The Godfather Part II
1974 epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, loosely based on the 1969 novel "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. It is both a sequel and a prequel to the 1972 film "The Godfather", presenting parallel dramas: one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the new Don of the Corleone family, protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life; the other covers the journey of his father, Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City. The ensemble cast also features Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Marianna Hill and Lee Strasberg.
Following the first film's success, Paramount Pictures began developing a follow-up, with many of the cast and crew returning. Coppola, who was given more creative control, had wanted to make both a sequel and a prequel to "The Godfather" that would tell the story of Vito's rise and Michael's fall. Principal photography began in October 1973 and wrapped up in June 1974. "The Godfather Part II" premiered in New York City on December 12, 1974, and was released in the United States on December 20, 1974. It grossed $48 million in the United States and Canada and up to $93 million worldwide on a $13 million budget. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and became the first sequel to win Best Picture. Its six Oscar wins also included Best Director for Coppola, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Puzo. Pacino won Best Actor at the BAFTAs and was nominated at the Oscars.
"The Godfather Part II" is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, as well as a rare example of a sequel that rivals its predecessor. Like its predecessor, "Part II" remains a highly influential film, especially in the gangster genre. In 1997, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 32nd-greatest film in American film history and it retained this position 10 years later. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Pauline Kael wrote: ""The Godfather" was the greatest gangster picture ever made, and had metaphorical overtones that took it far beyond the gangster genre. In Part II, the wider themes are no longer merely implied. The second film shows the consequences of the actions in the first; it’s all one movie, in two great big pieces, and it comes together in your head while you watch."
"The Godfather Part III", the final installment in the trilogy, was released 16 years later in 1990.
Plot.
The film interweaves events some time after "The Godfather" and the early life of Vito Corleone.
Vito.
In 1901, nine-year-old Vito Andolini escapes from Corleone, Sicily in the Kingdom of Italy to New York City after mafia chieftain Don Ciccio kills the rest of his family. An immigration officer registers him as Vito Corleone. By 1917 Vito is married in Little Italy and has an infant son, Sonny. Black Hand extortionist Don Fanucci preys on the neighborhood, costing Vito his grocery store job. He begins stealing for a living with his neighbor Peter Clemenza and has two more children: Fredo and Michael.
Vito, Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio sell stolen dresses door-to-door. Fanucci demands payoffs of $200 from Vito and his partners. Vito doubts Fanucci's muscle and decides to offer less. He meets Fanucci and offers $100, which Fanucci grudgingly accepts. Emboldened, Vito tracks Fanucci back to his apartment and kills him. Vito's reputation spreads, and neighbors ask him to defend them from other predatory figures.
In 1922, Vito and his family travel to Sicily to start an olive oil importing business. He and business partner Don Tommasino visit an elderly Don Ciccio. He obtains Ciccio's blessing for their business, then reveals his identity and slices Ciccio's stomach, avenging the Andolini family.
Michael.
In 1958, Don Michael Corleone has several meetings at his Lake Tahoe compound during the First Communion of his son Anthony. Johnny Ola, representing Jewish Mob boss Hyman Roth, promises support in taking over a Las Vegas casino. Corleone "capo" Frank Pentangeli asks for help defending Bronx territory from Roth affiliates, the Rosato brothers. Michael refuses, frustrating Pentangeli. Senator Pat Geary demands a bribe to secure the casino license and insults Michael's Italian heritage. That night, Michael narrowly escapes an assassination attempt. Suspecting a traitor in the family, he leaves "consigliere" Tom Hagen in charge and leaves the compound.
Michael separately tells Pentangeli and Roth that he suspects the other of planning the hit, and arranges a peace meeting between Pentangeli and the Rosatos. At the meeting the brothers attempt to strangle Pentangeli. A police officer drops in, forcing the brothers to flee. Hagen blackmails Geary into cooperating with the Corleones by having him framed for the death of a prostitute.
Roth invites Michael to Havana to invest in his activities under the Batista government. Michael expresses reservations, given the growing Cuban Revolution. Later Roth becomes angry when Michael asks who ordered the Rosatos to kill Pentangeli. Michael and Ola attend a New Year's Eve party where Fredo pretends not to know Ola but later slips. Michael realizes that Fredo is a traitor and orders both Roth and Ola killed. Batista resigns and flees amid rebel advances, and Michael, Fredo and Roth separately escape Cuba. Ola is murdered by hitman Bussetta, who is himself killed by a soldier while attempting to murder Roth at a Havana hospital after Roth was taken there after falling ill. Back home, Hagen tells Michael that his wife Kay miscarried.
A Senate committee on organized crime investigates the Corleone family. Pentangeli agrees to testify against Michael and is placed under witness protection. On returning to Nevada, Fredo tells Michael that he did not realize that Roth was planning an assassination. Michael disowns Fredo but orders that he should not be harmed while their mother Carmela is alive. Michael attends the committee hearing with Hagen and Pentangeli's brother Vincenzo. Pentangeli, upon seeing Vincenzo, retracts his statement implicating Michael in organized crime, and the hearing dissolves in an uproar. Kay tells Michael that she had an abortion and intends to leave him and take their children. Michael strikes her in rage and banishes her alone.
At Carmela's funeral, Fredo hugs a reluctant Michael and befriends Anthony over fishing. Roth returns to the United States after being refused entry to Israel. Corleone "capo" Rocco Lampone assassinates him at the airport and is shot dead trying to escape. Hagen visits Pentangeli at the army barracks where he is held and they discuss how failed conspirators against a Roman emperor could commit suicide to save their families. Pentangeli is later found dead in his bathtub, having slit his wrists. Enforcer Al Neri takes Fredo fishing and shoots him as Michael watches from the compound.
Michael recalls Vito's 50th birthday party on December 7, 1941. While the family waits for Vito, Michael announces that he has dropped out of college and joined the Marines, angering Sonny and surprising Hagen. Only Fredo supports his decision. When Vito is heard arriving, Michael sits alone at the table while the others welcome him in surprise. After Fredo's death, Michael sits pensively, alone, by the lake.
Cast.
<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>* Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
Production.
Development.
Mario Puzo started writing a script for a sequel in December 1971, before "The Godfather" was even released; its initial title was "The Death of Michael Corleone". Francis Ford Coppola's idea for the sequel would be to "juxtapose the ascension of the family under Vito Corleone with the decline of the family under his son Michael... I had always wanted to write a screenplay that told the story of a father and a son at the same age. They were both in their thirties and I would integrate the two stories... In order not to merely make "Godfather I" over again, I gave "Godfather II" this double structure by extending the story in both the past and in the present". Coppola met with Martin Scorsese about directing the film, but Paramount refused. Coppola also, in his director's commentary on "The Godfather Part II", mentioned that the scenes depicting the Senate committee interrogation of Michael Corleone and Frank Pentangeli are based on the Joseph Valachi federal hearings and that Pentangeli is a Valachi-like figure.
Production, however, nearly ended before it began when Pacino's lawyers told Coppola that he had grave misgivings with the script and was not coming. Coppola spent an entire night rewriting it before giving it to Pacino for his review. Pacino approved it and the production went forward.
The film's original budget was $6 million but costs increased to over $11 million, with "Variety"'s review claiming it was over $15 million.
Casting.
Several actors from the first film did not return for the sequel. Marlon Brando initially agreed to return for the birthday flashback sequence, but the actor, feeling mistreated by the board at Paramount, failed to show up for the single day's shooting. Coppola then rewrote the scene that same day. Richard S. Castellano, who portrayed Peter Clemenza in the first film, also declined to return, as he and the producers could not reach an agreement on his demands that he be allowed to write the character's dialogue in the film, though this claim was disputed by Castellano's widow in a 1991 letter to "People" magazine. The part in the plot originally intended for the latter-day Clemenza was then filled by the character of Frank Pentangeli, played by Michael V. Gazzo.
Coppola offered James Cagney a part in the film, but he refused. James Caan agreed to reprise the role of Sonny in the birthday flashback sequence, demanding he be paid the same amount he received for the entire previous film for the single scene in "Part II", which he received. Among the actors depicting Senators in the hearing committee are film producer/director Roger Corman, writer/producer William Bowers, producer Phil Feldman, and actor Peter Donat.
Filming.
"The Godfather Part II" was shot between October 1, 1973, and June 19, 1974. The scenes that took place in Cuba were shot in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Charles Bluhdorn, whose Gulf+Western conglomerate owned Paramount, felt strongly about developing the Dominican Republic as a movie-making site. Forza d'Agrò was the Sicilian town featured in the film.
Unlike with the first film, Coppola was given near-complete control over production. In his commentary, he said this resulted in a shoot that ran very smoothly despite multiple locations and two narratives running parallel within one film. Coppola discusses his decision to make this the first major U.S. motion picture to use "Part II" in its title in the director's commentary on the DVD edition of the film released in 2002. Paramount was initially opposed because they believed the audience would not be interested in an addition to a story they had already seen. But the director prevailed, and the film's success began the common practice of numbered sequels.
Only three weeks prior to the release, film critics and journalists pronounced "Part II" a disaster. The cross-cutting between Vito and Michael's parallel stories were judged too frequent, not allowing enough time to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Coppola and the editors returned to the cutting room to change the film's narrative structure, but could not complete the work in time, leaving the final scenes poorly timed at the opening.
It was the last major American motion picture to have release prints made with Technicolor's dye imbibition process until the late 1990s.
Music.
The score is by Nino Rota with additions by Carmine Coppola. It won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Release.
Theatrical.
"The Godfather Part II" premiered in New York City on December 12, 1974, and was released in the United States on December 20, 1974.
Home media.
Coppola created "The Godfather Saga" expressly for American television in a 1975 release that combined "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" with unused footage from those two films in a chronological telling that toned down the violent, sexual, and profane material for its NBC debut on November 18, 1977. In 1981, Paramount released the "Godfather Epic" VHS box set, which also told the story of the first two films in chronological order, again with additional scenes, but not redacted for broadcast sensibilities. Coppola returned to the film again in 1992 when he updated that release with footage from "The Godfather Part III" and more unreleased material. This home viewing release, under the title "The Godfather Trilogy 1901–1980", had a total run time of 583 minutes (9 hours, 43 minutes), not including the set's bonus documentary by Jeff Werner on the making of the films, "The Godfather Family: A Look Inside".
