Craig Before the Creek

* Poster
* Logo

### Storyboarded by

Lamar Abrams, Ben Levin, Dave Alegre, Angel Lorenzana, Deena Beck, Pearl Low, Matt Burnett, Leiana Nitura, Danica Dickison, Ifesinachi Orjiekwe, Jason Dwyer, Richie Pope, Erik Fountain, Najja Porter, George O. Holguin, Ashley Tahilan, Amber Jones, and Charmaine Verhagen

### Directedby

TBA

***Craig Before the Creek*** is an American animated prequel film to *Craig of the Creek*. It premiered on digital distribution platforms on December 11, 2023. It aired on television on January 13, 2024, and was released on Max the next day. A DVD release is set for March 26, 2024.

The film was announced on January 19, 2022, as *Craig of the Creek: The Movie*.

The film soundtrack, *Craig Before the Creek (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)*, was released on January 15, 2024.

## Synopsis

Before he was Craig of the Creek, he was just Craig - a new kid in a new town. All Craig wants is to go back to his old friends at his old home. But when he learns that the nearby creek is hiding a lost treasure that could make his wish come true, Craig sets off on a journey to find it - navigating the perilous suburban wilderness, forging new friendships, all while being pursued by a fearsome band of pirates who are bent on destroying the Creek itself.

## Plot

In the cold open, at night, a girl is pursued through the Creek by the Pirate Kids. She loses them by diving into the creek, after which the Pirate Kids sail overhead in their inflatable ship. After they pass by, she emerges from the water and removes a bag from her backpack. The bag contains her journal.

Craig is video chatting his friends from school while on a car ride. They say their goodbyes, but Craig hangs up wordlessly, and gazes out the car window at a sign reading "Welcome to Herkleton". Unrolling a map scroll, he sketches the sign. Meanwhile, Jessica points out random things she sees, including a Pasta la Vista restaurant, surprising Bernard. Nicole observes that their new house is big enough to let all the kids have their own rooms, but Craig laments missing his friend's sleepover. She cheers him up and encourages him to make new friends, but Craig remains disappointed.

Arriving at their newly purchased, unfurnished house, the family races to take their pick of bedrooms, while Craig stares beyond their backyard, freaked out. As Craig tries to sleep for the first time in the new home, the vent in his bedroom starts rattling. Scared, Craig runs into Bernard's bedroom, waking up everyone else. They check on him, but he storms off.

The next day, Craig watches from his room as Bernard makes a new friend in Gibson. Nicole enters to help Craig unpack, but he refuses. She instead has him take his sister to the nearby playground. While riding the swings there, Jessica's Small Uncle doll is launched from her hands into a dark, dense forest, making her cry. Craig ventures in to retrieve the doll. Stumbling down a cliff, Craig discovers a creek where he finds two kids "battling" each other with frogs and insects. Craig runs off, only to be nearly hit by a volley of water balloons fired by Waterballoon Mike and his army. Just seconds later, the 10 Speeds nearly run him over, and crash trying to avoid him. After helping them up, Craig asks if they have seen the doll. They give him a ride to the Trading Tree, where dozens of kids are gathered, including the Junior Forest Scouts, the Horse Girls, the Alliance of Science, the Tea Timers, the Muddy Buddies, the Freddites, and many others. When Craig reaches the trading counter, Bobby has traded Small Uncle to Kit. Craig asks for it back, but Kit refuses.

The disagreement is interrupted by a boom, which sends all the kids running. Kit tosses the doll to Craig and heads off with her snacks, to Craig's confusion. Timekeeper sounds her horn, warning about pirates. With a splash, the Pirate Kids arrive, stealing candy and toys from various people. Craig is hit by a dodgeball, knocking him over and sending Small Uncle tumbling. The pirate captain picks up the doll. Craig snatches it back, to the shock of every kid. She laughs at him, snatches the doll back, and kicks him to the ground. Just before she can swing her sword at him, a bird attacks. Craig and Small Uncle are sent tumbling into a patch of mud. There, Craig thanks his savior, but the Pirate Kids quickly find them. The girl fends them off, and they run to the playground (sans Small Uncle) to pick up Jessica and head home.

