Nature Cat: The Movie (MovieLover9000 Version)

Nature Cat: The Movie is a 2024 animated musical adventure comedy film based on the PBS Kids educational animated television series created by Adam Rudman, David Rudman, and Todd Hannert. Directed by Chris Wedge from a screenplay by Adam Rudman and David Rudman and a story by Adam Rudman, David Rudman, and Todd Hannert, the film features the voices of Taran Killam, Liza Soberano, Kate McKinnon, Kate Micucci, Bobby Moynihan, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brian Cox, Olivia Colman, Danny Huston, Kieran Culkin, Awkwafina, Harvey Guillén, Seth Rogen, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Emily Lynne, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cate Blanchett, and Kenan Thompson.
Taking place in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, the film follows Fred, a yellow house cat with dreams of exploring outside. When his human owners leave for the day, he transforms into his alter-ego, Nature Cat. The film was announced in September 2019 when series producer Caroline Bandolik confirmed that Spiffy Pictures was in the process of producing a Nature Cat movie.
Produced by Universal Animation Studios, Apple Studios, PBS Animation, Lionsgate Canada, MRC, Annapurna Pictures, and Spiffy Pictures, the film was released in theaters on July 5, 2024 by Universal Pictures in the United States. It was also released by Lionsgate in theaters on July 19, 2024 in Canada and by Apple Original Films on Apple TV+ worldwide except China on July 26, 2024. It received generally favorable reviews, with praise for the voice performances, animation style, consistency with the television series, its cast of guest celebrities, the songs, Christopher Lennertz's musical score, and the visual effects, though some had problems with the runtime.
==Plot==
Coming soon!
==Cast==
===Animals===
*Taran Killam as Fred (also known as Nature Cat), a yellow house cat who is enthusiastic and adventurous. When his human owners are away, Fred transforms into his alter-ego, Nature Cat, a nature explorer with a passion for outdoor adventures. Despite being a bit timid at times, he is always ready to learn and discover new things about the natural world. He serves as the film's main protagonist.
*Kate McKinnon as Squeeks, a small and spirited blue mouse who adds an extra element of excitement to the group. Despite her size, Squeeks is brave and always ready to take on challenges. She brings a sense of curiosity and courage to the team.
*Kate Micucci as Daisy, a smart and resourceful white bunny who is friends with Nature Cat, Squeeks, and Hal. She is knowledgeable about plants and animals and often serves as a helpful guide during their outdoor explorations. Daisy's practical approach and problem-solving skills contribute to the success of their adventures.
*Bobby Moynihan as Hal, a brown dog who is Nature Cat's best friend and a loyal companion on their outdoor adventures. He is an energetic and playful dog, always excited to explore and learn about nature alongside Nature Cat. Hal's enthusiasm often leads the group into fun and sometimes unexpected situations.
*Kenan Thompson as Ronald, a purple cat who lives in the backyard next door and is Nature Cat's nemesis. He is arrogant, vain (often specifically obsessed with grooming his hair) and fairly obnoxious. He also tries to compete against Nature Cat. He serves as the film's main antagonist.
*Emily Lynne as Gwendolyn (also known as One-Eared Winnie), an orange cat who is Fred's sister.
*Willem Dafoe as Xavier, Fred's father.
*Jamie Lee Curtis as Vanny, Fred's mother.
*Troye Sivan as Mack, Fred's brother.
*Eric Idle as Dax, Fred's grandfather.
*Lily Tomlin as Deborah, Fred's grandmother.
*Sam Richardson as Dan, Fred's uncle.
*Whoopi Goldberg as Pam, Fred's aunt.
*Molly Orr as Nicky, a fox who is easily upset and offended whenever someone gets mad.