"The Godfather DVD Collection" was released on October 9, 2001, in a package that contained all three films—each with a commentary track by Coppola—and a bonus disc that featured a 73-minute documentary from 1991 entitled "The Godfather Family: A Look Inside" and other miscellany about the film: the additional scenes originally contained in "The Godfather Saga"; "Francis Coppola's Notebook" (a look inside a notebook the director kept with him at all times during the production of the film); rehearsal footage; a promotional featurette from 1971; and video segments on Gordon Willis's cinematography, Nino Rota's and Carmine Coppola's music, the director, the locations and Mario Puzo's screenplays. The DVD also held a Corleone family tree, a "Godfather" timeline, and footage of the Academy Award acceptance speeches.
The restoration was confirmed by Francis Ford Coppola during a question-and-answer session for "The Godfather Part III", when he said that he had just seen the new transfer and it was "terrific".
Restoration.
After a careful restoration by Robert A. Harris of Film Preserve, the first two "Godfather" films were released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 23, 2008, under the title "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration". The Blu-ray Disc box set (four discs) includes high-definition extra features on the restoration and film. They are included on Disc 5 of the DVD box set (five discs).
Other extras are ported over from Paramount's 2001 DVD release. There are slight differences between the repurposed extras on the DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets, with the HD box having more content.
Paramount Pictures restored and remastered "The Godfather", "The Godfather Part II", and "" (a re-edited cut of the third film) for a limited theatrical run and home media release on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the premiere of "The Godfather". The disc editions were released on March 22, 2022.
Video game.
A video game based on the film was released for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2009 by Electronic Arts. It received mixed or average reviews and sold poorly, leading Electronic Arts to cancel plans for a game based on "The Godfather Part III."
Reception.
Box office.
Although "The Godfather Part II" did not surpass the original film commercially, it grossed $47.5 million in the United States and Canada. and was Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film of 1974, and the seventh-highest-grossing picture in the United States. According to its international distributor, the film had grossed $45.3 million internationally by 1994, for a worldwide total of $93 million.
Critical response.
Pauline Kael in "The New Yorker" was an early champion of the film, writing that it was visually "far more complexly beautiful than the first, just as it's thematically richer, more shadowed, more full." She writes: "Twice I almost cried out at the acts of violence that De Niro's Vito committed. I didn't look away from the images, as I sometimes do in routine action pictures. I wanted to see the worst; there is a powerful need to see it. You need these moments as you need the terrible climaxes in a Tolstoy novel. A great novelist does not spare our feelings (as the historical romancer does); he intensifies them, and so does Coppola." However, while the film's cinematography and acting were immediately acclaimed, many criticized it as overly slow-paced and convoluted. Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" viewed the film unfavorably, describing it as "stitched together from leftover parts. It talks. It moves in fits and starts but it has no mind of its own... The plot defies any rational synopsis." "Variety" noted that Canby had been downbeat on the original too and claimed that he was in a minority of one and reported that the film had drawn mostly strongly admiring reviews. In A.D. Murphy's review in "Variety" he described it as a "masterful sequel" and "outstanding in all respects".
William Pechter of "Commentary", while admiring the movie, regretted what he saw as its archness and self-importance, calling it an "overly deliberate and self-conscious attempt to make a film that's unmistakably a serious work of art," and professing to "know of no one except movie critics who likes "Part II" as much as part one." Stanley Kauffmann of "The New Republic" cited what he called "gaps and distentions" in the story.
Roger Ebert awarded three out of four and wrote that the flashbacks "give Coppola the greatest difficulty in maintaining his pace and narrative force. The story of Michael, told chronologically and without the other material, would have had really substantial impact, but Coppola prevents our complete involvement by breaking the tension." Though praising Pacino's performance and lauding Coppola as "a master of mood, atmosphere, and period", Ebert considered the chronological shifts of its narrative "a structural weakness from which the film never recovers". Gene Siskel gave the film three-and-a-half out of four, writing that it was at times "as beautiful, as harrowing, and as exciting as the original. In fact, "The Godfather, Part II" may be the "second" best gangster movie ever made. But it's not the same. Sequels can never be the same. It's like being forced to go to a funeral the second time—the tears just don't flow as easily."
Critical re-assessment.
The film quickly became the subject of a critical re-evaluation. Whether considered separately or with its predecessor as one work, "The Godfather Part II" is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema. Many critics compare it favorably with the original – although it is rarely ranked higher on lists of "greatest" films. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 96% approval rating based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 9.7/10. The consensus reads, "Drawing on strong performances by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola's continuation of Mario Puzo's Mafia saga set new standards for sequels that have yet to be matched or broken." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Michael Sragow's conclusion in his 2002 essay, selected for the National Film Registry website, is that "[a]lthough "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" depict an American family's moral defeat, as a mammoth, pioneering work of art it remains a national creative triumph." In his 2014 review of the film, Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" wrote "Francis Coppola's breathtakingly ambitious prequel-sequel to his first "Godfather" movie is as gripping as ever. It is even better than the first film, and has the greatest single final scene in Hollywood history, a real coup de cinéma."
"The Godfather Part II" was featured on "Sight & Sound"'s Director's list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1992 (ranked at No. 9) and 2002 (where it was ranked at No. 2. The critics ranked it at No. 4) On the 2012 list by the same magazine the film was ranked at No. 31 by critics and at No. 30 by directors. In 2006, Writers Guild of America ranked the film's screenplay (Written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola) the 10th greatest ever. It ranked No. 7 on "Entertainment Weekly"'s list of the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time", and #1 on "TV Guide"'s 1999 list of the "50 Greatest Movies of All Time on TV and Video". "The Village Voice" ranked "The Godfather Part II" at No. 31 in its Top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list in 1999, based on a poll of critics. In January 2002, the film (along with "The Godfather") made the list of the "Top 100 Essential Films of All Time" by the National Society of Film Critics. In 2017, it ranked No. 12 on Empire magazine's reader's poll of "The 100 Greatest Movies". In an earlier poll held by the same magazine in 2008, it was voted 19th on the list of 'The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time'. In 2015, it was tenth in the BBC's list of the 100 greatest American films.
Many believe Pacino's performance in "The Godfather Part II" is his finest acting work. It is now regarded as one of the greatest performances in film history. In 2006, "Premiere" issued its list of "The 100 Greatest Performances of all Time", putting Pacino's performance at #20. Later in 2009, "Total Film" issued "The 150 Greatest Performances of All Time", ranking Pacino's performance fourth place.
The Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited it as one of his 100 favorite films.
Ebert added the film to his Great Movies canon, noting he "would not change a word" of his original review but praising the work as "grippingly written, directed with confidence and artistry, photographed by Gordon Willis... in rich, warm tones." He praises the score: "More than ever, I am convinced it is instrumental to the power and emotional effect of the films. I cannot imagine them without their Nino Rota scores. Against all our objective reason, they instruct us how to feel about the films. Now listen very carefully to the first notes as the big car drives into Miami. You will hear an evocative echo of Bernard Hermann’s score for "Citizen Kane", another film about a man who got everything he wanted and then lost it."
Accolades.
This film is the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" remain the only original/sequel combination both to win Best Picture. Along with "The Lord of the Rings", "The Godfather Trilogy" shares the distinction that all of its installments were nominated for Best Picture; additionally, "The Godfather Part II" and "" are so far the only sequels to win Best Picture. Al Pacino became the third actor to be Oscar-nominated twice for playing the same character.
Notes.
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References.
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Robert De Niro
American actor (born 1943)
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for eight BAFTA Awards and four Emmy Awards. He was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2011, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2019. De Niro was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. president Barack Obama in 2016.
De Niro studied acting at HB Studio, Stella Adler Conservatory, and Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. His first credited screen role was in Brian de Palma's "Greetings" (1968). De Niro's first collaboration with Martin Scorsese was with the crime drama film "Mean Streets" (1973). De Niro has earned two Academy Awards: one for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part II" (1974) and the other for Best Actor portraying Jake LaMotta in Scorsese's drama "Raging Bull" (1980). De Niro was also Oscar-nominated for "Taxi Driver" (1976), "The Deer Hunter" (1978), "Awakenings" (1990), "Cape Fear" (1991), "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012), and "Killers of the Flower Moon" (2023).
He is also known for his film roles in "Bang the Drum Slowly" (1973), "1900" (1976), "The King of Comedy" (1982), "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), "Brazil" (1985), "The Mission" (1986), "Angel Heart" (1987), "The Untouchables" (1987), "Goodfellas" (1990), "This Boy's Life" (1993), "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" (1994), "Heat" (1995), "Casino" (1995), "Jackie Brown" (1997), "Joker" (2019), and "The Irishman" (2019). He directed and acted in both "A Bronx Tale" (1993) and "The Good Shepherd" (2006). His comedic roles include "Hi, Mom!" (1970), "Midnight Run" (1988), "Wag the Dog" (1997), "Analyze This" (1999) and its sequel, "Analyze That" (2002), the "Meet the Parents" films (2000–2010), and "The Intern" (2015).
Also known for his television roles, De Niro portrayed Bernie Madoff in the HBO film "The Wizard of Lies" (2017), earning a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He received further Emmy Award nominations for producing the Netflix limited series "When They See Us" (2019), and for portraying Robert Mueller on "Saturday Night Live".
De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal founded the film and television production company TriBeCa Productions in 1989, which has produced several films alongside his own. Also with Rosenthal, he founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. Many of De Niro's films are considered classics of American cinema. Six of De Niro's films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" as of 2023. Five films are featured on the American Film Institute's (AFI) list of the 100 greatest American films of all time. "Timeout" magazine's list of 100 best movies included seven of De Niro's films, as chosen by actors in the industry.
