, inspiring the pair to reconcile and plan to create a shared garden.

Benny witnesses Gnomeo and Juliet together and runs off, unknowingly encountering Tybalt. A confrontation ensues, resulting in Tybalt's apparent destruction when his mower crashes. The Reds retaliate, and Gnomeo is pushed into a busy road. A shattered blue teapot leads everyone to believe he has been killed. Grieving, Lord Redbrick confines Juliet by gluing her feet to her tower.

Gnomeo survives and ends up in a park, where he recounts his story to a statue of William Shakespeare, who cynically predicts a tragic ending. Meanwhile, Benny orders a powerful Terrafirminator lawnmower online to destroy the Red garden. When activated, the Terrafirminator loses control and begins demolishing both gardens as the gnomes engage in battle.

Learning of Juliet’s peril, Gnomeo races back to save her. As the Terrafirminator targets Juliet’s tower, Gnomeo and Juliet reunite and share a kiss before the machine crashes into the tower and explodes. Believing the couple to have been destroyed, Lady Blueberry and Lord Redbrick reconcile and end their feud.

Gnomeo and Juliet emerge unharmed from the debris, and the two families celebrate their survival. Tybalt is rebuilt, Featherstone reunites with his long-lost mate, and the gnomes gather to watch Gnomeo and Juliet depart together on a purple lawnmower, symbolizing the union of the two clans.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

The film was the original idea of Sprackling and Smith, who sold the spec script to Disney through Rocket Pictures. Disney studio chairman Dick Cook greenlit the film, under then Disney-owned Miramax Films in 2006, after turning it down previously as Walt Disney Animation Studios project. Miramax was later sold by Disney in 2010, but the latter studio retained the rights to the film. Starz Animation produced and animated the film. After first sitting on the film as it was an animated film not by a Disney animation unit, Disney Studios then opted to release the film through its Touchstone Pictures banner.[7] Australian director Adam Elliot was approached and asked to direct the film, but he rejected the offer due to the film's incompatibility with his style, as well as his lack of experience with CGI.[8]

Asbury got on board in 2006, and was attracted to the movie in order to work with Elton John.[9] Asbury and Hamilton Shaw then rewrote the film "sort of from scratch," [9] A particular challenge, according to Asbury was how to differentiate the ending between the original play and the movie in order to "keep daggers and poison and suicide out".[9] Asbury had free range of the casting and conducted the process only through listening to voices, not knowing which actor was auditioning until he felt they were right for the character.[9] Prior to the casting of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, the roles of Gnomeo and Juliet were originally to be voiced by Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet, respectively.[10]

Music

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Main article: Gnomeo & Juliet (soundtrack)

Gnomeo & Juliet: Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack album and was released by Buena Vista Records on February 1, 2011.[11] It features music by Elton John (who was also the film's executive producer), Nelly Furtado, Kiki Dee, and selections from the score composed by Chris Bacon and James Newton Howard (who played keyboards for Elton John and arranged strings on many previous projects).

The duet of John and Lady Gaga for "Hello, Hello" was featured in the film, released on February 11, 2011, but the soundtrack version only features John.[12] Additionally, on May 4, 2011, the duet was leaked online and available for download on most sharing websites.

Release

[edit]

Gnomeo & Juliet's worldwide premiere was at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on January 23, 2011. The film was released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures under the label Touchstone Pictures on February 11, 2011.[1] The film was Touchstone's first animated film since 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas and also Touchstone's first and only film to receive a G rating from the MPAA. The film was distributed by Disney worldwide except for selected territories such as the UK and Ireland, where Entertainment One Films released the movie.[4] Pathé International handled international sales for the film.[13] Elton John and director Asbury presented 10 minutes of the film at the Cannes Film Festival.[14]

Home media

[edit]

Gnomeo & Juliet was released by Touchstone Home Entertainment on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 24, 2011.[15][16] The film was produced as three different packages: a 1-disc DVD, a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, and a 3-disc Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, and DVD combo pack. The 3-disc package also includes access to a digital download of the film.[17] Both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the release include the music video for Elton John and Nelly Furtado's version of John's "Crocodile Rock", as well as the extras "Elton Builds a Garden" and "Frog Talk" with Ashley Jensen.[18] In addition, the Blu-ray version also has several deleted and alternate scenes, as well as a feature with Ozzy Osbourne called "The Fawn of Darkness".[19]