*Gabriel Iglesias as Fluffy the Dog
*Richard Kind as Splat the Elephant Clown
*Chris Parnell as Sir Galahad / Codger McDowell / Houston
*David Rudman as Leo the Mammoth
*Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Alice the Butterfly
*Bobby Lee as MC Ferret
*James Monroe Iglehart as Michael Bluejay
*Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Gracie the Toad / Sadie Dog / Rat
*Joey Rudman as Jimmy Cat / Jingles / Steve Vole
*Fred Armisen as Herbert the Hermit Crab
*Rachel Dratch as Flo the Heron / Lulu Ladybug
*Cobie Smulders as Nature Dog
*Lauren Lapkus as Lola the Flamingo
*Cecily Strong as Petunia Bunny
*Jeanne Fishman as Kathy, a spiny lobster
*Paul F. Tompkins as Chandler the Toad
*Red Velvet as the K-Pop Gang, a group of K-pop Sea Animals:
**Wendy as Brass Fish
**Irene as Cammy Dolphin
**Seulgi as Drad Seal
**Joy as Harfin Crab
**Yeri as Linda Whale
*Pitbull as Pitbulldog
*Adele as Amelia the Swan
*Bruno Mars as Bruno the Bird
*Bastille as the Zoo Gang:
**Dan Smith as Danny, a lion is the Zoo Gang's team leader.
**Kyle Simmons as Kevin, a hippo and a member of the Zoo Gang who serves as their expert in pyrotechnics and demolitions.
**Will Farquarson as Eric, a zebra, Nature Dog's boyfriend, and the Zoo Gang's intelligence analyst.
**Chris "Woody" Wood as Whippy, a giraffe and a member of the Zoo Gang who serves as the muscle.
*Seth Rogen as Chump E. Pig, a chubby fat pig and the former mascot of Chump E. Pig's Pizza Party Palace.
*Nick Jonas as Buster Llama
*Austin Post as Snake Malone
*Blake Shelton as Buck the Bull
*Jason Derulo as Otto the Weasel
*Lil Yachty as Reggie the Camel
*Becky G as Trinity Stallion
*Janelle Monáe as Ethel Pony
*Snoop Dogg as Tobias Cat
Additionally, Lena Hall and Tony Vincent provide the voices of Kumi and Axel, the lead singers of Dog Gone.
Additional animal voices are provided by Charlotte Aldrich, Maya Aoki Tuttle, Eric Bauza, G.K. Bowes, Julianne Buescher, Tyler Bunch, Christopher Campbell, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Sean Chiplock, Katie Chonacas, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Joshua Dela Cruz, Grey DeLisle, Jessica DiCicco, Ryan Dillon, Terri Douglas, Robin Atkin Downes, Mark Engelhardt, Lylianna Eugene, Dave Fennoy, Keith Ferguson, Sara Gilbert, Tania Gunadi, Todd Hannert, David Heckel, Richard Horvitz, Maurissa Horwitz, Karen Huie, JP Karliak, Jennie Kwan, Cedric L. Williams, Phil LaMarr, Lex Lang, James Taku Leung, Hope Levy, Kevin Michael Richardson, Piotr Michael, Max Mittelman, Andrew Morgado, Jonathan Nichols, Nolan North, Devika Parikh, Moira Quirk, Michael Ralph, Adam Rudman, David Rudman, Joey Rudman, Karen Ryan, Christopher Sabat, Jason Schwartzman, Keith Silverstein, Warren Sroka, Sommersill Tarabek, John Tartaglia, Fred Tatasciore, James Arnold Taylor, Wesley Turner, Audrey Wasilewski, Chris Wedge, Debra Wilson, Matthew Wood, and Julie Zackary.
===Humans===
*Liza Soberano as Rubella "The Great Magician Girl" Snuggle, an 18-year-old girl who is a magician.
*Cate Blanchett as Mara Snuggle (neé Benson), Rubella's mother.
*Danny Huston as Rick Snuggle, Rubella's father.
*Brian Cox as Professor Frank Snuggle, an English scientist who is Rubella's grandfather.
*Olivia Colman as Sarah Snuggle (neé Coleslaw), Rubella's grandmother who is a record dealer.
*Maggie Lowe as Dipsy Snuggle, Rubella's daughter who is a filmmaker at Chicago Film School.
*Iara Nemirovsky as Dolly Snuggle, Rubella's younger sister.
*Benjamin Valic as Tom Snuggle, Rubella's son.
*Awkwafina as Alicia Spencer, Rubella's best friend.