Early life and education.
Robert Anthony De Niro was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City on August 17, 1943, the only child of painters Virginia Admiral and Robert De Niro Sr. His father was of Irish and Italian descent, while his mother had Dutch, English, French, and German ancestry. His parents, who had met at the painting classes of Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts, separated when he was two years old after his father announced that he was gay. De Niro was raised by his mother in the Greenwich Village and Little Italy neighborhoods of Manhattan. His father lived nearby, and remained close with De Niro during his childhood. Nicknamed "Bobby Milk" because of his pale complexion, De Niro befriended many street kids in Little Italy, much to the disapproval of his father. Some, however, have remained his lifelong friends. His mother was raised Presbyterian but became an atheist as an adult, while his father had been a lapsed Catholic since the age of 12. Against his parents' wishes, his grandparents had De Niro secretly baptized into the Catholic Church while he was staying with them during his parents' divorce.
De Niro attended PS 41, a public elementary school in Manhattan, through the sixth grade. He began acting classes at the Dramatic Workshop and made his stage debut in school at age 10, playing the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz". He later went to Elisabeth Irwin High School, the upper school of the Little Red School House, for the seventh and eighth grades. He was then accepted into the High School of Music & Art for the ninth grade, but attended for only a short time before transferring to a public junior high school: IS 71, Charles Evans Hughes Junior High School. De Niro attended high school at McBurney School and later, Rhodes Preparatory School. He found performing as a way to relieve his shyness, and became fascinated by cinema, so he dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue acting. He later said, "When I was around 18, I was looking at a TV show and I said, 'If these actors are making a living at it, and they're not really that good, I can't do any worse than them.'" He studied acting at HB Studio and Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. De Niro also studied with Stella Adler, of the Stella Adler Conservatory, where he was exposed to the techniques of the Stanislavski system. As a young actor, De Niro was inspired by the work of Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Greta Garbo, Geraldine Page, and Kim Stanley.
Career.
1963–1973: Early roles and breakthrough.
De Niro had minor film roles in "Encounter, Three Rooms in Manhattan" (both released in 1965) and "Les Jeunes Loups" (1968). Shortly afterwards, De Niro landed a major role in "Greetings" (1968), a satirical film about men avoiding the Vietnam War draft. The film marked the first of a series of early collaborations between De Niro and director Brian De Palma. A year later, De Niro appeared in the drama "Sam's Song" in which he portrays a New York City filmmaker. Also in 1969, he appeared in De Palma's comedy "The Wedding Party"; although it was filmed in 1963, it was kept unreleased for six years. De Niro, who was still unknown at the time, gained a favorable review from "The New York Times"' Howard Thompson: "This farcical comedy, modestly produced by a trio of young people and utilizing some unfamiliar faces, is great fun".
He then appeared in Roger Corman's low-budget crime drama "Bloody Mama" (1970), a loose adaptation of Ma Barker's life, who was the mother of four American criminals, of which De Niro portrayed one: Lloyd Barker. Thompson praised the film and thought the cast gave "fine performances". Next, De Niro starred in De Palma's comedy "Hi, Mom!" (1970), a sequel to "Greetings." Writing for "The New Yorker", Richard Brody opined that De Niro "brings unhinged spontaneity" to his character. He also had a small role in "Jennifer on My Mind" (1971) and in Ivan Passer's "Born to Win" (1971). His last film appearance of 1971 was in "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight", a crime-comedy based on the 1969 novel by Jimmy Breslin.
In 1972, De Niro starred in two performances at The American Place Theatre, directed by Charles Maryan. He then returned to the big screen with "Bang the Drum Slowly" (1973), in which he played the lead role as Bruce Pearson, a Major League Baseball player with Hodgkin disease. His co-stars were Michael Moriarty and Vincent Gardenia. Adapted from the 1956 novel of the same name by Mark Harris, the film received critical acclaim and helped De Niro gain further recognition. "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote, "De Niro proves himself to be one of the best and most likable young character actors in movies with this performance". "Variety" magazine's Alex Belth also took note of De Niro's "touching" portrayal, while Gardenia was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Harris later wrote about De Niro, "He learned only as much baseball as he needed for his role [...] I doubt that he ever cared to touch a baseball again".
In 1973, De Niro began collaborating with Martin Scorsese when he appeared in the crime film "Mean Streets" (1973), co-starring Harvey Keitel. Although De Niro was offered a choice of roles, Scorsese wanted De Niro to play "Johnny Boy" Civello, a small time criminal working his way up into a local mob. While De Niro and Keitel were given freedom to improvise certain scenes, assistant director Ron Satlof recalls De Niro was "extremely serious, extremely involved in his role and preparation", and became isolated from the rest of the cast and crew. "Mean Streets" debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, followed by the New York Film Festival five months later, to a generally warm response. Film critic Roger Ebert thought De Niro gave a "marvelous performance, filled with urgency and restless desperation". Pauline Kael of "The New York Times" was equally impressed by De Niro, writing he is "a bravura actor, and those who have registered him only as the grinning, tobacco-chewing dolt of that hunk of inept whimsey "Bang the Drum Slowly" will be unprepared for his volatile performance. De Niro does something like what Dustin Hoffman was doing in "Midnight Cowboy", but wilder; this kid doesn't just act – he takes off into the vapors". In 1997, "Mean Streets" was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
1974–1980: Scorsese collaboration and acclaim.
De Niro had


Jessie (Toy Story)
Fictional character in the Toy Story franchise
Jessie is a fictional cowgirl rag doll and one of the three central characters in the Disney–Pixar "Toy Story" franchise. She first appeared in "Toy Story 2," and returned in the sequels, "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4". The idea for introducing a female character was suggested by Nancy Lasseter, while John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Ash Brannon, and Andrew Stanton developed and created the character. She is voiced by Joan Cusack in the "Toy Story" filmography, while Sarah McLachlan is her singing voice in "Toy Story 2". Kat Cressida voices the character in the video games, including the "Disney Infinity" series.
In the franchise, Jessie is a brave and excitable rag doll who was abandoned by her first owner after she outgrew her. Years of being in storage leads her to develop claustrophobia and abandonment issues. She is eventually rescued by series protagonist Woody and finds a new owner in Andy Davis. Years later, she and her friends are donated to a new owner in Bonnie Anderson, who claims Jessie as her new favorite toy. With Woody's departure after reuniting with Bo Peep, she is given his sheriff badge as a token of her significance to Bonnie.
Jessie has received a largely positive critical reception since her debut, with praise for her tragic backstory and her overall characterization and role in the franchise, However, many critics criticized Pixar for sidelining her in the fourth film, giving her a minimal role. Cusack's vocal performance of the character was positively received, and she was awarded for voicing Jessie at the 2000 Annie Awards.
Development.
Conception and design.
The story concept for "Toy Story 2" began with director John Lasseter considering what scenario would be most upsetting for a toy. He decided that the idea of a toy collector who seals toys in cases ensuring that they will never to be played with was worse than being replaced by another toy. He took inspiration from a toy collector character that appeared in an early draft of "Toy Story" but was removed. The concept involved series protagonist Woody being part of a collectible set, an idea that originated in a draft story titled "A Tin Toy Christmas". Ralph Guggenheim, a producer on "Toy Story 2", said that the team took inspiration from 1950s children's cowboy television series, including "Howdy Doody" and "Hopalong Cassidy," to define the rest of the characters in Woody's set: "You would find a gruff old prospector. You would find other characters, like an Annie Oakley-Calamity Jane sort of character, a tough frontier girl." Lasseter's wife Nancy also encouraged him to include a female character that would appeal to girls and to make her a more substantial character than Bo Peep. Jessie was originally created as a character named Señorita Cactus, designed as a Mexican sidekick of the prospector character to entice Woody with her feminine charms. By the time she had been redefined as Jessie, her personality was also updated to be tougher.
The Pixar team knew that a key aspect of the plot was to find a reason for Woody to leave Andy's room, so they wanted to create a compelling character to engage with Woody emotionally. Chief creative officer Pete Docter said that the team knew that Woody could not be convinced to leave through logic and reason so they decided that it needed to centre on a relationship: "Jessie brought this sense of responsibility and duty". "Toy Story 4" director Josh Cooley said that Jessie was created to support Woody and show him a new perspective and as she evolved she continued to support him. Production designer Bob Pauley described Jessie as "superfun and energetic and a nice complement to Woody". She was initially designed by Jill Culton, who found her hair particularly difficult, but her design was later upgraded. Lasseter said that the team worked hard on making Jessie a strong female character. He explained that after being abandoned by her owner, Jessie believes that her only opportunity to be loved by children again is in a museum, which requires a Woody doll: "her whole love of children is hinged around the fact that Woody got there". He said that several attempts were made to create the scene in which Jessie tells her backstory but when this failed to work, they found that it was better expressed through the song "When She Loved Me", written by Randy Newman and performed by Sarah McLachlan. Lasseter explained that, "every time she would tell the story, it lost some emotion". Although the Pixar team generally avoided having characters break into song, they decided that the song was the right format for expressing the emotion: "It brought tears to our eyes."
Voices.
Joan Cusack was cast as the voice actor for Jessie in "Toy Story 2" and voiced the role in the third and fourth "Toy Story" feature films. Discussing her voice work, she commented that Jessie's voice is "inherent in that cowboy genre" and that much of her characterisation is "just being a kid". Lasseter was a fan of McLachlan, so she took on the singing part of the role. Newman said that she had the ability to hold long notes, so he wrote Jessie's song with her voice in mind. He was tasked by the Pixar team to write a song that would explain Jessie's relationship with her owner and her sadness when the girl grew up. In the fictional 1950s series "Woody's Roundup", Jessie's yodelling voice is provided by Mary Kay Bergman. On the film soundtrack, which was released after the film, Devon Dawson, a yodeller discovered by Riders in the Sky at a music festival, sings the part of Jessie in two songs. In addition, Kat Cressida has voiced Jessie in various media, including "Disney Infinity". In "Jessie's Wild West Rodeo" and "Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure", Jessie was voiced by Bettina Devin.
