Spirit Untamed

Spirit Untamed is a CGI-animated adventure comedy film that is a sequel/spin-off to the 2002 traditionally-animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, as well as being a CGI reboot of the Netflix series, Spirit Riding Free. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film was directed by Elaine Bogan and co-directed by Ennio Torresan in their feature film directorial debuts and written by the show’s creator Aury Wallington. It was released on June 4, 2021. 
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many deeming it inferior to it's predecessor, and was a box office disappointment, grossing $42 million worldwide against its $30 million budget. 
==Plot ==
Years after Milagro Navarro-Prescott performed her trademark act in the circus until an accident claims her life during one of her performances, her living young daughter, Fortuna "Lucky" Navarro-Prescott, has been living with her aunt Cora and grandfather James in the city.
Lucky and Cora head to the town of Miradero where they will stay with Lucky's father Jim for the summer, whom Lucky has not really known of after the incident with Milagro. Upon arriving in Miradero, the pair meet local young riders Pru Granger and Abigail Stone.
Lucky goes to a corral where she sees a Kiger Mustang, the same one she saw during her train trip from earlier, trying to be manhandled by a man named Hendricks. Lucky tells Jim and Cora about the horse, thinking he can be her new friend, but Jim does not want Lucky going near the horses after what happened to Milagro. Nonetheless, Pru and Abigail help Lucky win over the trust of the horse, whom she names Spirit. After a while, Spirit trusts Lucky enough to eat an apple she offers him, as well as allowing her to pet him.
Lucky attempts to ride Spirit but he escapes from the corral and runs away, while Lucky is saved by Pru and Abigail after almost falling off a cliff. Jim scolds Lucky for disobeying him making Lucky think he has given up on her. She sneaks out at night through the forest where she finds Spirit and his herd together, but are interrupted by Hendricks and his men, who capture all the horses but Spirit and take them in by train. Knowing Hendricks and his men are wranglers, Spirit joins Lucky for his help as they enlist Pru and Abigail with their horses to embark on a journey to try and cut the wranglers off on their path by beating them to Heck Mountain. During the trip, Lucky and Spirit's relationship starts to build up as they progress along.
One morning however, Lucky wakes up and sees that the wranglers' train has made it to its stop earlier than expected, Spirit goes off on his own and is taken in by the wranglers. Determined to save Spirit, Lucky and her friends follow the train to the docks where the wranglers are boarding the horses onto a boat to be auctioned off to be worked to death. The girls arrive too late to stop the boat but Lucky manages to save Spirit and get onboard. Lucky and Spirit free the other horses and subdue the wranglers, with Spirit knocking Hendricks off the boat. Jim, Cora, and Pru's father Al show up to get the girls; and Hendricks and the other wranglers are arrested.
On their way back to Miradero, Lucky feels that she has to let Spirit go so that he can stay with his herd, and she can return home. Lucky and Cora decide instead to stay in Miradero, as Spirit is seen riding through the fields with his herd.
==Cast==
*Isabela Merced as Lucky Prescott
*Jake Gyllenhaal as Jim Prescott
*Julianne Moore as Cora Prescott
*Marsai Martin as Pru Granger
*Mckenna Grace as Abigail Stone
*Walton Goggins as Hendricks
*Andre Braugher as Al Granger
*Eiza González as Milagro Navarro
*Lucian Perez as Snips Stone, Abigail's younger brother.
==Development==
In October 2019, DreamWorks Animation announced that a feature film based on the Spirit Riding Free series was in development, with Elaine Bogan serving as director and Ennio Torresan serving as co-director from a script by series creator Aury Wallington, and produced by Karen Foster. The film will be produced on a lower budget and be made by a different animation studio outside of DreamWorks, similar to Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. The film was scheduled for a release on May 14, 2021, but due to the ongoing pandemic, it was delayed to its June 4th release.
==Production==
In May 2020, production was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the film was delayed to its current release date on June 4th, 2021.
===Home Media===
The film was released on August 31, 2021 for 4K, DVD, and Blu-ray, by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
==References==
Category:2021 films
Category:2021 in film
Category:2021 American films
Category:2021 animated films
Category:2020s American films
Category:DreamWorks films
Category:DreamWorks Pictures films
Category:DreamWorks Animation films
Category:Rated PG