*Lucy Lowe as Martha Claremont, Rubella's best friend.
*Callum Shoniker as Benny Soo, Rubella's best friend.
*Maya Rudolph as Sally Scour, a talent agent who works for Sarah.
*Andy Samberg as Jim Snuggle, Rubella's uncle.
*Carly Rae Jepsen as Hailey Snuggle, Rubella's aunt.
*Christian Convery as Eric Reef, a 12-year-old boy.
*Brooklynn Prince as Julie Reef, a 10-year-old girl who is Eric's younger sister.
*Paul Dano as Dave Reef, Eric and Julie's father and Fred's owner.
*Riley Keough as Amanda Reef, Eric and Julie's mother.
*Kieran Culkin as Milo Stewart, an 18-year-old boy who is Rubella's love interest.
*Woody Norman as Crinkle Stewart, a 10-year-old boy who is Milo's younger brother.
*Cameron Seely as Leslie Stewart, a 5-year-old girl who is Milo's younger sister.
*Zachary Levi as Henry Stewart, Milo, Crinkle and Leslie's father.
*Charlotte Gainsbourg as Stephanie Stewart, Milo, Crinkle and Leslie's mother.
*Eva Noblezada as Katie Peterson, an 18-year-old girl who is a singer.
*Mark Wahlberg as Dean Peterson, Katie's father.
*Camila Cabello as Lara Peterson, Katie's mother.
*Danny DeVito as Samuel Peterson, Katie's grandfather.
*Wanda Sykes as Gladys Peterson, Katie's grandmother.
*Kylie Kuioka as Wendy Peterson, Katie's daughter.
*Adelynn Spoon as Kim Peterson, Katie's younger sister.
*Anton Starkman as Walter Peterson, Katie's son.
*Harvey Guillén as Carol Jacob "CJ" McCain, Milo's best friend.
*Zach Galifianakis as Thomas Donovan "2D" Henson, Milo's best friend.
*Thomasin McKenzie as Antonette Fleischer, a 17-year-old sassy goth girl who is one of Rubella's friends.
*Riki Lindhome as Ashley O'Hara, a 19-year-old happy girl who is one of Rubella's friends.
*Archie Madekwe as Jim Cooper, an 18-year-old crazy boy who is one of Rubella's friends.
*Kiernan Shipka as Marsha Deilson, an 18-year-old food-loving girl who is one of Rubella's friends.
*Barry Keoghan as Derek Jackie "DJ" Nelson, a 16-year-old nature-obsessed boy who is one of Michael's friends.
*Letitia Wright as Thelma Donna "3D" McGee, Milo's best friend.
*Ezra Miller as Marvin Clumsy, a 17-year-old gaming boy who is one of Milo's friends.
*Mason Gooding as Timothy Pimlico, a 19-year-old science boy who is one of Milo's friends.
*Olivia Rodrigo as Harriett Weldon, an 20-year-old exterminator girl who is Milo's ex-girlfriend.
*Harry Styles as Harry Hughes, an 19-year-old retailer boy who is Rubella's ex-boyfriend.
*Alessia Cara as Marina Mendelsohn, Katie's best friend.
*Jessie J as Phoebe Mangal, Katie's best friend.
*Rachel Zegler as Addie Park, Katie's best friend.
*Jhené Aiko as Maddie Pearson, Katie's classmate.
*Shawn Mendes as Tommy Nguyen, Katie's secret crush.
*Anitta as Jewel dos Anjos, a Brazilian woman who is one of Katie's classmates.
*BIA as Letícia Hernandez, a Spanish woman who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Karol G as Mirabel Rivera, a Spanish woman who is one of Katie's classmates.
*J Balvin as Ramone Madrigal, a Spanish man who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Gwen Stefani as Mandy Larson, a Jewish American tomboy with braces who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Bad Bunny as Miguel Sanchez, a Spanish man who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Maluma as Alejandro Estrella, a Spanish man who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Nicky Jam as Jorge Fuentes, a Spanish man who is one of Katie's classmates.
*DJ Khaled as Marty Weselton, a man who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Steve Aoki as DJ Peggy, a disc jockey.