Characteristics.
Jessie is a red-haired, energetic, yodeling cowgirl doll. She is a part of a collectible toy set based on a fictional 1950s cowboy puppet television series named "Woody's Roundup", which consists of Sheriff Woody, Jessie, a prospector named Stinky Pete and Woody's steed Bullseye. This valuable toy collection is destined to be sold to a museum in Tokyo by a collector named Al McWhiggin. Despite having a lively spirit, Jessie has a tragic history. The song "When She Loved Me" reveals that she once had an owner who loved her until the girl eventually abandoned her. This loss leaves Jessie in a depressed state with a deep longing to be loved and played with once more. In addition, her experience of being placed in storage as a collectible toy results in her being severely claustrophobic. After making friends with Woody and the other toys, Jessie's outgoing personality returns and she develops a romantic attachment to Buzz Lightyear. Cusack described her as a "can-do girl".
Appearances.
"Toy Story" films.
"Toy Story 2".
When Woody is stolen by Al McWhiggin, he meets Jessie, Bullseye and Stinky Pete at Al's apartment. Woody learns that he is a rare vintage doll based on a character of the same name from a popular 1950s series titled "Woody's Roundup". Upon discovering that he and the others will be sold to a toy museum in Tokyo, Woody tells them that he must get back home to his owner, which causes Jessie to become enraged due to her fear of being kept in storage. After his arm is torn off, Woody has no choice but to stay and get it fixed, while blaming Jessie for waking Al that night. Woody later has a change of heart after hearing of Jessie's traumatic past (by way of her song "When She Loved Me"), when she was loved by a girl named Emily, but was abandoned on the side of the road. As a result, Woody decides to stay with his roundup gang. A group of Andy's toys show up to rescue Woody, but he refuses. He eventually decides to go back to his owner and asks Jessie and Bullseye to come with him, but Stinky Pete will not let them leave and the group is taken to the airport. Woody and Bullseye escape, but Jessie is taken to the airplane. With the help of Bullseye and Buzz Lightyear, Woody rescues her from the airplane. Once Andy arrives home, he accepts them into his collection, dubbing her as "Bazooka Jane."
"Toy Story 3".
After Andy appears to throw his toys away, Jessie convinces the other toys to find a new home at Sunnyside Daycare, refusing to relive the trauma she felt when she was given away by Emily. She tries to persuade Woody to join the others at the daycare, but he leaves to return to Andy alone. Jessie and the other toys discover that they have been placed in a room with very young children who play with them too roughly. Mrs. Potato Head sees Andy searching for his missing toys through her missing eye, causing Jessie and the others to realize that they were wrong about him. They decide to return home, only for Lotso to order his henchmen to imprison them with the help of a reset Buzz. Following another rough play date with the young children, Andy's toys are reunited with Woody, who has a change of heart and decides to rescue his friends. The toys carry out their plan to break out of Sunnyside but accidentally reset Buzz to a Spanish mode. Spanish Buzz makes his love for Jessie apparent by passionately wooing her. Jessie is initially uncomfortable with this drastic change, but grows to like this romantic side of Buzz. When the toys get stuck in a garbage truck along with Lotso, Jessie is rescued by Spanish Buzz, who appears to be crushed by a broken television set. She despairs over his apparent death, but hugs him in relief after he is returned to normal. After the toys are nearly killed in a trash incinerator, Andy's Alien toys rescue them using a crane. They return home to Andy and prepare to be stored in the attic, but are instead given to a girl named Bonnie after Woody leaves a note for Andy, and Jessie quickly adapts to her new life as one of Bonnie's toys.
"Toy Story 4".
During the prologue, set between the events of "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story 3", Jessie helps Woody, Bo Peep, and the other toys save RC from the storm. Jessie is now Bonnie's favorite toy and she wears Woody's badge as a result. After Bonnie creates Forky, her parents decide to go on a road trip, taking several of her toys with her. Forky escapes and Woody follows him. The following morning, Buzz takes it upon himself to find Woody, resulting in Jessie becoming the temporary leader. Bonnie's parents begin to leave, but Jessie is able to stop them by popping the RV tires. At night, Jessie comes up with an idea to slow down Bonnie's parents and to meet up with Woody, Buzz, and Forky. Once the vehicle is parked in front of the carousel, Jessie and the other toys reunite with Bo Peep. Woody, deciding not to go back home, gives Jessie his badge and they share a heartwarming farewell before he departs. The following year, Jessie introduces Karen Beverly to Bonnie's other toys, which gets the attention of Forky.
"Toy Story 5".
Jessie was confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming film "Toy Story 5" in an image revealed at Disney's D23 Expo.
Other films.
Jessie was featured as a minor character in "Toy Story That Time Forgot", a television special for ABC. In "Toy Story of Terror!", Jessie plays a prominent role in a story where she is forced to confront her claustrophobia after Bonnie and the toys stay over at a motel. She also makes an appearance in "Pixar Popcorn" shorts. Jessie also appears in the short films "Toy Story Toons". She makes several cameo appearances in other Disney films. She makes an appearance in "Monsters, Inc." as one of Boo's toys. She can also be seen in "Meet the Robinsons" on a basketball poster.
Video games.
Jessie has been featured in numerous Disney and Pixar-related video games. She makes an appearance in "." She is a playable character in '. She was introduced as a playable character in "Disney Infinity" as part of a "Toy Story" playset in October 2013. In the "Disney Infinity" series, she is voiced by Kat Cressida. In 2018, Jessie became an unlockable character for the mobile game '. Additionally, a character skin for Jessie, after the release of "Toy Story 4", was made available in a Toy Story Mashup Pack in "Minecraft" in June 2019.
Theme parks and attractions.
Jessie appears as a towering figure above Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World, Orlando. In Toy Story Midway Mania!, Jessie and her friends are featured in the interactive dark ride at Disney California Adventure and Disney's Hollywood Studios. In 2019, Jessie's Critter Carousel opened at Disney California Adventure. In 2022, Jessie's Trading Post Store and Roundup Rodeo Barbecue opened in Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Jessie is also a meet and greet character in Toy Story Land alongside Woody and Buzz. She has also made appearances with the other "Toy Story" characters in Disney on Ice.
Merchandise.
Disney heavily promoted Jessie following the release of "Toy Story 2", as she was a character that they could market to girls, something the original film did not really provide. Among the toys released were 10" and 12" fashion-style dolls, plush and rag doll-type dolls, and action figures in the "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story and Beyond" lines. Other merchandise included wallets, purses and other accessories for girls, nightlights and other bedroom accessories, costumes and dress-up sets, and sculptures and collectibles. Following the film's release, many stores were sold out of Jessie dolls. During the 1999 Christmas season, Jessie dolls were in high demand.
Reception and legacy.
Jessie has received a largely positive reception. "Rolling Stone" ranked Jessie as the fifth best Pixar movie character, highlighting Cusack’s "bubbly, fragile performance" and noting that in her song "When She Loved Me", she epitomises the end of childhood. Psychologists Alan M. Schwitzer and Lawrence C. Rubin described Jessie's arc in "Toy Story 2" as "a poignant story of abandonment, loss, and reconnection." Gwen Ihnat of "The A.V. Club" summarised Jessie's abandonment by her owner as "gut-wrenching" and a "sobfest", commenting that parents would especially feel the emotional impact of the loss of childhood innocence. She felt that the scene "elevated the movie from an adventurous romp...to a meditation on the losses associated with growing up". Peter Bradshaw writing for "The Guardian" opined that Jessie's abandonment story is really about a parent's fear of their child growing up and becoming independent: "a part of you will wind up, like cowgirl Jessie, left under the child's bed, forgotten". Christine Seghers of "IGN" praised "Toy Story of Terror!" for putting Jessie in a position where she must face up to her fears of abandonment and claustrophobia and is empowered to overcome them.
In a review of "Toy Story 2", Roger Ebert described Jessie as "spunky" and "liberated", commenting that "she brings new life to the cast by confronting the others for the first time with a female character who's a little less domestic than Mrs. Potato Head". Tim Luisi cited Jessie as a turning point in the "Toy Story" franchise's gendered representations of support and described her as the franchise's first female character who was as important as the male characters. Jessie has been described as a "strong, independent and assertive female character", though Lilian Munk Rösing described this strength as "boyish" and "manic". Matthew Wilkinson of "Screen Rant," ranking her as the best supporting character in "Toy Story", stated, "Jessie really brought the girl power into the franchise in a big way." Angie Han of "SlashFilm" listed Jessie as one of the best Pixar female characters, praising Pixar for dwelling on her emotional scars. In a "Mic" article looking at female representation in Pixar films, Anna Swartz said that Jessie is possibly, "the most substantive female character Pixar introduced up to this point", noting her traumatic backstory, but highlighted that it is Woody and Buzz that are clearly placed as the stars of "Toy Story 2".
"Body+Souls" writer Courtney Thompson felt that Jessie was not the feminist hero she could have been, commenting that despite being "adventurous, independent and funny", she is restricted to a sexist romance plot: "Jessie was an opportunity for Pixar to give young girls someone to look up to without having her pander to men at all." Conversely, her developing relationship with Buzz Lightyear received positive commentary from Sara Martin Alegre, who said that it could be considered a subversion of the dominant male romance trope due to the "healthy and consensual feelings that Buzz and Jessie bear for one another". Ella Alexander of "Harper's Bazaar" noted that in "Toy Story 3", Jessie is pushed to the background except for her scenes involving her romance with Buzz Lightyear, while in "Toy Story 4", she is again given a minor supporting role in favour of Bo Peep: "It is, for Pixar at least, too much of a stretch to feature two women in key roles." Steve Rose of "The Guardian" also discussed Pixar's treatment of its female characters by listing Jessie as one of several characters alongside Dory and Mrs Incredible that take second billing to the male characters in Pixar films: "at worst they're token love-interests, stay-at-home mums and other stereotypes bent on spoiling the boys' party". Angelica Florio writing for "Bustle" described Jessie as a "feminist icon", despite noting that "Toy Story 2" features no female interactions with other female characters, thereby failing the Bechdel test. "Time" writer Stephanie Zacharek noted the significance of Woody handing over his sheriff badge to Jessie in "Toy Story 4", commenting, "the reign of the white man is coming to an end".
