Murder Drones (film)

Murder Drones is a 2024 science-fiction film loosely based on the web series of the same name. It was directed by David Leitch and produced by Shawn Levy, Neal H. Moritz, Kelly McCormick, and Leitch, with a screenplay by Liam Vickers, the creator of the series. It stars Elsie Lovelock and Michael Kovach, who reprise their roles as Uzi and N respectively, along with newcomers Ryan Reynolds, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, and Angourie Rice, who star in live-action roles. It tells the story of Uzi Doorman, a sardonic teen helper robot, who meets Serial Designation N, a drone who is meant to kill robots her kind, and the two develop an unlikely bond between each other.
Development of a Murder Drones film began in late 2021 when series creator Liam Vickers pitched a script to the Lerdwichagul brothers, who eventually accepted it. They looked for a production company to co-produce the film, but many, which included: Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Studios, and Lionsgate, turned it down. The project was finally put in production when Sony Pictures Entertainment accepted the script and would release it under their Columbia Pictures label.
Murder Drones premiered at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia on November 7, 2024. It was released in Australia on December 4 before it was released in the United States two days later. It received positive reviews from critics for its visual effects, performances, score, faithfulness to the series, and suspense, but received minor criticism for its screenplay and PG-13 rating. It grossed $548.7 million worldwide on a $93 million budget, making it the 23rd highest-grossing film by Sony. A spin-off prequel is in development.
==Synopsis==
"In a world where Worker Drones co-exist with humans, when interstellar and technology company JCJenson (IN SPAAAAACEE!!!!) announces the termination of the robots through the deployal of Dissassembly Drones, one of them falls into an unlikely relationship with one of the Workers in Anchorage, Alaska, prompting attempts by JCJenson and the Dissassembly Drones to break them apart."
-Sony Pictures
==Plot==
In 1988, interstellar and technology giant JCJenson announce Worker Drones, autonomous robots created to help humans in everything. However, since the later emergence of improved artificial intelligence as time went on, the company announced the mass termination of these robots left on the planet via Disassembly Drones sent to exterminate them, as they were viewed as "no longer necessary" by the company.
Amidst the ongoing extinction of the Worker Drones, in Anchorage, Alaska, rebellious teenage robot Uzi Doorman nearly gets killed after a run-in with Serial Designation N, a Disassembly Drone. After she is recovered, Uzi rencounters N, to which she scolds him for nearly killing her. N says it's not his fault, and that he is forced to by order of JCJenson. Uzi forgives him, but tells him not to do it again, to which N promises.
The next morning, Serial Designations V and J become suspicious of N's motives with the Worker Drones, even prompting to call the JCJenson headquarters. CEO Raymond Brown tells them to stay vigilant until anything about them arises, to which the two drones abide by. Meanwhile, Uzi and N decide to spend some time with each other, such as going to a local library, but get kicked out after N threatens a child for supposedly making rude comments about Uzi, and sneaking into a local gang's hideout, to which they are caught, but escape after. When N takes Uzi to one of his favorite spots in Anchorage, which is a telecommunications tower overlooking the city, he confesses to her that he has a soft spot for her, and that he doesn't want to kill her. Uzi feels unsure about this, as Disassembly Drones were known to kill Worker Drones. But she feels the same about N, so she decides to keep their relationship secret. 
As V, J, and the rest of the JCJenson key people are becoming more suspicious about N and his actions, the company sends certified technician Tessa Elliott to assist the two Disassembly Drones in finding him. V eventually finds N and interrogates him, but N tries to explain to V that Uzi is not against him, and that she is actually friendly to those that befriend her. V is not convinced, but when she continues threatening him, Uzi almost fires her railgun at her to defend N. N explains to Uzi about V, and V decides to step down, but keeps a close eye on Uzi, in case she betrays them. 
TBA.