*Bebe Rexha as Delores Fernández, a 19-year-old girl who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Christina Aguilera as Liz Madison, a 20-year-old girl who is one of Katie's classmates.
*Dillon Francis as Mr. Nate Crystal, a high-school teacher at Rudman Middle School.
*Wang Leehom as Steve Malkin, a local shop clerk.
*Sarah Paulson as Jade Diamond, a villainous woman and media owner who owned Diamond Entertainment.
*Brett Goldstein as Linco, a burly man and one of Jade Diamond's henchman.
*Bowen Yang as Hook, a skinny man and another of Jade Diamond's henchman.
*Kid Cudi as Clay Castaway, an African-American man who was once a singer until his wife Riley died.
*Jim Jefferies as Mr. Klaus Übelschlect, a principal at Rudman Middle School.
*Ty Dolla $ign as Archibald Calloway, a man and food vendor who becomes a singer.
*Amy Schumer as Samantha Lane, Jade's haughty female assistant and rival talent agent who is Jade Diamond's henchwoman.
*Taylor Swift as Nikki Bowman, a female street dancer who becomes Harry's love interest.
*John Legend as Darius Sullivan, an egocentric man who is a singer.
*Karan Soni as Patel, a truck driver.
*Dane DeHaan as Cluster, a pet shop owner.
*Tom Wlaschiha as Terrance Perry, the master of ceremonies.
*Kenny G as Mark Torrence, a smashing saxophonist.
*Burn Gorman as Keith Moron, a music teacher at Rudman Middle School.
*Kelly Clarkson as Paulina Diamond, Jade's sister who is a talented singer.
*Katy Perry as Velvet, a singer and Victoria's older twin sister who is a pop star wannabe.
*Lizzo as Victoria, a singer and Velvet's second older twin sister who is a pop star wannabe.
*Monsta X as BRO☆TOWN.
**Shownu as Roberto
**Wonho as Aaron B.
**Minhyuk as Aaron C.
**Kihyun as Chazzy
**Hyungwon as Tresillo Young
**Jooheon as Marimbo
**I.M as Tambori 
*Imagine Dragons as The Ugly Kismet.
**Dan Reynolds as Bam, a member of the band Ugly Kismet.
**Wayne Sermon as Hyper, a member of the band Ugly Kismet.
**Ben McKee as Ablaze, a member of the band Ugly Kismet.
**Daniel Platzman as Tricky, a member of the band Ugly Kismet.
*Twice as 9-Zone.
**Im Na-yeon as Wani
**Yoo Jeong-yeon as Cappuccino 
**Momo Hirai as Gomdori
**Sana Minatozaki as Ari
**Park Ji-hyo as Kim-Petit
**Mina Myoi as Jane Dora
**Kim Da-hyun as Spammy
**Son Chae-young as Clara
**Chou Tzu-yu as Fancy 
*Maroon 5 as the Rock Pop.
**Adam Levine as Adam
**Jesse Carmichael as Lance
**James Valentine as Warren
**Matt Flynn as Binger
**PJ Morton as Moorea
**Sam Farrar as Walter
*BTS as the Cool Boys.
**Jin as Wendell
**Suga as Bobby Bun
**J-Hope as Gumbori
**RM as Alex
**Jimin as Ken-Pow
**V as Kid Rolex
**Jungkook as Floyd
*Nico Santos as Bob, a mailman.
*Mick Wingert as Larry, an animal control officer.
*Dominique McElligott as Laura, an animal control officer.
Additionally, Lilly Singh, Stephen A. Smith and Zosia Mamet provide the voices of Lisa le Bon, a news reporter woman and host of a talk show, Lance Springer, a news archor of Chicago News Network, and Jessica, a young girl who is Jade's personal assistant and Fred and Katie's biggest fan.