Nicole admonishes Craig for losing Small Uncle and thanks Kelsey for taking him home. Kelsey demands payment in snacks in exchange for saving Craig. Craig hands her a Choco Roll and sends her on her way. That night, while trying to get to sleep, Craig is again disturbed by the vent, so he closes it to stop the noise. He discovers a string wrapped around, and pulling it out, discovers Hannah's journal is attached. Opening it, he learns that Hannah was the previous resident. The journal documents her efforts to find the Wishmaker, a paper fortune teller with the power to grant any kid's wish. Craig is enthused and decides to seek it out. He wishes his family would move back to their "real home". The next morning, he gears up with his staff, a frame purse, and snacks, and returns to the Creek.

Arriving at the Trading Tree, Craig finds it in ruins, with only Kit present. She reveals that the leader of the Pirate Kids, Serena, just showed up one day, and that her raids prompted some kids to join her and threatened Kit's business. Craig asks about the whereabouts of his savior, who Kit reveals is Kelsey. Kit points him to an oak tree, where he finds Kelsey reading *The Quest of Scriggith*. Kelsey assumes Craig wants his snacks back, but Craig asks her for help. Noticing her book, he invites her on a "quest" to find the Wishmaker. Kelsey laughs him off, believing its existence to be a myth, so Craig shows her the section of map from Hannah's diary. Kelsey gasps and narrates to herself that she is "awestruck" by it. Craig interrupts her, but accidentally calls her Chelsea, which she angrily corrects. She asks about the origins of the map, which Craig refuses to divulge. He elaborates on his request: protection from the Pirate Kids in exchange for a wish. Kelsey demands a Choco Roll each for her and her bird, which Craig reluctantly accepts. Kelsey offers three terms: staying only until dinnertime, the promise of a bloody battle, and that they need transportation.

At the Trading Tree, Kit offers the duo a kiddie pool, calling it a raft. Craig questions its ability to float, but exchanges four Choco Rolls for it and some sunflower seeds (at Kelsey's insistence). Kelsey demands more payment before providing additional help, so Craig forms a plan and inflates the pool on his own. They set sail. Kelsey paddles while Craig navigates. They pass by several landmarks, like Butt Rock (a butt-shaped rock), Tres Perros (a backyard with three dogs), a swarm of bugs, and a treehouse. They are stopped when they are caught in a net by a trio of kids dressed as elves. One of them offers them passage if they answer a riddle, only to be reminded they are elves, not trolls. They explain their mission to protect the flora of the Creek and demand an offering in exchange for passage. Craig opts to solve the riddle instead after Kelsey refuses and begins threatening them. He correctly answers "seeds" and gives them some sunflower seeds, which they accept. When they come upon a clearing, Kelsey has her bird scout the area for pirates. Kelsey explains how she trained her bird, Mortimor, so well. They discuss their home lives as they await Mortimor's return.

Mortimor comes back just as the Pirate Kids arrive and board the "raft". Kelsey again demands extra payment, this time for engaging them in combat, which Craig agrees to. He pockets the map. They are quickly bested and captured, with their booty stolen. The pirates demand to know why they were in their territory, but they refuse to talk. They are thrown in a cell, where they are met by J.P. the Torturer. His torture methods are ineffective and end up backfiring on him. Upset at his failure to be a good pirate, he tells them he just wanted to go on an adventure and only joined the Pirate Kids to helm the ship. Craig invites him on their quest and offers to let J.P. steer their "raft". He calls the captain and tells on them. In her quarters, she reveals her longing for the ocean and that she has one half of their treasure map, but Hannah beat her to the other. She also shows she remembers Craig from the raid and has taken Small Uncle. She invites Craig to join the crew in exchange for the rest of the map, extending sympathy toward Craig's status as the "new kid". With the Wishmaker, Serena plans to flood the Creek, bringing her back to sea. Craig refuses her bribes, so she makes them walk the plank. J.P. stops her at the last second and tries to inspire the pirates to be nicer. They reject him and he stamps his foot in frustration. This sends ripples through the deck, knocking over a kid. Craig and Kelsey use this strategy to bounce most of Serena's crew overboard, recover their booty and the rest of the treasure map, and disembark as the dinner horn sounds.

