Family Mash-Up

Promotional poster

***Family Mash-Up*** is a 2024 American family comedy film directed by Eric Brevig, and written by Joshua Sternin, Jennifer Ventimilia and Michael Poryes. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios in association with Walden Media, and Burr! Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film stars Dennis Quaid, Kristin Davis, Sean Penn, and Patty McCormack.

It concerns a blended family with 34 children being in two acapella groups. Originally planned to be a television series, *Family Mash-Up* was redeveloped into a feature-length film. Christopher Lennertz composed the musical score. Filmed in Montreal and Toronto, *Family Mash-Up* was released in select theaters on July 19, 2024. It received mixed reviews from critics.

## Premise

When Good To Grow businessman Brian Erickson decides to move his family of 17 children to New York City, he encounters fashion designer Gabriella Jolley, an old flame from high school. Immediately, sparks fly between the two, and marriage is proposed. But Brian isn't the only one with kids to worry about -- Gabriella has a total of 17 as well. Right away, the children, who are in two fiercely competing acapella groups, have no intention of playing nicely, and together they decide to sabotage their parents' relationship.

## Cast

* Dennis Quaid as Brian Erickson
	+ Ethan Pugiotto plays the young Brian
* Kristin Davis as Gabriella Jolley
	+ Lilly Bartlam plays the young Gabriella
* Sean Penn as Reese Delgado, a entrepreneur and Gabriella's boyfriend
* Lupita Nyong'o as Florence Sarratt, Gabriella's friend
* Ellie Kemper as Laura Peele, Gabriella's friend
* Patty McCormack as Mrs. Brooker, Jolley's maid
* William Hope as Alister York, Brian's boss of Good To Grow.
* Tom Berenger as Colton Galloway, Brian's colleague
* Rob Morrow as Principal Jarvis
* Sarah Stiles as Mrs. Orchard
* Michael Harney as Phillips Wilson, Brian's colleague
* Neal McDonough as Howard Cendall, Brian's colleague
* Thor Bishopric as Nicholie Perrington, Gabriella's boss of Checkout!.
* Isabelle Fuhrman as the Master of Ceremonies at Brian and Gabriella's wedding.
* Pauline Little as Ms. Alling, Principal Jarvis' secretary.
* Alan Fawcett as Dick Erickson, Brian's late father.
* Caroline Palmer as Ruby Erickson, Brian's late mother.

* Zackary Arthur as Christian Jolley
* Antonio Raul Corbo as Felix Jolley
* Dean Woodward as Reggie Jolley
* Duncan Joiner as Theo Jolley
* Benjamin Valic as Charlie Jolley
* Nicholas Crovetti as Kenneth Jolley
* Ramone Hamilton as Mike Jolley
* Kobe Billen as Austin Jolley
* Kai Billen as Alexander Jolley
* Preston Brodrick as Barrett Jolley
* Jacob Peterson as Sam Jolley
* Logan Moreau as Dylan Jolley
* Eltony Xu as Xiao Jolley
* Ivan Fraser as Freddy Jolley
* Walker Scobell as James Jolley
* Lyliana Wray as Phoebe Erickson
* Mckenna Grace as Angel Erickson
* Giselle Eisenberg as Bridget Erickson
* Scarlett Estevez as Diana Erickson
* Lauren Mei as Meng Erickson
* Julia Butters as Emily Erickson
* Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Lola Erickson
* Adriana Heim as Isabelle Erickson
* Annabelle Heim as Ilana Erickson
* Olive Abercrombie as Ginelle Erickson
* Nina Barenboym as Heather Erickson
* Mia Polic as Jasmine Erickson
* Harper Nina as Patricia Erickson
* Kaya McLean as Cora Erickson
* Emma Berman as Leigh Erickson

## Production

### Development

In February 2021, Cartoon Network CEO Tom Ascheim announced the development of a television series from Cartoon Network Studios and HBO Max with creator Michael Poryes. In December 2023, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as a film titled *Family Mash-Up*, centering around a modern day *The Brady Bunch* meets *Pitch Perfect* when a single mom with seventeen sons and a single dad with seventeen daughters fall in love and get married despite their kids being in two fiercely competing acapella groups, during the Cartoon Network Investor Day 2023 event. Dana Goldberg and Don Granger were announced as executive producers, though their company Skydance Media was ultimately not involved. Dennis Quaid and Kristin Davis were reported to be co-starring in the film.

### Casting

In May 2022, Dennis Quaid and Kristin Davis were announced as the co-stars of the film. In October 2022, it was reported that Sean Penn, Lupita Nyong'o, Ellie Kemper, Patty McCormack, William Hope, Tom Berenger, Rob Morrow, Sarah Stiles, Michael Harney, and Neal McDonough had joined the cast.

### Filming

*Family Mash-Up* was filmed predominantly in Montreal and Toronto, with some footage also shot in New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Filming ran from July 7, 2022, until June 17, 2023.

### Post-production

The visual effects are provided by Industrial Light & Magic, Moving Picture Company and Wētā FX, supervised by Lindy De Quattro, Scott Benza and Richard Little with visualization services provided by Day for Nite. Although a miniature set was initially considered according to the behind-the-scenes documentary, for the scenery of New York, effects artists instead utilized a 13-block-sized, LIDAR-scanned 3D model of Manhattan, with over 50,000 scanned photographs used for building textures. Miniatures were employed for a later vehicle crash scene in which Dick and Ruby's taxicab is hit by the driver of a truck.