Cusack received praise for her voice work as Jessie. Marc Snetiker of "Entertainment Weekly" remarked on her "fizz-pop-crackle twang" and considered Jessie to be "one of the most fully realized and precisely layered characters on Pixar’s roster". Simon Kinnear of "GamesRadar+" listed Jessie as one of the greatest female characters in film stating, "Cusack nails Jessie's central dichotomy of a personality branded by manufacturers to be bubbly but driven by reality to be desperately sad". "MovieWeb" writer Katey Hicks ranked Jessie as Cusack's best performance commenting that she creates a convincing and heartbreaking portrayal of the character. Cusack also won the category for Female Voice Acting in a Feature Production at the 2000 Annie Awards for her voice work as Jessie in "Toy Story 2". Jessie also received the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
References.
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List of Toy Story characters
Roles from the Pixar film series
This is a list of characters from Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story" franchise which consists of the animated feature films "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4", and "Lightyear". This list also includes characters from the "Toy Story Toons" series and the television specials "Toy Story of Terror!" and "Toy Story That Time Forgot".
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Introduced in "Toy Story".
Andy's main toys.
Woody.
Sheriff Woody Pride (voiced by Tom Hanks in the films and Jim Hanks in other media) is a 1950s traditional pullstring cowboy doll, and Andy's favorite toy. He usually acts as the leader of Andy's toy group. He is extremely proud of his hat; for example, in "Toy Story 2", he is alarmed when he discovers that he has lost his hat. His rivalry with Buzz forms the basis of the first film's plot. In "Toy Story 2", he is stolen at a yard sale by a toy collector named Al, causing the other toys to embark on a rescue mission. In the film, it is stated that he was the star of a fictional 1950s puppet television series titled "Woody's Roundup". In "Toy Story 3", he and the other toys are donated to a daycare center and must race to get home before Andy leaves for college; he later gets himself and the other toys passed on to Bonnie. In "Toy Story 4", he joins Bo Peep in traveling with his new family and Forky. They also helped lost toys find owners and save Forky from running away. Woody appears in the following Toy Story productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 3", "Toy Story 4", "Toy Story Treats", "Toy Story Toons", "Toy Story of Terror!", "Toy Story That Time Forgot and" Lamp Life.
Buzz Lightyear.
Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen in the films, Patrick Warburton in "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command", Pat Fraley in "Toy Story Treats" and video games, Mike MacRae in video games, Chris Evans in "Lightyear" and Javier Fernández-Peña in Spanish mode) is a modern-day "Space Ranger" action figure. In the films, he acts as Woody's second-in-command. In "Toy Story", he begins the series believing he is a real Space Ranger (the other toys are aware that they are toys) and develops a rivalry with Woody, who resents him for getting more attention as the newcomer. His catchphrase is "To infinity…AND BEYOND!" During the film, he comes to realize that he is just a toy, and eventually becomes good friends with Woody. He is extremely loyal to his friends. In "Toy Story 2", Buzz with Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, and Slinky goes to save Woody from Al, where he gets stuck in the Buzz Lightyear aisle in Al's Toy Barn by another Buzz and finds out for himself what he was really like. In "Toy Story 3", a relationship begins to develop between Buzz and Jessie. He is particularly open with his affection when switched to "Spanish mode".
Andy regards Woody and Buzz as his two favorite toys, in the third film, he considers which one he will take to college, and ultimately chooses Woody. When passing on his toys to Bonnie, he describes Buzz as "the coolest toy ever".
A 65-episode television series, "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command", aired from 2000 to 2001, featuring Buzz as a real Space Ranger. The 2022 Pixar film, "Lightyear", depicts the origin story of the character, which, in the narrative of "Toy Story", inspired the line of Buzz Lightyear toys shown. In "Lightyear," Buzz is shown to be a Space Ranger in Star Command, who is drawn into a conflict with Emperor Zurg after he experiences the effects of time dilation while testing faster-than-light travel methods. Buzz Lightyear appears in the following Toy Story Productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 3", "Toy Story 4", Toy Story Treats, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, "Toy Story Toons", "Toy Story of Terror!", Toy Story That Time Forgot, "Pixar Popcorn and Lightyear."
Bo Peep.
Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) is a porcelain figurine who serves as Woody's romantic interest. Bo Peep, inspired by the nursery rhyme "Little Bo-Peep", is a sweet-natured shepherdess accompanied by a single figure meant to resemble three sheep named Billy, Goat and Gruff. In the first film, she and her sheep are detachable components of Molly's bedside lamp. In Andy's games of imaginative play, Bo Peep is used as the damsel-in-distress of the stories, and she is depicted as gentle, ladylike, and kindhearted. After being given away prior to the events of "Toy Story 3", in which Rex mentions that she had gone on to a new owner (which upsets Woody), Bo Peep returns with a major role in "Toy Story 4". The film focuses on her relationship with Woody and she has a different philosophy on what it means to be a toy. Bo Peep no longer wears a skirt and her frills have been flattened out. She also wears a white bandage to fix her broken right arm and a purple bandage to fix her broken left hand. Bo Peep appears in the following Toy Story productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 4", and "Lamp Life".
Billy, Goat, and Gruff.
Billy, Goat, and Gruff (voiced by Emily Davis) are a trio of conjoined porcelain sheep that accompany Bo Peep. The Sheep appear in the following Toy Story productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story Treats", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 4", "Lamp Life", and "Pixar Popcorn".
Mr. Potato Head.
Mr. Potato Head is a sarcastic, Brooklyn-accented Mr. Potato Head. His design allows him to detach parts from his body and he has a compartment on his lower back to store extra appendages. He retains control over his parts even if they are disconnected from his body. While this attribute is mostly used for comedic effect, it does have its uses, particularly in the second and third films. His wife is Mrs. Potato Head, and they become the adoptive parents to a trio of Aliens in the second film. In the opening scenes of the first and third films, he is described by Andy as the outlaw One-Eyed Bart.
Mr. Potato Head appears in the four main "Toy Story" movies. His voice actor, Don Rickles, had signed on for the fourth film, but died in 2017, before recording any lines. Rickles's family contacted the filmmakers and asked if there was a way to include his old vocal recordings in the film. The filmmakers went through 25 years of Rickles's unused Mr. Potato Head recordings – from the previous three films, the Disney theme parks, and the "Toy Story" video games – to use as the character's lines for the fourth film. According to director Josh Cooley, an editorial team "logged every word, every cough, every hum, just so we'd know what we had". Cooley worked with the film's screenwriters, Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom, to write general lines for the character, and then looked through the database of archived recordings to find a suitable dialogue match. Mr. Potato Head has seven lines and a laugh in the film.
Mr. Potato Head appears in the following Toy Story Productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 3", "Toy Story 4", "Toy Story Toons", "Toy Story of Terror!", Toy Story That Time Forgot and Pixar Popcorn.
Slinky Dog.
Slinky Dog is a gravelly Southern-accented toy dachshund with a metal Slinky for a body. Slinky's head, feet, and a tail are plastic, he has a green collar. Slinky Dog was partially redesigned for the film by Pixar artist Bud Luckey to make him more appealing as an animated character. In the opening scenes of the first and third films, Slinky is described by Andy as One-Eyed Bart's "attack dog with a built-in force field".
Slinky Dog appears in "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2", voiced by Jim Varney. Since "Toy Story 3", Slinky is now voiced by Blake Clark due to Varney's death. His catchphrase is "Golly bob howdy!"
Slinky reappears in the short film "Hawaiian Vacation", in which he acts as a hotel porter as part of Ken and Barbie's Hawaiian adventures. He also appears in "Small Fry" and "Partysaurus Rex". He does not speak in "", silently appearing along with Jessie in one scene.
A ride, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, opened at several Disney theme parks beginning in 2010. Slinky Dog Dash, a steel roller coaster themed to Slinky Dog, opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in 2018. Slinky Dog appears in the following Toy Story Productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 3", "Toy Story 4", and "Toy Story Toons".
Rex.
Rex is a naive, neurotic large, green, plastic "Tyrannosaurus rex" with a lot of anxiety from an inferiority complex ("I just don't think I could take that kind of rejection!"), often expressing his fear that he is not scary enough. Rex's worst fear is that Andy will get another, more intimidating dinosaur, but feels better after Buzz gives him a few pointers on how to roar more effectively. Although Rex is a toy dinosaur, he dislikes confrontation and is sensitive in nature. He is among the largest of Andy's toys. In the opening scenes of the first and third films, he is described by Andy as Woody's "dinosaur who eats force field dogs". When passing his toys onto Bonnie at the end of the third film, Andy describes Rex as the "meanest, most terrifying dinosaur who ever lived".
Rex is voiced by Earl Boen in the video games "" (1999) and "Toy Story Racer" (2001).
Rex appears in each of the "Toy Story" movies. He appears in an outtake of "Monsters, Inc." where he waits at a crosswalk with the film's characters Mike and Sulley. Rex appears in a lot of the Toy Story Productions: "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Toy Story 3", "Toy Story 4", "Toy Story Treats", Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, "Toy Story Toons", "Toy Story of Terror!", "Toy Story That Time Forgot", "Forky Asks a Question" and "Pixar Popcorn".
Hamm.
Hamm is a wisecracking stylized plastic piggy bank. He has a cork in his belly in place of a stopper. He and Mr. Potato Head are friends, and are seen in the first film playing a card game, and later Battleship, which Hamm always wins. Out of all the toys, he is shown to have the most knowledge of the outside world, often being familiar with various gadgets that are shown. In the second and third films, Andy portrays Hamm as a villain known as "Evil Dr. Porkchop", who typically dons Mr. Potato Head's bowler hat. In the third film, Evil Dr. Porkchop has a giant pig-shaped aircraft, which he uses to rescue One-Eyed Bart and One-Eyed Betty (the Potato Heads).