Additional human voices are provided by Carlos Alazraqui, Talon Proc Alford, Kimberly Bailey, Jennifer Barnhart, Ashley Bell, Bob Bergen, Steve Blum, Rodger Bumpass, Tristan Chen, June Christopher, David Cowgill, Romy Cutler-Lengyel, Liza del Mundo, Debi Derryberry, Trevor Devall, Juliet Donenfeld, Zehra Fazal, Jack Fisher, Lizzie Freeman, Don Fullilove, Julianna Gamiz, Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, Jackie Gonneau, Hailey Hermida, Carter Hurst, Michael Johnston, Clover Kar, John Kassir, Arif S. Kinchen, Matt Yang King, Nick Kishiyama, Jaiden Klein, Patrick Labyorteaux, Toby Larsen, Alan Lee, Luke Lowe, Yuri Lowenthal, Vivian Lu, Mona Marshall, Joey Mazzarino, Deneen Melody, Scott Menville, David Michie, Melanie Minichino, Cassandra Lee Morris, Laraine Newman, Gracen Newton, Matt Nolan, Capri Oliver, Arthur Ortiz, Jacqueline Pinol, Jim Pirri, Benjamin Plessala, Aleque Reid, Andre Robinson, Zeno Robinson, Kaitlyn Robrock, Somali Rose, Samir Royal, Michael Schwalbe, Emma Shannon, Artemis Snow, Tara Strong, Kensington Tallman, Kirk Thornton, Sarah Vattano, Kari Wahlgren, Diamond White, Jason Linere White, Shondalia White, Michael Woodley, and Ruth Zalduondo.
==Production==
===Development===
In September 2019, series producer Caroline Bandolik confirmed that Spiffy Pictures was "currently considering whether to extend the series into feature films at some point in the next 12 to 24 months". Animation tests were conducted in 2019 to measure how the characters "would translate onto the big screen", and the studio developed a film script.
Development of the film was announced in January 2020, with Chris Wedge attached as director while series producers Caroline Bandolik, Jesse McMahon, Frances Nankin, and Scott Scornavacco serve as the film's producers, along with Karen Ann Ryan, Julie Zackary and Nick Meyer of Lionsgate Canada.
In an interview, Bandolik expressed their excitement about working with Universal Pictures to bring the property to the big screen. She continues, "This is Spiffy and our properties' first step towards a major strategic expansion—the world of feature films. This proves our dedication to utilizing our in-house entertainment production teams to create and distribute intellectual property in film format and makes it possible for us to establish a connection between our characters and our fans via similar theatrical experiences."
Ryan said, "Being able to create a more in-depth character story than what they've been able to do with the series was crucial to us." Zackary also explained, "And to convey it in a way that a youngster can actually grasp and identify with; who knows, perhaps their parents will learn something more from it as well. Even if you have a challenging day at daycare or school, you can overcome your obstacles and get through it. It does not imply that you are fearless or that you don't have self-doubt. However, you can overcome it if, at the end of the day, you genuinely believe in yourself and the people around you share that belief."
"I think it really helped that I was able to bring all of their experience and the things my kids loved about the show to the pitch when it came time to present my interpretation of the movie," says Wedge. "Our perspective was that, in order to make it feel more like a theatrical production, we really wanted to center this around the emotional journey of a single character. We thought that was the ideal way to draw the audience more into the story, so you embark on a trip with one of these characters as they overcome their obstacles, and the entire team is participating."
===Casting===
In August 2021, Taran Killam, Kate McKinnon, Kate Micucci, and Bobby Moynihan were announced to be reprising their roles from the series, with new characters being voiced by Liza Soberano, Zachary Levi, Cate Blanchett, Eric Idle, Brian Cox, Maggie Lowe, Iara Nemirovsky, Awkwafina, Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg. Kenan Thompson, who voiced Ronald in the first season of the show, was also confirmed to be returning.
On December 23, 2021, it was announced that Willem Dafoe, Danny Huston, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kieran Culkin, Woody Norman, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Harvey Guillén, Thomasin McKenzie, and Riki Lindhome had joined the film's cast.
