Kate & Chris: Back in Action

*Kate & Chris 2: Back in Action* (released as *Kate & Chris 2* in some markets) is a 2018 American 3D Computer Animated Action War Comedy Film produced by GoAnimate Studios, it was directed by Bryan Andrews and Steve O'Connell from a screenplay by Noah Baumbach, Darren Lemke, Erica Rivinoja, and Nicholas Stoller, and a story by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, and is the sequel to 2007's Kate & Chris. In the film, Kate and Chris, along with their family, now have to prevent a fictionalized version of Doug Ford from brewing up another world war, which can destroy the entire balance of the universe. Along the way, they encounter a host of new friends to help win the war.

Anne Hathaway, Elijah Wood, Zach Braff, Mike Myers, Justin Long and Kelsey Grammer reprise their roles from the previous installment. New cast members include Jenny Slate, Josh Gad, Katie Crown, Zac Efron, Steve Zahn, Kristen Wiig, John C. Reilly, Catherine Keener, Kristen Schaal, Kenan Thompson, Ian McShane, and Danny DeVito.

*Kate & Chris 2: Back in Action*premiered on February 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, and was released in the United States on March 2, 2018 in 3D, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX 3D. The film received positive reviews from critics, with Hathaway and Wood's performances being lauded, although it drew some criticism for its perceived historical inaccuracies.

*Kate & Chris 2: Back in Action* won the National Board of Review award for the best film of 2018, and was also chosen as one of the top 10 films of the year by the American Film Institute. Among other accolades, the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Long), and was also nominated for Best Actor (Wood) and Best Film Editing. The film also won the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. A sequel is currently in development for a March 18, 2022 release date, while an animated series, titled Kate & Chris Adventures, premiered on Netfilx on November 9, 2018.

## Production

It was scheduled to be released in 2010 but was delayed for two years until production was cancelled in early 2013 due to script issues. However, in August 2015, it was announced that the Kate & Chris sequel, now known as Kate & Chris: Back in Action, was revived and back into development by GoAnimate Studios again, and would be released into theaters on November 3, 2017, coinciding on the 20th anniversary of the first book. But however, it was delayed to March 2018. Unlike the first film being animated at Blue Sky Studios, The second film is animated at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

## Music

On August 4, 2017, it had been confirmed that Mark Mothersbaugh and John Powell would be composing the score for the film.

Most of the soundtrack comes from old songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and modern times. This was because Eric Stern is so fascinated with nostalgia that he wanted this film to be unique as well.

## Release

Kate & Chris: Back in Action premiered on February 14, 2018 at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles, and was released on March 2, 2018 by in 3D, RealD 3D, IMAX 3D and Dolby Cinema. This film was also shown in the 4DX format, featuring tilting seats, water sprays, strobe lightning, aroma, wind, pops, and ticklers, in selected countries.

The Motion Pictures Association of America Rated the Movie PG for "animated action violence".

It was originally scheduled for release on November 3, 2017, but in December 2016, Fox advanced the release date to March 30, 2018. In June 2017, the release was then shifted to April 13, 2018, but then was moved to March 2, 2018, due to high demand. This was the first Go!Studios movie to be released in Dolby Vision.

### Marketing

* The first teaser for the film was released on May 28, 2017 and was later attached to *Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie*, *Cars 3*, *Despicable Me 3*, and *The Emoji Movie,* and it received 104 million views in its first 24 hours, becoming the most viewed trailer for an animated film, and the 8th most-viewed trailer overall.

* The first theatrical trailer was released on September 21, 2017 and was shown before *The Lego Ninjago Movie*, *My Little Pony: The Movie*, Coco, Lix, *Star Wars: The Last Jedi*, *Ferdinand,*and *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.*

* The second and final theatrical trailer was released on January 10, 2018, and was shown before Paddington 2,*Peter Rabbit*, *Black Panther*, and *Early Man*.

A Lego video game adaptation of both films was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on March 16, 2018.

Fox partnered with McDonald's to release a set of four cups and eight military base toys of the film's characters upon its release. Diadora released a line of clothing featuring the characters from the movie. Merchandise was also produced for the film, including Kellogg's, Funko, Lego, and others.

### Home Media

Kate & Chris: Back in Action was released on Digital HD and Movies Anywhere on June 15, 2018, and was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on July 3, 2018. The 3D Blu-ray of this film was released in select international markets (including the UK).

## Reception

### Box Office

Kate & Chris: Back in Action grossed $561.4 million in the United States and Canada and $547.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $1.108 billion, against a production budget of $200 million.

In the United States and Canada, *Kate & Chris: Back in Action* was released alongside the releases of *Death Wish* (2018), and *Red Sparrow,* and was projected to gross $140–165 million from 4,455 theaters in its opening weekend. On its first day, the film grossed $62.7 million (including $12.2 million made from Thursday night previews). It went on to open to $98.4 million, finishing first at the box office. In its second weekend, the film dropped by 64% to $60 million, and fell to No. 2 behind *A Wrinkle in Time,* and it remained in second place in its third and fourth weekends, grossing $38.5 million and $24.7 million, respectively.

### Critical Reception

*Kate & Chris: Back in Action* received generally positive reviews from critics, with many considering it to be better than its predecessor. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 128 reviews and an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Kate & Chris: Back in Action reunites Eric Stern's hilarious and enthusiastic book series back on the big screen for a long-awaited follow-up that may not quite live up to the original, but comes close enough to earn its name." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 93% overall positive score and an 83% "definite recommend".