Hamm appears in each of the "Toy Story" movies. He appears in the post-credit scene of "Cars" as part of a homage and self-parody to Ratzenberger (who voices Mack in the film). Hamm also briefly appears in "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins", voiced by Andrew Stanton. In a 2010 television advertisement for the United States federal government's United States Postal Service promoting "Toy Story 3," Hamm wears a postal worker's outfit while promoting the Priority Mail service, Ratzenberger is best known for his role as mailman Cliff Clavin on the long-running sitcom "Cheers". Hamm also makes an appearance in "" as the mayor in Toy Box mode. Hamm appears in the theatrical short films "Hawaiian Vacation," "Small Fry" and "Partysaurus Rex", and also appears in the 2019 video game "Kingdom Hearts III", with Ratzenberger reprising his role. Hamm appears in the Following Toy Story productions: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, Toy Story Treats, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Toy Story Toons, Forky Asks a Question and Pixar Popcorn.
Sarge and the Bucket O Soldiers.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Sarge, also known as Sergeant, (voiced by R. Lee Ermey), is the gung-ho commander of green army men who are stored in a bucket and are known as Bucket O' Soldiers. These toys play a prominent role in "Toy Story" and more minor roles in the next two films.
They also appear in the 2019 video game "Kingdom Hearts III". A ride based on the soldiers, called Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, is located at Disney theme parks in France and Hong Kong.
RC.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />RC is Andy's . He has a green body with blue splash decals on the front. RC cannot speak, instead communicating with revving sounds, which Mr. Potato Head and the other toys can understand regardless. RC is a playable character in "Toy Story Racer". RC plays a major role in the first film, a very minor role in the second film and has a cameo appearance in the fourth film. He does not appear in the third film, except in footage showing Andy as a young boy. He was possibly one of the toys that went to new owners.
RC Racer, a roller coaster ride at several Disney theme parks, features RC transporting riders.
Davis family.
Andy Davis.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Andrew "Andy" Davis (voiced by John Morris in all four films, Charlie Bright in "Toy Story 3" and Jack McGraw in "Toy Story 4") is the overarching protagonist of the "Toy Story" franchise and the original owner of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the other toys in the first three films. He lives with his mother and his sister Molly until the third film, when he goes to college after turning 17. His father is never seen or mentioned in the films. In "Toy Story 2", Andy's mother calls Woody "an old family toy" and Prospector calls him a hand-me-down toy. John Lasseter said "we always thought" that Woody was "kind of a hand-me-down" to Andy from his father.
According to "Toy Story" producer Ralph Guggenheim in a December 1995 "Animation Magazine" article, John Lasseter and the story team for "Toy Story" reviewed the names of Pixar employees' children, looking for the right name for Woody's owner. Davis was ultimately named after and based on Andy Luckey, the son of animator Bud Luckey, Pixar's fifth employee and the creator of Woody.
The physical appearance of Andy differs slightly between each of the films due to advances in animation technology.
Mrs. Davis.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Mrs. Davis (voiced by Laurie Metcalf) is Andy and Molly's single mother. Mrs. Davis is presented as a loving mother to Andy and Molly, but is a major though indirect threat to the toys. Mrs. Davis's actions regarding the toys set the plot in motion in the first three films, though they are not malicious. In the first film, she purchases a Buzz Lightyear toy for Andy on his birthday, prompting the rivalry between Buzz and Woody which leads to them being lost and forced to find their way home. In the second film, she puts Wheezy up for sale at a yard sale, prompting Woody's rescue attempt where he is subsequently stolen by Al. In the third film, she orders Andy to clean out his room before going to college and mistakenly throws away the toys Andy planned to put in the attic. Despite this, in the second film, she is very protective of Woody, describing him as an old family toy. At the end of the third film, she breaks down and weeps at the departure of her son, but Andy reassures her that she will always be with him even if they are apart. This moment between mother and son plays a major factor in Woody's decision to have Andy donate his toys to Bonnie, thus giving them a new lease on their lives.
Molly Davis.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Molly Davis (voiced by Hannah Unkrich in "Toy Story 2" and archived footage in "Toy Story 3" and Bea Miller in "Toy Story 3") is Andy's younger sister, seen as a baby in the first film, a toddler in the second film, and as a preteen in the third film. Andy uses her crib as a town jail during playtime at the beginning of the first film, showing they share a room. When the family moves later in the film, Andy and Molly get separate rooms, though Molly has plans to move into Andy's room once he leaves for college. In the first film, she slobbers on Mr. Potato Head and throws him from the crib, causing his parts to scatter and earning her the nickname "Princess Drool" from him. At the end of the film, she receives a Mrs. Potato Head toy for Christmas. In "Toy Story 3", she also owned a Barbie doll, which she donates to the daycare center as she was less interested in dolls and toys by that time.
In "Toy Story 2", Molly was voiced


Devon Bostick
Canadian actor (born 1991)
Devon Bostick (born November 13, 1991) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his main role as Rodrick Heffley in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series (2010–2012). His other lead roles include "Adoration" (2008), "Dead Before Dawn 3D" (2012), "Okja" (2017), and "Tuscaloosa" (2019). Bostick has also had a number of supporting roles in films such as "Godsend" (2004), "Saw VI" (2009), "The Art of the Steal" (2013), "Regression" (2015), "Words on Bathroom Walls" (2020), and "Oppenheimer" (2023).
In television, Bostick is known for his main role as Jasper Jordan on the CW science fiction series "The 100" (2014–2017). He has also had recurring roles as Leo Strange in the CBC series "Being Erica" (2009–2011), Green on the Quibi series "Most Dangerous Game" (2020), and Oscar on the Netflix series "FUBAR" (2023).
Early life and education.
Bostick was born in Toronto, Ontario. His mother, Stephanie Gorin, is a casting director in Toronto, who works on stage and screen and his father, Joe Bostick, is an actor as well as a film fight coordinator.
Bostick is of British and Norwegian descent. He began acting in the fifth grade and is a graduate of the Etobicoke School of the Arts in Toronto.
Career.
Bostick has had roles in the television series "", "Flashpoint" and in the film "Citizen Duane", and appeared in the series premiere of "Rookie Blue". His film work has included roles in "Godsend", "Fugitive Pieces" and "The Stone Angel".
In "Adoration" (2008), Bostick played Simon, a boy who being raised by his uncle (played by Scott Speedman) after his parents' death. He also appeared in an online spoof trailer for a hoax movie called "Ice Fortress." He had roles in "The Poet", a World War II drama starring Roy Scheider and Colm Feore, "Saw VI" as Brent and "" as Ezio Auditore.
Bostick also played Erica's deceased brother Leo in CBC Television's series "Being Erica", and Rodrick Heffley in the movies of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". He played Alan in three episodes of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel". In "Oppenheimer" (2023), Bostick played Seth Neddermeyer, a physicist who worked at Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project and suggested the use of an implosion-type nuclear weapon in the Trinity Test.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book)
2007 novel by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a children's illustrated novel written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. The book is about a boy named Greg Heffley and his attempts to become popular in his first year of middle school.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" first appeared on FunBrain in 2004, where it was read 20 million times. The abridged hardcover adaptation was released on April 1, 2007. The book was named a "New York Times" bestseller, among other awards and received generally positive reviews. The book was adapted into a live action feature film, which released on March 19, 2010, and an animated film adaptation was released on Disney+ on December 3, 2021.
Plot.
The protagonist Greg Heffley, a student at Larry Mack Junior Middle School, writes a diary to detail his time "stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons" to a future audience reading when he is "rich and famous". Greg details the local myth surrounding a moldy piece of cheese that has been left at his school's basketball court for a long time. If someone touches the cheese, they have the curse-like "Cheese Touch" which makes them repellent to others; the victim is stuck with it until they pass it on by touching someone else. The last victim of the Cheese Touch has moved away to California, and Greg hopes nobody starts it up again.
Greg also talks about his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, characterizing him as immature or somewhat stupid, and that his [Greg's] ideas go "in one ear and out the other" with Rowley. At home, Greg is bullied by his older brother Rodrick, and resents his little brother, a toddler named Manny, who is spoiled and gets away with everything that Greg does not. Greg's father does not encourage his son's way of life—playing video games all day—and would rather Greg go outside and play sports.
Near Halloween, Greg writes that his father likes to hide in the bushes on Halloween night and drench teenagers that walk by their driveway with a trash can full of water. Greg and Rowley decide to make a haunted house after seeing the popularity of Crossland High School's haunted house, but they only end up profiting two dollars. On Halloween night, Greg and Rowley go trick-or-treating, but are challenged by a group of teenagers who spray them with a water-filled fire extinguisher. When they get home, they are soaked with a trash can full of water by Greg's father, who mistakes them for teenagers.
In Geography, Greg fails a test on state capitals after a girl named Patty Farrell reminds the teacher that he needs to cover the map of the United States that shows the state capitals. At home, Greg's mother forces him into auditioning for the school play (based on "The Wizard of Oz"). Greg lands the role of a tree, while Patty Farrell is cast as Dorothy, the protagonist of the novel. During the show's performance, Greg becomes too nervous to sing, confusing the other trees. Patty gets frustrated, and Greg starts throwing apples at her. The other trees join in, and the play eventually has to be shut down after Patty's glasses are broken. Greg's mother is disappointed, but Greg enjoyed getting back at Patty.
After getting bad presents for Christmas, Greg decides to play a game with Rowley in which Rowley must ride a Big Wheel down a hill while Greg tries to knock him off with a football. On one of Greg's tries, the ball goes under the front wheel, which causes Rowley to fall off and break his hand. When Rowley goes to school with a plaster cast, the girls take care of him (carrying his books, feeding him food), which makes Greg jealous.
