Balto IV: Wolf Heritage

Balto IV: Wolf Heritage is a 2025 British-American live action/animated musical fantasy comedy-drama adventure film directed by Leonardo Navarrete. The film is produced by DreamWorks Animation, Amblin Entertainment, Amblimation and DeviantArt Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. the film serves as a sequel to Balto III: Wings of Change. as well as the fourth installment and a soft-reboot of the Balto franchise. It stars the voices of Jesse McCartney, Katie Peterson, Steve Carell, David McCormack, Kristen Wiig, Jason Ritter, Demi Lovato and Kimberly J. Brown. with Kailey Crawford, Rory Vlach, Madison Polan, Nick Jonas Roy Wood Jr., Bill Fagerbakke, Frank Welker, Danny Mann, Robbie Rist, 
The film's traditional animation and its final line services were provided by Wang Film Productions and Big Jump Entertainment. with DENG Aniamtion handling it's computer-animation technology and CGI character animation. 
Additional animation were provided by Titmouse Inc., Yowza! Animation, Duncan Studio, Company 3 Animation and Tonic DNA.
This soon became the first DreamWorks Animation film to use traditional animation since Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas in 2003.
==Plot==
In New York City A young woman brought her two children 10-year-old Alyssa and 8-year-old Alex to Central Park. In Nome, Alaska, Balto and Jenna are watching the sky…
==Cast==
*Jesse McCartney as Balto, a brown-and-grey wolfdog, Jenna's mate and Kodi's father and later Duke's pet. Leonardo Navarrete served as the supervising animator for Balto. He was voiced by Kevin Bacon in the first film, and by Maurice LaMarche in the sequels.
*Katie Peterson as Jenna, a female copper red-and-white Siberian Husky, Balto's mate and Rosy's pet as well as Kodi's mother. Leonardo Navarrete was also served as the supervising animator for Jenna. She was voiced by Bridget Fonda in the first film, and by Jodi Benson in the sequels.
*Steve Carell as Boris, a Russian snow goose and Balto's caretaker, mentor and adoptive father before the latter was adopted by Duke. He was voiced by the late Bob Hoskins in the first film, and by Charles Fleischer in the sequels.
*Kristen Wiig as Stella. She was voiced by Jean Smart in the third film.
*David McCormack as Muk and Luk. They were voiced by Phil Collins in the original film and Kevin Schon in the second and third film.
*Kailey Crawford, Rory Vlach & Madison Polan as Rosy, Jenna's owner and a kind, excitable girl who one of Balto's human best friends along with Duke. Leonardo Navarrete also served as the supervising animator for Rosy. She was voiced by Juliette Brewer in the original film.
**Brenda Blethyn as Grandma Rosy in the live-action sequences who appeared in the end of the film. She was played by Miram Margolyes in the original film.
*Nick Jonas as Duke, a pilot and one of Balto's human friends, He later become his owner. Leonardo Navarrete also served as the supervising animator for Duke. He was voiced by Keith Carradine in the third film.
*Jason Ritter as Kodi, a male red brown and white wolfdog, Balto and Jenna's son, Aleu's brother and Nikki, Kaltag and Star's nephew. He was voiced by Sean Astin in the third film.
*Demi Lovato as Aleu, a female wolfdog, Balto and Jenna's daughter, Kodi's sister and Nikki, Kaltag and Star's niece. She was voiced by Lacey Chabert in the second film.
*Kimberly J. Brown as Dusty, a female purple Siberian Husky, Kodi's love interest. She was voiced by Charity James in the third film.
*Roy Wood Jr. as Kirby, a brown Siberian Husky, Kodi's best friend. He was originally voiced by the late Carl Weathers in the third film.
*Bill Fagerbakke as Ralph.
*Frank Welker, Danny Mann and Robbie Rist as Nikki, Kaltag and Star, respectively. The three friends of Balto and Kodi and Aleu’s uncles. Nikki is a reddish-brown Chow-Chow, Kaltag is a honey-yellow Chinook, and Star is a mauve-and-cream Alaskan Klee Kai. William Salazar served as the supervising animator for the team. Nikki was voiced by the late Jack Angel in the original film. Danny Mann and Robbie Rist were the only cast members from the original film to reprise their roles.
*Robert Carradine as Rosy's Father. He was voiced by William Roberts in the original film.
*Susan Sarandon as Rosy's Mother. She was originally voiced by Sandra Dickinson in the original film.
*Brendan Fraser as Steele, He was originally voiced by Jim Cummings in the original film.
*Mark Hamill as Niju
*Jeff Bennett as Yak
*Rob Paulsen as Sumac
*Kurt Russell as Nuk, He was originally voiced by the late Joe Alaskey in the second film.
*Harrison Ford as Nava, He was originally voiced by the late David Carradine in the second film.
*Dove Cameron and Chloe Bennet as Dixie and Sylvie, the love interests of Star and Nikki. They were originally voiced by Sandra Dickinson in the original film.
*Scott Menville as Tommy, Balto’s friend.
==Production==
===Development===
Development started in early 2021
===Principal Photography===
Principal Photography will begin October 10, 2024 in New York City, and wrapped November 12, 2024
===Animation===
Animation lasted from 2024 to 2025 The film's traditional animation and its final line services were provided by Wang Film Productions and Big Jump Entertainment with DENG Animation handling its computer animation technology and CG character animation.
Additional animation were provided by Titmouse Inc., Yowza! Animation, Duncan Studio, Company 3 Animation and Tonic DNA.
==Rating==
[[File:MPAA PG.png|thumb|Balto IV: Wolf Heritage is Rated PG for adventure, action violence, peril, rude humor, brief mild language and threatening situations.
Balto IV: Wolf Heritage is rated PG for adventure, action violence, peril, rude humor, brief mild language and threatening situations.
==Trivia==
*Unlike the first three films were Rated G by the MPA This is the first Balto film to be rated PG.
*Jason Ritter voiced Dipper Pines in Gravity Falls. and played Ranger Jones in The Chucklewood Critters.
*Demi Lovato was in Disney Channel Original Series Sonny with a Chance and Disney Channel Movies Camp Rock and Camp Rock: The Final Jam.
*Nick Jonas was in The Disney Channel Movies Camp Rock and Camp Rock: The Final Jam and the Disney Channel Original Series, JONAS.
*This is the first DreamWorks Animation film to use traditional animation since Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.
*This is DreamWorks Animation's first feature-length traditional animation film since Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.
*This is the first Balto film to be produced by DreamWorks Animation.
*Balto IV: Wolf Heritage is the first all traditional-animated film by DreamWorks Animation, since Sinbad: Legends of the Seven Seas, as well as the first traditional-animated film by DreamWorks Animation to be produced by Amblimation.
*This is Harrison Ford's first DreamWorks Animation Film.
*This is also Scott Menville's first DreamWorks Animation Film.
*Dove Cameron’s first DreamWorks Animation Film.
*Chloe Bennet’s first DreamWorks Animation Film.
*Joel Crawford’s first live-action/animation film with DreamWorks Animation.
*This is Leonardo Navarrete’s first animation film with DreamWorks Animation.
==Sequel==
Main article: Balto V: World's End
==Notes==
Animation outsourced to Wang Film Productions and Big Jump Entertainment with additional animation outsourced to Titmouse Inc., Yowza! Animation, Duncan Studio, Company 3 Animation and Tonic DNA.
Category:Balto
Category:Films directed by Leonardo Navarrete