Reception

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Critical response

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, Gnomeo & Juliet holds an approval rating of 55% based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's consensus reads: "While it has moments of inspiration, Gnomeo & Juliet is often too self-referential for its own good."[20] On Metacritic, it has a score of 53 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[21] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[22]

Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal praised the film as "a lively little movie, a comic take on Shakespeare's tragedy that is really entertaining."[23] Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called it "a simple pleasure" with "its own bizarre charms and breezy confidence."[24] Justin Chang of Variety described it as "a welcome dose of honest silliness" during a period when many family animations favored smart-alecky humor.[25]

In a more mixed review, Tasha Robinson of The A.V. Club criticized the film’s reliance on pop culture gags and "recycled Elton John songs."[26] Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw noted the film was "better than expected," though he criticized its "relentless puns and recycled ideas."[27] Common Sense Media praised the animation and humor but cautioned about some mild innuendo, recommending it for older children and families.[28]

Mark Jenkins of The Washington Post acknowledged its colorful visuals but found the story lightweight, noting it lacked the sharpness of more distinguished animated features.[29] Scott Bowles of USA Today was more positive, saying it "manages to make the most of its offbeat concept."[30] Similarly, NPR's Bob Mondello appreciated its "cheerful irreverence," though he observed that it largely relied on familiar narrative beats.[31]

Critics from Empire and Time Out offered more reserved praise, calling the film "harmless fun" but noting that its humor and pacing felt uneven.[32][33] IGN praised its visual style but criticized its storytelling for being "too thin to fully engage older audiences."[34]

Box office

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Gnomeo & Juliet grossed approximately $100 million in North America and $94 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $193.9 million.[6] It outperformed Mars Needs Moms, a more expensive Disney release that followed a month later.[35]

The film opened in 2,994 theaters in North America on February 11, 2011, earning $6.2 million on its first day and $25.4 million over its opening weekend, finishing third behind Just Go with It and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.[36][37] Despite not debuting at number one, it set a record for the largest opening weekend for an animated feature released during the winter months (January–February) and for a minor animated title with little pre-release anticipation, according to Box Office Mojo.[38]

During its second weekend—Presidents' Day weekend—Gnomeo & Juliet topped the global box office with $29.8 million, despite ranking second domestically and internationally behind other films.[39][40] It became the highest-grossing winter-released animated film at the time, a title it held until The Lego Movie surpassed it in 2014.[41]

In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Malta, it opened at number one with £2.9 million ($4.7 million) and eventually grossed $25.3 million in the UK, making it the second-highest market for the film after North America.[42]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Category Recipients Result
Annie Awards[43] Directing in a Feature Production Kelly Asbury Nominated
Storyboarding in a Feature Production Nelson Yokota Nominated
Voice Acting in a Feature Production Jim Cummings Nominated
Writing in a Feature Production Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Mark Burton, Kathy Greenburg, Emily Cook, Rob Sprackling, John Smith, Kelly Asbury, Steve Hamilton Shaw Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards[44] Best Song "Hello Hello", performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin Nominated
Golden Globe Awards[45] Best Original Song Nominated
Satellite Awards[46] Best Original Song Nominated