Greg decides to join the Safety Patrols at his school, hoping that he will be able to control the other kids. He gets Rowley to sign up as well and enjoys the benefits of being a Safety Patrol, such as getting free hot chocolate. He tries to get a spot in the school's newspaper as a cartoonist and teams up with Rowley. Greg comes up with a strip called "Zoo-Wee Mama!", and he and Rowley produce a number of strips. Eventually, Greg starts wanting to do other strips, but Rowley wants to continue with "Zoo-Wee Mama!"; Greg submits his comics to the teacher and ends up getting the cartoonist job. However, the teacher completely changes Greg's comic, even making his character a "curious student" instead of a "cretin."
After an incident where Greg chases some kindergartners with a worm on a stick and is mistaken for Rowley, Rowley gets suspended from the Safety Patrols for a week. However, after it is cleared up that Greg was the real culprit, Rowley is reinstated and promoted while Greg is dismissed.
Greg notices that the school year is coming to a close and tries to get on the yearbook's Class Favorites page. He plans to go for "Class Clown," but his plans do not work out. At lunch, he gets an issue of the school newspaper and learns that Rowley is the new cartoonist, with his "Zoo-Wee Mama!" strip left completely unchanged.
Greg confronts Rowley for not even listing him as co-creator and hogging all the fame. Rowley retaliates by saying that the "Zoo-Wee Mama!" comic was his idea and that Greg "had nothing to do with it." As they argue, the teenagers who chased them at Halloween appear and force Greg and Rowley to eat the Cheese. Greg gets out of it by falsely claiming to be allergic to dairy, while Rowley is forced to eat the whole thing. The next day, when everyone notices that the Cheese is gone, Greg takes the fall for Rowley and lies by saying that he threw it away. Greg reconciles with Rowley and lets people think that he has the Cheese Touch.
The book concludes with Greg getting his yearbook, seeing Rowley on the "Class Clown" page, and throwing it in the garbage. This means Greg now has the Cheese Touch, which carries on into the next book.
Background.
In May 2004, FunBrain and Jeff Kinney released an online version of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The website made daily entries from September of that year to June 2005. The online book became an instant hit, and had received approximately 20 million views by 2007. Many online readers requested a printed version. At the 2006 New York Comic Con Kinney proposed "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" to Charles Kochman, Editorial Director of the ComicArts division of Abrams Books, who purchased the rights to the book. According to Kochman, the two initially conceived it as a book for adults, believing it would appeal to audiences similar to that of the TV series "The Wonder Years". Kochman brought it before the Abrams publishing board, which convinced Kinney and Kochman that it would be better aimed toward children. In 2007, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", an abridged version of the original online book, was published.
Main characters.
The main character, Greg, has trouble with family, friends, and his local middle school. He is very concerned about how popular he is at school, and he daydreams a lot about being rich and famous when he grows up. He tries to fit in at his school, but usually he does not succeed. Facing many challenges, Greg attempts to handle them very creatively, but unfortunately his antics often backfire on him.
Greg's best friend has a larger than average frame. He is always willing to do what Greg tells him, including dangerous stunts. Rowley goes on vacations all the time, which annoys Greg. Rowley is a loyal friend, but he sometimes behaves in an immature or childish manner. He also dresses in an unusual way.
Greg's "spoiled" little brother, a three-year-old toddler. He never gets in trouble no matter what, even when he really deserves it. Manny is not yet potty trained.
Rodrick is Greg's teenage brother and he never misses a chance to be cruel to Greg. He is known for sleeping excessively in the morning and for his rebellious attitude. Rodrick is part of a basement band (garage band in the movies) called "Löded Diper". Rodrick will do anything to embarrass Greg and will even cause problems for Manny to make everyone's life miserable.
Sequels.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is the first book in an ongoing franchise. A total of nineteen "Wimpy Kid" books have been released, the sequels to the first book are: ' (2008) which was listed on the "New York Times" Best Sellers list for 117 weeks, ' (2009) which was on the "New York Times" Best Sellers list for 65 weeks, peaking at number one, ' (2009) which was ranked at number one on the "New York Times" Best Sellers List for all 25 weeks of inclusion, making it the #1 best selling book of 2009, ' (2010), ' (2011), ' (2012), ' (2013), ' (2014), ' (2015), ' (2016), ' (2017), ' (2018)," " (2019), ' (2020), ' (2021), ' (2022), ' (2023), and (2024).
Reception.
The book won the Blue Peter Book Award 2012, revealed live on British kids channel CBBC on March 1, 2012. In 2012 it was ranked number 76 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by "School Library Journal".
Adaptations.
A film adaptation, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," was released by 20th Century Fox on March 19, 2010. The film stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley (Dad), Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley (Mom), Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman (a character exclusive to the live-action film), and Connor & Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg's brother. It would later go on to spawn three sequels.
Another film adaptation, this time animated, serving as a reboot of the film series was released on December 3, 2021 exclusively on Disney+.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Comic-style book series by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an illustrated children's novel series and media franchise created by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. The series follows Greg Heffley, a middle-schooler who illustrates his daily life in a diary (although he insists that it is a journal).
Kinney spent eight years working on the first book before showing it to a publisher. In 2004, Funbrain and Kinney released an online version of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The website made daily entries from September 2004 to June 2005. The online version had received almost 20 million views by 2009. Nonetheless, many online readers requested a printed version. In February 2006, during the New York Comic Con, Kinney signed a multi-book deal with publisher Abrams Books to turn "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" into a printed book series. The first installment was released in April 2007 and received immediate success. In April 2009, "Time" magazine named Kinney in the "Time" 100 most influential people.
As of October 2024, the series consists of nineteen main entries, as well as an activity book. A spin-off series centering on the character Rowley Jefferson has three installments as of 2021. 20th Century Studios produced a live-action film series of the same name from 2010 to 2017, and three animated films in the early 2020s.
Since the release of the online version, most of the books have garnered positive reviews and commercial success. As of 2020, more than 250 million copies have been sold globally, making it the fourth best-selling book series of all time.
Chronology.
Spin-offs.
A spin-off series has been published, written from Rowley's perspective. The first installment, "", was released on April 9, 2019, and is a series of anecdotes about Greg and Rowley's friendship. The second, "Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure", is in the style of a fantasy adventure and was released on August 4, 2020. The book's original release date was April 7, 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third, "Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories", was released on March 16, 2021.
Audiobooks.
Audiobooks have been released for each main installment in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. The Recorded Books versions are read by Ramon de Ocampo, while the Penguin Books versions are read by Dan Russell, who has done so since "The Third Wheel", and in 2018 he re-narrated the first 6 books for the markets where Penguin publish the series.
Achievements.
Commercial success.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was well received from "The Princeton Review", "Gold Card Association", "The Dallas News", "The TRR Editors", "The NW Press", and "The JJ Printing Company". "The New York Times", which ranks children's serials collectively on a "Series Books" bestseller list, has included the "Wimpy Kid" series for 812 weeks as of October 14, 2024. "USA Today", which ranks best sellers based on sales alone regardless of genre or intended audience, has listed "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" in its top 150, peaking at number 8, for 141 weeks as of April 4, 2010.
As of the same date, "Rodrick Rules" has been on the list for 117 weeks (peaking at number 4), "The Last Straw" has been on the list for 65 weeks (peaking at number 1), "Dog Days" has been on the list for all 25 weeks of its publication (peaking at number 1), and "The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary" has been listed for all three weeks of its publication, peaking at number 2.
The series has sold over 200 million books in 56 languages and 65 editions throughout the world. The series has also generated over $500 million in revenue.
Media.
Video games.
On March 14, 2011, Jeff Kinney published a video game adaptation of "Diary of the Wimpy Kid", entitled "Wimpy Wonderland Island", to his online role-playing video game "Poptropica" as one of the main "island" levels, in which the player must problem-solve through game quest scenarios, centering on a problem that the player must resolve by going through multiple obstacles, collecting and using items, talking to various characters, and completing goals. On July 3, 2012, Kinney published a second game, entitled "Wimpy Boardwalk Island".
Films.
Live-action films.
Jeff Kinney announced that a film based on the first book would be produced by 20th Century Fox. The film was released on March 19, 2010, moved up from an April 2 release date. It was directed by Thor Freudenthal, who also directed "Hotel for Dogs". The film starred Zachary Gordon as Greg, Robert Capron as Rowley (Greg's best friend), Steve Zahn as Frank (Greg's father), Rachael Harris as Susan (Greg's mother), Devon Bostick as Rodrick (Greg's older brother), Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny (Greg's younger brother), Chloë Grace Moretz as a new character named Angie, and Grayson Russell as Fregley.
The second film in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series, which was released on March 25, 2011, was based on the second book "Rodrick Rules", with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. The film also contains some elements from "The Last Straw" within its plot.
The third film combines the third and fourth books "The Last Straw" and "Dog Days", taking stories from both, but mainly from "Dog Days", from which it took its title. The decision to blend the two films was made to keep up with the ages of the actors. The film was released on August 3, 2012.
The likelihood of a fourth live-action film was slim. Kinney has announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever" as the next installment. In an interview for the book "Hard Luck", Jeff Kinney stated he was working with Fox on a half-hour special of "Cabin Fever", which was to be aired in late 2014, but as of 2021 no updates on the special have been announced. In September 2016, Jeff Kinney announced officially the production of a fourth film, "", on his Twitter account. The film was released on May 19, 2017 and was based on "The Long Haul."
Animated films.
On August 6, 2019, Disney announced they would reboot "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", "Home Alone" and "Night at the Museum" for their streaming service, Disney+. On December 10, 2020, Disney announced at their 2020 Investor's Day that an animated "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film would be coming to Disney+ on December 3, 2021.
A second animated film, ", was released to Disney+ on December 2, 2022.
A third animated film, ", was released to Disney+ on December 8, 2023.