Similarly, the opening flyover of Venice Beach was also computer-generated, created by a digitally scanning miniature beach model created out of live sand and sculpted wood; the digital water and crowds were entirely hand-animated. Created by the effects company Hydraulx and running for approximately thirty-eight minutes in length, the scene was at the time the shortest continuous all-CG shot in film history.

The film uses a new generative artificial intelligence technology called Metaphysic Live to de-age most of the child actors in real time as they perform instead of using additional post-production processing methods.

### Music

OneRepublic performed the single, titled "Bring 'Em On", as the theme song to the film. The group itself performs during the party sequence. The film features an original song called "Love Power", performed by the young cast members, written by the film's co-writer Michael Poryes and Harvey Mason Jr., and composed by Alan Menken; the song's pop version, entitled "Love Power (End Credit Version)", was performed by Taylor Swift. Christopher Lennertz composed the musical score. The soundtrack was released on July 19, 2024, by WaterTower Music.

## Release

### Marketing

The first look of the film was shown on January 11, 2024, at Cartoon Network's Investor Day, depicting Brian and Gabriella, and all of their children adjusting to their new life as one big family.

### Theatrical limited release

The film was released in the United States and other countries on July 19, 2024, as a limited theatrical release by Warner Bros. Pictures.

## Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 43% based on 128 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 40 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.

### Box office

By February 2025, the film has grossed $49.8 million worldwide, with its largest markets being China ($14 million), Russia ($8.2 million), Poland ($3.6 million), Hong Kong ($3.6 million), South Korea ($3 million), the United Arab Emirates ($2.1 million), and Romania ($1.02 million). The film was released during the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Trivia

* No one person in particular, but much of the cast and supporting cast is filled out with veteran Cartoon Network actors.
* Antonio Raul Corbo (*We Bare Bears*, *Infinity Train*, and *Summer Camp Island*), Duncan Joiner (*We Bare Bears*), Benjamin Valic (*Craig of the Creek*), Ramone Hamilton (*Black Jesus* and *Summer Camp Island*), Mckenna Grace (*Clarence*), Scarlett Estevez (*Craig of the Creek*), Lauren Mei (*Summer Camp Island*), Julia Butters (*Adventure Time: Distant Lands*), Kaya McLean (*We Baby Bears*) and Isabelle Fuhrman (*Cartoon Fridays*, *Adventure Time* and *Adventure Time: Distant Lands*) have all starred in other Cartoon Network projects.
* On the shot that shows the front of the library, lamps are seen instead of the iconic lions. According to a New York City Public Library employee, the studio didn't want to pay the fee for filming the statues that are a trademark of the institution, and therefore only took advantage of the public area rights of filming.
* Dennis Quaid appeared in The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Midway (2019). Mckenna Grace appeared in Independence Day: Resurgence (2016).
* The teen actors were de-aged in the film using a new generative AI-driven tool dubbed Metaphysic Live, the first time ever in a family film.
* Sarah Stiles' second Cartoon Network feature film after Steven Universe: The Movie (2019).
* The casting of Christian Potenza as the Wedding DJ was controversial, due to accusations of him assaulting, drugging and manipulating his students.
* This movie features more Summer Camp Island young actors than any other project besides Summer Camp Island (2018) itself: Antonio Raul Corbo, Ramone Hamilton and Lauren Mei.
* Brian Erickson played by Dennis Quaid briefly shows the family the New York City Public Library, and mentions that they are in the part that was frozen up in The Day After Tomorrow. Quaid played Jack Hall in The Day After Tomorrow (2004), just twenty years earlier.
* The party band in the movie is an American pop-rock band called OneRepublic.
* Ellie Kemper's second Cartoon Network feature film after We Bare Bears: The Movie (2020).
* Lauren Mei's part was originally written for a boy, but it was changed to a girl for her.
* Twenty-seven special effects houses worked on this movie for over a year.
* Most of the young Erickson and Jolley children had their body hair shaved and had to raise the pitch of their voices for the film.
* The opening shot of Venice Beach is completely CGI, and lasts just over thirty-eight minutes.
* To get the Erickson-Jolley children's song really Disney-inspired, Alan Menken was asked to compose it. Alan Menken, along with his songwriting partner Howard Ashman, is responsible for all the catchy tunes in The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995) and others.
* The character Phillips Wilson is the real name of Wilson Phillips backwards. Director Eric Brevig is a big fan of vocal group Wilson Phillips, and wanted to name his supporting character after them.
* Lilly Bartlam and Christian Potenza previously worked together on Total DramaRama (2018).
* Very similar plot to Yours, Mine & Ours (2005) which also starred Dennis Quaid.
* Brian Erickson mentions the Chilladelphia Winter Carnival which originated in Shazam! (2019).
* William Hope, Mimi Kuzyk, and Chuck Shamata were born in Canada.
* This is Benjamin Valic's first live-action appearance. Benjamin voiced Natthew on Craig of the Creek.
* Mckenna Grace (Angel Erickson) and Lupita Nyong'o (Florence Sarratt) work in Captain Marvel (2019) and Black Panther (2018), both from the MCU, a Marvel franchise.
* Dennis Quaid, Sheila McCarthy, Mimi Kuzyk and Chuck Shamata appeared in The Day After Tomorrow (2004).
* Walker Scobell's second Cartoon Network movie role after The CN Movie (2022).

## Transcripts

### Main Transcript

*Main article: Family Mash-Up/Transcript*
### Trailer transcripts

*Main article: Family Mash-Up/Trailer transcripts*