Wedge mentioned how much he liked the voice cast as a whole in an interview with Cartoon Brew. "We were surprised to learn that the main cast of Nature Buddies consists entirely of animals. They performed an incredible job, in my opinion, and we really worked with them to try to get genuine, significant performances out of all the characters. Taran [Killam] plays the role of Nature Cat, who embarks on a fantastic and rather surprising emotional trip. He simply added so lot to the role. There were times when he broke our hearts. Really, you start to cheer for him. I think the most unexpected items were Kate McKinnon's deliveries. She was virtually unable to act badly. We were thinking, "This is great," as we were going through the takes. In a another sense, this is fantastic. She was fantastic and filled the room with excitement. Everyone was excellent. The nicest person, Bobby [Moynihan], was up for anything. Being a part of it excited Kate Micucci. She really enjoys improvising and taking many chances. The cast and the recording process could not have been more ideal."
===Animation===
The film's pre-production and 2D animation were done in-house at Universal Animation Studios, Lionsgate Animation, Annapurna Animation, and PBS Animation. Additional 2D animation was produced by Duncan Studio, 9 Story Animation (who did the animation for seasons 1-3), Calabash Animation, Titmouse, Inc., Yowza! Animation (who did the animation for seasons 4-5), Mercury Filmworks, Tonic DNA, Bardel Entertainment, Giant Ant, Lighthouse Studios, Yeson Entertainment, Digital eMation, Studio Yotta, Saerom Animation, Studio 4°C, and Wit Studio. The film's CGI animation and visual effects were handled by DNEG Animation, Reel FX Animation, Blur Studio, and Brown Bag Films. The production team intended for the majority of the feature to be created by hand-drawn animation in order to maintain the series' visual aesthetic. Filmmakers were able to include more light, texture, and shadows in several shots and make the animation more complex than in the original series due to their increased budget, time, and number of animators.
Prior to being given two more sequences, Tonic DNA was only supposed to work only in musical pieces. The film included a combination of hand-drawn and cutout animation techniques utilized simultaneously in several parts, most notably the musical song "Nature Is Our Guide" by Tonic DNA's animators.
==Music==
In July 2022, it was announced that Christopher Lennertz would compose the score for the film. He was also revealed to produce the songs for the film. In 2023, it was revealed that Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Kid Cudi, Ty Dolla $ign, John Legend, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Katy Perry, Nick Jonas, Bebe Rexha, Blake Shelton, Jason Derulo, Maluma, Snoop Dogg, Lil Yachty, Becky G, Steve Aoki, Harry Styles, Bastille, Imagine Dragons, Kenny G, Twice, Red Velvet, BTS, Monsta X, Carly Rae Jepsen, Olivia Rodrigo, Alessia Cara, Jessie J, Jhené Aiko, Shawn Mendes, BIA, Karol G, J Balvin, Gwen Stefani, Bad Bunny, Christina Aguilera and Post Malone would be writing original songs for the film. Joseph Shirley and Mike Elizondo wrote the song "Goldrush", with Kid Cudi, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lil Yachty and Ty Dolla $ign performing, and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote the song "Every Truth, Every Lie", with Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera performing. Shirley, Elizondo, Pasek and Paul also wrote the song "Keep Nature Through", with Red Velvet and BTS performing.
Christopher Lennertz revealed in a May 15, 2024 interview with NBC News that Nature Cat: The Movie was "one of those rare occasions where I had to absolutely put my best effort into. Zero questions at all about that."
==Release==
Nature Cat: The Movie premiered on July 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, before it was theatrically released four days later on July 5 in the United States, by Universal Pictures. The release was accompanied by the short film Odd Squad in Mooned.
===Home media===
Nature Cat: The Movie will release on Digital HD on August 27, 2024, and will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 17.
The film began streaming on Apple TV+ on July 26, 2024. The film will be available on the Peacock streaming service on November 18, 2024. As part of NBCUniversal's 18-month deal with Netflix, the film will stream on Peacock for the first four months of the pay-TV window, and will then move to Netflix for the next ten beginning on March 12. It will then return to Peacock for the remaining four beginning in January 2026.
===Marketing===
Coming soon!
==Reception==
===Box office===
Nature Cat: The Movie opened on July 5, 2024 alongside MaXXXine. It is projected to gross $30-45 million in its opening weekend.
=== Critical response ===
 
Category:Theatrical films