The pirates risk being grounded to search for the trio while they study the complete treasure map under the roots of a large tree. They identify the X as the Ancient Playground, a place none knew existed. Craig then gets a phone call from his mom. He tells her he's having a sleepover at Kelsey's house. Nicole asks to speak to Kelsey's parents, so J.P. takes up the mantle. He manages to convince her, and later, Kelsey's dad. They celebrate with "dinner", consisting of more Choco Rolls, and discuss the wishes they plan to make. Craig makes up a wish to disguise his desire to move back to his old home.

While Kelsey and J.P. are asleep, Craig slips away and continues toward the Ancient Playground. Back under the tree, J.P. acts out his dream, startling them both awake. They call after Craig, alerting the Pirate Kids. Craig arrives at the playground, which appears to just be a merry-go-round. Etched on it is the symbol of the Wishmaker. A nearby tree has similar etchings. Craig lines them up, which lets him lift the merry-go-round up to reveal a slide. Going down it, he finds himself underground in the true Ancient Playground. Among the collection of rusted equipment is a temple. Embedded in the ceiling above is the inverted spire of a play structure castle, which also features the symbol of the Wishmaker. To enter, he crosses a bridge over a moat of millipedes in a game of hopscotch. Inside the castle, he races past a set of swings and climbs to the roof. Finally, he puts his purse down and climbs a set of monkey bars to the spire. He leaps onto the spire, upon which numerous dandelions are placed. Blowing them away, Craig finds the Wishmaker. He climbs down and reads the code from the diary. He recounts his adventure and begins having second thoughts. Before he can finish the final step, he is interrupted by the Pirate Kids, who have captured Kelsey and J.P., and Serena, who brandishes her sword at Craig and demands that he hand over the fortune teller. He distracts her and attempts an attack, which only lets the Wishmaker fall into Serena's hands. She inputs the code and wishes "for the Creek to be as wild as the ocean."

The cave begins to flood. They quickly climb back up the slide and find themselves in a thunderstorm. This scares off the remainder of Serena's crew. Craig blames Kelsey and J.P. for leading Serena to the Wishmaker. They ask why he abandoned them. He explains that he couldn't let himself enjoy the Creek because he wanted to hang out with his "real friends" back home. Kelsey and J.P. are hurt by the remark. A large wave knocks them over and leaves them hanging on to the ship's rope ladder. At the bottom of the rope ladder, Serena is torn between holding on to the Wishmaker and grabbing Craig's hand to be rescued. She loses her grip and is swept away, with the fortune teller in tow. The trio climb on board. Craig sets his sights on a new quest: retrieving the Wishmaker. Kelsey initially refuses due to the danger of the flood, but Craig points out that this was the opportunity for heroism she had been dreaming of. J.P. helms the ship while Craig spots the Wishmaker upon a rock. He climbs down and almost grabs it, but Serena climbs out of the water and snatches it. As she swings her sword at Craig, Kelsey steps in to defend him. Serena is knocked to the ground, and the Wishmaker is launched up. Craig catches it, and notices that the rain has made the paper begin to disintegrate. He inputs the code, but when he pulls out the flap to make the wish, Serena also grabs it.