Musical.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical" was produced by the Children's Theatre Company in 2016. The company staged a reworked version of the production in 2022. A studio album of songs from the show recorded by Broadway performers such as Sutton Foster and Norbert Leo Butz was released on December 14, 2023. Broadway Licensing Global offers licensing materials for professional and amateur productions of the musical.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)
Family comedy film series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of family comedy films based on the book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. It consists of four live action films and three animated films.
Films.
Live-action films.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010).
Principal production began on August 12, 2009, and was completed on October 16, 2009. The film was directed by Thor Freudenthal and starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, Grayson Russell as Fregley, Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta. It was the only film in the series to be directed by Freudenthal. The musical score was composed by Theodore Shapiro. It received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 19, 2010, as it moved up from a previously scheduled April 2 release date.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (2011).
Based on the second book, "Rodrick Rules", with elements from "The Last Straw". Principal photography began on August 23, 2010, and was completed on October 27, 2010, with filming taking place in Vancouver and New Westminster. The film was directed by David Bowers, with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. New main characters include Holly Hills (Peyton List), Grandpa (Terence Kelly), and Bill Walter (Fran Kranz). Edward Shearmur composes the original score for the film. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 25, 2011.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" (2012).
Based on the third book "The Last Straw" and the fourth book "Dog Days", the film was directed by David Bowers and features the same familiar cast of characters, introducing a few new ones, and also focusing on lesser characters not elaborated on in previous films, including Frank Heffley (Steve Zahn), Mr. Jefferson (Alf Humphreys) and Holly Hills (Peyton List). The film is the last one to feature the original cast, as they had outgrown their roles after filming wrapped. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on August 3, 2012.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" (2017).
Featuring an entirely new cast, the plot follows Greg and his brother, Rodrick, unwillingly being taken on a family road trip to their great-grandmother's house for her 90th birthday party. Greg sees this as an opportunity to meet his Internet idol, Mac Digby, and get people to forget about him being dubbed as a meme known as "Diaper Hands". The film was panned by critics and audiences, with most of the criticism aimed at the casting change. It was released on May 19, 2017.
Animated reboot films.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2021).
In August 2018, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider announced that a fully animated television series based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was in development. On August 6, 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development for their streaming service, Disney+.
In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated film. On September 2, 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the new movie would be simply titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", and would be released on December 3, 2021. The movie is a re-adaptation of the first book and the characters appear similar in design to their appearances in the book series. The first trailer was officially released in October 2021. Unlike the previous films, which were produced by 20th Century Fox, this film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, although it was originally in production at 20th Century Animation.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (2022).
On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. For Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on "", was released on December 2, 2022. Unlike the first animated film, a copyright notice at the end of the trailer indicates that 20th Century Studios has involvement in the film.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever" (2023).
On September 8, 2023, it was announced that a Disney+ film based on the sixth book, "Cabin Fever", released on December 8, 2023.
Future.
Jeff Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all books into animated features for Disney+. An animated film based on "The Last Straw" is currently in development.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown" short film.
An animated short film set after the events of the third film, titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown", was included on the home media release of "Dog Days" in 2012. The short is told through Greg's point-of-view as he explains his humorous experience and why he deserves the title of Class Clown. Zachary Gordon reprises his role as Greg Heffley along with other cast members voicing their characters from the films in minor roles.
Canceled TV special.
In 2012, Jeff Kinney, the author of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books, announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on ' as the next installment. In an interview for ', Kinney stated he was working with FOX on a half-hour special based on "Cabin Fever", which was scheduled to air in late-2014. The special was meant to be an animated production developed at 20th Century Fox Animation, and had begun development while Kinney worked on the live-action films. Nothing regarding the special ever materialized. A separate adaptation was eventually released in 2023 as "".
Recurring cast and characters.
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List indicators
This section includes .* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.*  E indicates an appearance not included in the theatrical cut.*  O indicates an older version of the character.*  U indicates an uncredited appearance.*  V indicates a voice-only role.*  Y indicates a younger version of the character.
References.
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List of Diary of a Wimpy Kid characters
Characters in Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" franchise contains a large cast of characters. It centers on protagonist Greg Heffley, his best friend Rowley Jefferson, and Greg's family: his mother Susan, father Frank, and brothers Rodrick and Manny.
Main characters.
Greg Heffley.
Gregory "Greg" Heffley serves as the central character of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He is depicted as the middle son of Frank and Susan Heffley, navigating the trials of middle school with an intense desire for popularity. This ambition often leads him to go to great lengths, including displaying antagonistic behavior or manipulating his best friend, Rowley. Despite these tendencies, Greg occasionally shows moments of kindness, suggesting a more complex personality beneath his relentless quest for social status.
In "", for instance, Greg persuades Rowley to do his homework, only to annoy him and impede Rowley's concentration, underscoring Greg's tendency to exploit his friend.
In the film adaptations, Greg is portrayed by Zachary Gordon in the first three films, Jason Drucker in ', and Brady Noon in the animated films until ', where Wesley Kimmel provides his voice.
Rowley Jefferson.
Rowley Jefferson is characterized to be Greg's best friend. Rowley is characterized as friendly, good-natured, and somewhat naive, remaining loyal to Greg despite frequently getting caught up in Greg’s schemes. In "", Rowley begins dating Abigail Brown, initially Greg’s intended date for the Valentine's Day dance." This relationship continues into ", where Rowley drifts away from Greg to spend more time with Abigail. However, by the end of the book, Rowley and Abigail break up, allowing Rowley and Greg to rekindle their friendship.
Rowley’s interests are often portrayed as "immature" by Greg, such as his enthusiasm for the pop singer Joshie, who is marketed toward young children, and his enjoyment of action figures Greg considers childish. Greg’s jealousy also becomes apparent when Rowley receives a diary for his birthday and suggests they could be “Diary Twins,” prompting Greg to dismissively respond with a light punch, showing his annoyance. Rowley is the original creator of the comic strip "Zoo Wee Mama!" Although Greg claims to have contributed, Rowley maintains in the first book that Greg had little involvement in and made fun of the comic, a rare instance where Rowley asserts himself.
In "", Rowley is the protagonist, with Greg taking on a more antagonistic role, showcasing Rowley’s perspective on their friendship.
In the film series, Rowley is portrayed by Robert Capron in the first three films, Owen Asztalos in "The Long Haul", and Ethan William Childress in the animated films until "", where he was voiced by Spencer Howell instead.
Frank Heffley.
Franklin "Frank" Heffley is depicted to be Greg's overreactive but well-meaning father. He is interested in U.S. history, with his replica of a Civil War battlefield serving as a recurring plot point in the series. In the books, Frank despises Rowley, and does not appreciate Greg's skill at video games. He is also shown to loathe heavy metal and adolescents. Frank tries to toughen Greg up and threatens to send him to a military academy in ', although ultimately this does not come to fruition, much to Greg's relief. However, Greg and Frank grow together in ', despite a brief period when Frank does not speak to Greg after almost getting arrested and going to jail. He was Greg’s Aunt Cakey’s boyfriend for a short time, but then he revealed to like her sister Susan more, whom he went on to marry.
He seems to have displayed similar mischievous, possessive and selfish tendencies to Greg in his childhood, as in "", it is revealed that as a child he invented the mythical cryptid Silas Scratch to keep others away from the maintenance shed with a working bathroom at Hardscrabble Farms which he snuck into and used for his convenience. The rumors are later spread even further by Greg himself so no one would use the bathroom but him.
Frank is depicted to be addicted to junk food; in "The Last Straw", the character makes a New Year's Resolution to go on a strict diet, but Greg later catches him in the garage eating brownies. After Greg is forced to go for several days without any snacks due to a thief taking them, he eventually decides to catch the thief and discovers that it is Frank.
In the film series, Frank is portrayed by Steve Zahn in the first three films, Tom Everett Scott in "The Long Haul", and Chris Diamantopoulos in the animated films.
Susan Heffley.
Susan Heffley (known as Ann Heffley in the online version) is the mother of Manny, Greg, and Rodrick, the wife of Frank and a homemaker. She is about the same age as Frank as they've been together since middle school. She is a loving, caring, and good-natured mother but can be embarrassing, bossy, hypocritical, dimwitted, overprotective, and naive. Susan seems to have very limited knowledge of kids Rodrick and Greg's ages and constantly humiliates and ignores them. She constantly tries to get the family together, which never works out. She and her husband Frank also show immense favoritism towards their youngest son, Manny. When Susan was young, she “stole” Frank from her sister Cakey when Cakey and him were dating because Frank revealed to like Susan more. In the 2011 film adaptation of "Rodrick Rules", Susan has a column in the local newspaper known as "Susan's Musings".
In the film series, Susan is portrayed by Rachael Harris in the first three films, Alicia Silverstone in "The Long Haul", and Erica Cerra in the animated films.
Rodrick Heffley.
Rodrick Heffley is a male teenager who is Greg and Manny's older brother. He is also a member of the heavy metal/punk band Löded Diper (a play on "Loaded Diaper" and rock bands with archaic name spellings such as Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe). He was introduced hating Greg and Rowley. Most of the time in earlier books, Greg and Rodrick do not get along, and often one of them gets the other in trouble. However, he shows affection to him in the "" film when Rodrick is allowed to bring his band, "Löded Diper", to celebrate his crush's (Heather Hills') 16th birthday. In addition, their relationship slowly improves over the course of the books. Frank Heffley has trouble trusting him, as he dislikes heavy metal and teenagers in general. Rodrick is seemingly not very intelligent, as he makes foolish assumptions and decisions, and cannot spell very well. Frank becomes frustrated by Rodrick's factual errors in his school assignments (for example, crediting Abraham Lincoln as the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird").
In the film series, Rodrick is portrayed by Devon Bostick in the first three films, Charlie Wright in "The Long Haul", and voiced by Hunter Dillon in the animated films. For the first three live-action films, the character's room is relocated to the attic, as the house used in the films has no basement.
Manny Heffley.
Man "Manny" Heffley is Greg and Rodrick's 3-year-old (5-year-old in the Funbrain version) brother, who is constantly spoiled and