==Cast==
===Live-action roles===
*Ryan Reynolds as Raymond Brown, the CEO of JCJenson
*Matthew McConaughey as James Smith, the President of JCJenson
*Emma Watson as Kaylee Orlean, the CFO of JCJenson
*Michael Cera as Timothy Albert, the COO of JCJenson
*Angourie Rice as Tessa Elliott, a certified technician sent to assist V and J in finding Uzi and N
*Colin Jost as Collin Williams, the governor of Alaska
*Happy Anderson as "some creepy dude"
*David Leitch as Johnny Kermuckel, a taxi driver
*Jordan Peele as a JCJenson employee (uncredited)
*Ken Jeong as an engineer (uncredited)
===Voice roles===
*Elsie Lovelock as Uzi Doorman, a rebellious teenage Worker Drone
*Michael Kovach as Serial Designation N, a dangerous but friendly Disassembly Drone
*Nola Klop as Serial Designation V, a sadistic Disassembly Drone
*Shara Kirby as Serial Designation J, the leader of N and V's Anchorage extermination team
*David J. Dixon as Khan Doorman, Uzi's door-obsessed and overprotective father
*Sean Chiplock as Thad, a jock at Uzi's school
*Emma Breezy as Doll, a Russian-speaking student
*Caitlin Dizon as Lizzy, a student who tends to bully Uzi
*Liam Vickers as Serial Designations B, P, and X
*Luke Lerdwichagul as Serial Designations A, L, T, and Alpha
*Kevin Lerdwichagul as Serial Designations I, O, Z, and Beta
*Bruce Campbell as the JCJenson infomercial voiceover (uncredited)
*Sam Rockwell as Alton
*Andy Serkis as Kel
*Keith David as Serial Designation Reaper
*Marc Maron as Serial Designation S
*Tara Strong as Tammy
==Production==
===Development===
Following the release of the pilot in October 2021, a film based on the Murder Drones webseries was considered when creator Liam Vickers showed the project to Glitch Productions founders Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul, who found it "amazing and appealing." The film was originally going to be fully computer-animated until a decision was made to add live-action to it, as it might add a "new touch" to the series, as well as being somewhat "suitable" for the current world. Glitch looked for a production company to co-produce the film. The script was pitched to various companies, which included: Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Studios, and Lionsgate who all passed down on it. Later discussions were made between Glitch and Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce a full-length feature film based on Murder Drones. In August 2022, when asked about if a film was in development, Vickers stated: "Please wait..." This prompted many viewers of the show to speculate that there was a possibility of a feature film based on the series.
In November 2022, it was announced that a live-action/animated film based on the series was in production at Columbia Pictures, with a slated release date of mid-to-late 2024. The film would be completely different from the series, as it would focus on an original story developed by Vickers, and would be more of a "romantic action" film. A budget of around $90 million to $100 million was funded to haul the project. Director David Leitch was announced to direct and produce the film, while Shawn Levy and Neal H. Moritz joined the project as producers through their 21 Laps Entertainment and Original Film banners respectively.
During the film's premiere, Leitch revealed that the film was originally planned to have an R rating. The Lerdwichagul brothers and Vickers confirmed this as true, and told fans that the cut was so "outside of the series" that it was quickly scrapped and was rewritten to fit the PG-13 rating.
===Pre-production===
Due to the film going out of the series' base, creativity was said to have taken "ages" to think about. Locations and filming techniques were also hard to conquer, as the series originally took place in a winter wasteland. Leitch also said that any actions scenes in the film had to be pre-visualized and made to figure out how the film would play out.
In February 2023, the cast of the series were confirmed to reprise their roles respectively, while newcomer Keanu Reeves was announced in an undisclosed role. Ryan Reynolds and Emma Watson were also said to have joined in said roles. In April 2023, Michael Cera had joined the cast. In May 2023, Matthew McConaughey was said to have joined the cast. Reeves left the film later on, with Reynolds taking his role.
===Filming===
Principal photography began on June 20, 2023 under the working title Roboto & Juliet, a play on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Some shots were filmed in Anchorage, Alaska, where most of the film took place. Production was suspended on July 14 as a result of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, but resumed on November 13. There were also a few delays in filming due to Reynolds' involvement in Deadpool & Wolverine. Principal photography wrapped on January 2, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Some sets, such as the JCJenson headquarters and a library, were made from scratch.
===Post-production===
The animation and visual effects were provided by Glitch Productions, who produces the series, along with Cinesite and DNEG.
The film completed production on August 29, 2024.
==Music==
Main article: Murder Drones (film)/Soundtrack
Cliff Martinez was announced to compose the film's score on November 6, 2023. AJ DiSpirito, the original composer of Murder Drones, returned to compose the film's score with Martinez.
The song "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf is a recurring theme in the film. A cover of the song by Elsie Lovelock and Michael Kovach was released online on October 8, 2024. Other songs are played throughout the film, such as "Tainted Love", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Blue Monday", and "Just Can't Get Enough."
==Marketing==
A teaser trailer of the film was revealed on November 9, 2023, during GlitchX, which showed a snowy background with a shadow of Uzi approaching before cutting to black. The same day, a teaser poster was revealed online.