Craig finds himself floating inside the Wishmaker with Serena. Serena explains to him that the space is made of all the wishes kids have made or will make with the fortune teller. She lands a blow on him, knocking him into one of the wishes. He hears the wish, which was to become beautiful, and turns into an older, handsome version of himself. He slams his fist against another wish, restoring his appearance, and imbuing him with super speed. This, in turn, knocks Serena into a wish to be strong. Now able to fight back against his super speed, Craig finds another wish: for laser eyes. Serena is knocked into yet another wish, invisibility. She sneaks up behind him and bites his arm. He flinches, sending him flying into a wish to be taller. He uses his long arms to hit all the air around him, launching Serena into another wish. Realizing she has turned into a cat, she questions the wish, but uses her new claws to scratch Craig's face. Suddenly, they are transported out of the Wishmaker onto a scene of a beach. Serena explains that this is her wish. She wanted to flood the Creek so she could sail home. Craig tells her that his wish was the same, and the scene shifts to his old home. He explains that his adventure warmed him up to living somewhere new, and encourages her to do the same. She lunges at Craig, sending them back inside the Wishmaker, but she begins crying and water begins breaking through the walls, flooding it. Way above, they see a flap representing an unmade wish, and race against the rising water to undo Serena's wish. Using the other wishes, they launch up to it, avoiding the streams of water. They make the wish together. Craig and Serena awake back in the real world, the rain having subsided. The ship, having been pierced by the rock, begins sinking. Kelsey and J.P. tackle Craig to the ground in a hug. Serena crushes the destroyed Wishmaker in her fist.

Back home, Jessica sits in bed, looking at a framed photo of herself as a baby playing with Small Uncle. Craig knocks on her door, holding the doll. He goes to his bedroom and unpacks with the help of Nicole and Duane. Craig pens a letter to Hannah and takes it to a postal drop box. On the way, he passes Bernard who is talking with Gibson and Alexis about the menu at Pasta la Vista. Meeting with Kelsey and J.P. at the Creek again, he shares his next pitch: mapping the entire Creek.

## Characters

### Main

* Craig
* Kelsey
* J.P.
* Mortimor
* Serena

### Supporting/Minor

* Bernard
* Jessica
* Nicole
* Duane
* Charmaine
* 10 Speeds
* Kit
* Alliance of Science
* Tea Timers
* Junior Forest Scouts
* Bobby
* Pirate Kids
* Timekeeper
* Shannon
* Horse Girls
* Waterballoon Mike
* Gibson
* Alexis
* Roger
* Elf Kids
* Hannah

## Music

### Songs

* "Go Forth, Following Dreams"
* "Join Us"
* "Brighter Days"
* "Killer Headache"
* "The Flood"
* "Craig of the Creek The End!!!"
* "Endscroll Dub"

### Instrumentals

* "Cold Open (Craig Before the Creek)"
* "Welcome to the Trading Tree"
* "PIRATES!!!"
* "Kelsey Enters the Chat"
* "The Wishmaker"
* "ACTIVATION!!!"
* "Headin' Out"
* "Serena, Captain of the Pirate Kids"
* "Roger"
* "Never Turn Your Back on a Pirate"
* "Reneé and the Kids"
* "Torture Expert"
* "Serena's Lament"
* "BRING OUT THE PLANK!!!"
* "FIGHT-N-SKANK!"
* "Double Bounce Me"
* "Wishmaker Maptaker"
* "D I N N E R T I M E ! ! !"
* "Go Forth, Betray Your Friends"
* "Craig Falls Again"
* "Wishmaker in the Woods"
* "Ancient Playground"
* "Monkey Bars I"
* "Monkey Bars II"
* "Wishmaker in Heaven"
* "Cap'n JP"
* "Kelsey the Brave I - IV"
* "Rumble in the Wishmaker"
* "Wishing Yourself Back Home"
* "Big Hollywood Ending"
* "Dear Hannah"
* "Outroduction Skank!"

## Errors

* [1:26:53] Zehra Fazal's last name is misspelled "Fazel".

## Videos

Craig Before the Creek- An Original Movie Trailer - Cartoon NetworkCraig Before The Creek Teaser! @wbkidsKelsey Saves Craig From Serena - Craig Before the Creek- An Original Movie - Cartoon Network
## External links

### Digital distribution

* Google Play Movies & TV
* iTunes
* Prime Video
* Vudu
* YouTube

1. ↑ https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/max/whats-new-max-january
2. ↑ https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/11/craig-before-the-creek-movie-sets-digital-dvd-air-dates/
3. ↑ [1]