Sequel

[edit]
Main article: Sherlock Gnomes

In March 2012, it was reported that a sequel titled Sherlock Gnomes was in development at Rocket Pictures. Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil, two of the nine writers on the first film, were writing the script for the sequel. Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish produced the film, and Elton John was an executive producer, and again composed songs for the film. The film featured Sherlock Gnomes, "the greatest ornamental detective" hired by the characters from the first film, to solve the mystery of disappearing gnomes.[47] John Stevenson, director of Kung Fu Panda, directed the sequel, and Johnny Depp voiced Sherlock Gnomes.[48] The film was released March 23, 2018.[49] Unlike the original, it was released by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  2. ^ "Elton John Rips Disney with Rant over 'Gnomeo and Juliet'". The Hollywood Reporter. March 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Gnomeo & Juliet (2D)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2014. 83m 45s
  4. ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (May 23, 2011). "Film and TV Focus Lifts Entertainment One Profits". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015. Among Entertainment One's movie releases was Gnomeo & Juliet 3D released in Canada and Britain,...
  5. ^ "Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
  7. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 6, 2015). "Johnny Depp Lending His Voice To Paramount/MGM Sequel 'Sherlock Gnomes'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 8, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  8. ^ "Interview with Adam Elliot, writer/director/designer of Mary and Max". Crickey.com.au. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d Eisenberg, Eric. "Exclusive Interview: Gnomeo And Juliet Director Kelly Asbury". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  10. ^ Reynolds, Simon (February 7, 2011). "Gnomeo & Juliet". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  11. ^ "Buena Vista Records to Release Gnomeo & Juliet Original Soundtrack 2/1". PR Newsire. January 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  12. ^ "Lady Gaga, Elton John Duet Won't Appear On 'Gnomeo & Juliet' Soundtrack". Billboard.com. Associated Press. February 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  13. ^ Kay, Jeremy (April 23, 2010). "Pathe takes international on Gnomeo & Juliet". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
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  19. ^ Ribera, J.C. (April 2, 2011). "Disney Brings Gnomeo & Juliet to Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  20. ^ "Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  21. ^ "Gnomeo and Juliet Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  22. ^ "GNOMEO AND JULIET (2011) B+". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  23. ^ Morgenstern, Joe (February 11, 2011). "'Gnomeo': A Bard's Garden of Delights". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  24. ^ Burr, Ty (February 11, 2011). "Gnomeo & Juliet". Boston.com. The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  25. ^ Chang, Justin (February 9, 2011). "Gnomeo & Juliet". Variety. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  26. ^ Robinson, Tasha (February 10, 2011). "Gnomeo & Juliet". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  27. ^ Alexander, David (July 12, 2021). "Hear me out: why Gnomeo & Juliet isn't a bad movie". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  28. ^ Movie & TV reviews for parents. "Gnomeo & Juliet Movie Review | Common Sense Media". www.commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  29. ^ O'Connell, Sean (February 27, 2011). "Gnomeo & Juliet movie review". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  30. ^ "Movie Review: Gnomeo & Juliet, Wherefore Art Thou Original Ideas?". TODAY.com. February 11, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
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  32. ^ "Gnomeo & Juliet". Empire. April 19, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  33. ^ Schager, Nick. "Gnomeo & Juliet". Time Out Worldwide. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  34. ^ "Gnomeo & Juliet [Reviews]". IGN. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  35. ^ Riley-Smith, Ben (March 21, 2011). "'Mars Needs Moms': does flop mean 3D is history?". thefirstpost.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 23, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  36. ^ "Overseas Total Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  37. ^ "February 11–13, 2011 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 23, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  38. ^ Gray, Brandon (February 13, 2011). "'Just,' 'Justin,' 'Juliet' Jumpin'". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  39. ^ "February 18–20, 2011". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  40. ^ "Overseas Total Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  41. ^ "Animation". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 18, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  42. ^ "GNOMEO AND JULIET". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  43. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 4, 2012). "'Rango' Wins Annie Award for Best Animated Feature". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  44. ^ Karger, Dave (December 13, 2011). "'The Artist' and 'Hugo' lead Broadcast Film Critics nominations". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  45. ^ "Golden Globes 2012: The Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  46. ^ "2011". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  47. ^ Fleming, Mike (March 8, 2012). "Rocket Pictures Plots 'Gnomeo & Juliet' Sequel, With New Tunes By Elton John". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  48. ^ Fleming, Mike (September 5, 2012). "John Stevenson Tapped To Direct 'Gnomeo & Juliet' Sequel 'Sherlock Gnomes'". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
  49. ^ Evans, Greg (May 26, 2017). "Paramount Nudges 'Sherlock Gnomes' To Later Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
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