From September 2024 to February 2025, a website of JCJenson, the antagonistic faction of the series and film, was created by Sony to promote the film. The website included information about Worker and Disassembly Drones, while also showing biographies of the company's key people, including the CEO of JCJenson.
==Release==
===Theatrical===
Murder Drones held its world premiere in Sydney, Australia on November 7, 2024, where Glitch is located. It was released theatrically first in Australia on December 4, and then released in other international markets on December 5 before its initial release in the United States on December 6 in, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and IMAX formats. It was originally planned to be released on July 5, 2024, but was delayed to October 18. It was then delayed to November 22 before being rescheduled to its initial date. Those who attended the film's theatrical screenings were given free mini figurines of Uzi, N, V, and J.
===Home media===
Murder Drones was released for digital download by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on February 11, 2025 before it was released on Ultra HD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD formats on March 18, 2025. The Blu-Ray and Ultra HD formats contain deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes, audio commentary by Leitch, the Lerdwichaguls, and Vickers, and the full uncut gameplay of Uzi and N's Call of Duty: World at War gaming scene featured in the film. The film was released on Netflix on April 4, 2025, and would stream on Disney+ and Hulu at a later date. It would also appear on Disney's linear television networks.
The unrated version of the film was released with the digital, Blu-Ray and Ultra HD Blu-Ray formats.
==Reception ==
===Box office===
Murder Drones grossed $195.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $353.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $548.7 million against a budget of $93 million.
=== Critical reception ===
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 304 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "System error: Murder Drones captures the perfect combination of romance, sci-fi, and action." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences polled on CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported around 82% filmgoers giving it a positive review, with 67% giving it a "definite recommend."
===Accolades===
TBA.
==Follow-ups==
In November 2023, Sony began development on Murder Drones: Creation, a prequel that depicts JCJenson years before the events of Murder Drones and the lead-up to the development of Worker Drones. Shawn Levy was in talks to direct the film.
In 2026 Makoto Kamiya began development Murder Drones: Damnation, set between the events of Murder Drones: Desolation Chronicles and Murder Drones Desolation Chronicles: File #2 While often referred to as a prequel to Murder Drones Desolation Chronicles: File #2, the Absolute Solver is not dead yet. Digital Frontier is also joined the development. the movie will release on March 2028
Makoto decided to work to his final development Murder Drones: Afterlife on March 2032 as the final installment of the spin-off. the movie takes place 1 year later after the event of Murder Drones Desolation Chronicles: File #2. the original cast is featured and even the original characters as the upgraded version. Michael Kovach and Elsie Lovelock is only voicing the original characters while Angourie Rice and Michael Cera voiced the upgraded characters. the movie will release on November 2034
Alexander Witt began development on Murder Drones: The New Generation as a non canon or reboot movie on May 2035. it's about a 3 worker drones that finding the truth about the Project Solver Drones. Makoto Kamiya would no longer be working on the film and instead of focused on a new IP and the Glitch Productions is not joining due to the filming of The Amazing Digital Circus.
==Logo variants==
In a black background, the words "Booting up// Murder_Drones.mp4" shows before it glitches out. Then, the Sony logo appears before it also begins glitching out. We then transition into the Columbia Pictures "100th Anniversary" logo. The Torch Lady's right arm is broken and a part of her torso is missing, as a snowstorm rages in the background. The logo glitches into the 21 Laps Entertainment logo. Then that logo glitches into the Original Film logo before glitching into the 87North Productions logo. As soon as the logo finishes, it glitches to black.
==Bonus features==
The bonus features are only featured on the Ultra HD and Blu-Ray formats.
#The Making of Murder Drones - A documentary focusing on the production of the film and interviews with many people involved, including the director, writer, producers, and actors.
#Deleted Scene: A Night Out - More scenes of Uzi and N hanging out together.
#Deleted Scene: Investigation - The police attempt to find Uzi after she goes missing.
#Outtakes - Shots containing fails and awkward moments.
#Call of Duty: World at War Gameplay | darkXwolf17 - The full uncut gameplay of Uzi and N's Call of Duty: World at War gaming moment featured in the film.
==Credits==
Main article: Murder Drones (film)/Credits
==Trailer transcripts==
Main article: Murder Drones (film)/Trailer transcripts
==Trivia==
Main article: Murder Drones (film)/Trivia
==Gallery==
Main article: Murder Drones (film)/Gallery
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