Puppet Pals: Forever After

Puppet Pals 5: Forever After (released as Puppet Pals 5: The Final Chapter in some markets) is an 2018 American 3D Computer-Animated Action-Adventure Comedy Film produced by Go!Studios for 20th Century Fox. It is the fifth and final installment in the Puppet Pals franchise, following 2015's Puppet Pals 4: Collision Course and was written and directed by Nicholas Stoller from a screenplay by Jon Vitti, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger and a story by Tom Ropelewski and Jordan Roberts with Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Josh Peck, Sarah Silverman, David Spade, William Shatner, Julia Roberts, Katie Crown, and Patton Oswalt reprising their roles from the previous installments, New cast members include Bill Hader, Jason Sudekikis, Josh Gad, Kate McKinnon, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, T. J. Miller, and Colin Dean.

Puppet Pals 5: Forever After premiered in Los Angeles on August 19, 2018 and was released in the United States on September 21, 2018 by 20th Century Fox in RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, IMAX and IMAX 3D. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many critics considering it an improvement over its predecessors as well as praising its animation, concept, and satire. Puppet Pals 5: Forever After was the first Twentieth Century Fox Animation film to use the studio's new animation technology to produce its animated visuals and lighting. It grossed $1.2 billion worldwide, against a budget of $200 million. To date, it is the highest-grossing Puppet Pals film and making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2018, and the third highest-grossing animated film.

Even though it is the sixth installment and a reboot, *Puppet Pals 6* is set for release on September 24, 2021.

## Voice Cast

* Jesse McCartney as Alonzo
* Amy Poehler as Joy
* Bill Melendez as Snoopy (archive recordings)
* Colin Dean as Lincoln Loud
* Katie Crown as Princess Joanna
* Josh Peck as Jose Maldonaldo
* Sarah Vowell as Angelina
* Sarah Silverman as Little Lily
* Patton Oswalt as Steve Smiley
* David Spade as Robert
* Jason Sudekikis as Red
* Josh Gad as Chuck
* Kate McKinnon as Stella
* Keegan-Michael Key as Benny
* William Shatner as Mr. Joy
* Julia Roberts as Mrs. Joy
* Chris Pratt as Nathan
* Elizabeth Banks as Abby
* T. J. Miller
* Kristen Schaal
* Sophia Bush
* Bill Hader as Leonard the Pig
* Sandra Bullock reprises her role as Rosie Storm from the first film, appearing in Alonzo's hallucinations.

### Additional Voices

* Phil LaMarr
* Bob Bergen
* Scott Menville
* David Cowgill
* Jess Harnell
* Matthew Wood
* Fred Tatasciore
* Bill Farmer
* June Christopher
* Debi Derryberry
* Carlos Alazraqui
* Catherine Cavadini
* Yuri Lowenthal
* Lori Alan
* Laraine Newman
* Steve O'Connell
* Alyson Stoner
* Barbara Harris
* Terri Douglas
* Jim Ward
* Tara Strong

## Production

### Music

In September 2016, it was confirmed that John Debney and Michael Giacchino would return to compose the score.

## Release

Puppet Pals: Forever After premiered at the Regency Village Theater on September 9, 2018 and was released in the United States on September 21, 2018 by 20th Century Fox in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D. It was originally scheduled for release on June 29, 2018, but in December 2016, Fox had to advanced the release date to June 1, 2018. The release was then shifted to September 21, 2018.

 It was the second Twentieth Century Fox Animation offering of the year following *Kate & Chris: Back in Action*, making 2018 the third year Fox Animation released two films in one year, after 2010 (with *Puppet Pals 2* and *Alaina Gleen*) and 2012 (with *S.M.A.R.T: Family of Spies* and *Puppet Pals the Third*).

The film is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America

Due to the popularity and preference of IMAX in 2D (as opposed to 3D) among filmgoers in North America, the film will be shown in IMAX theaters in only 2D domestically, but will be screened in 3D formats internationally.

* The first teaser trailer was released online on November 19, 2017 and was shown before *The Star*, *The Mr. Potato Movie*, *Coco*, *Lix*, *Star Wars: The Last Jedi*, *Ferdinand,* *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,* Paddington 2,*Peter Rabbit*, *Black Panther*, and *Early Man*.

* The first official trailer was released online on March 1, 2018, and was shown before *Kate & Chris: Back in Action*, *A Wrinkle In Time*, *Sherlock Gnomes*, *Rampage*, *Avengers: Infinity War,* Computeropolis: The Deep Web*, and Show Dogs*.
* The second and final theatrical trailer was released online on June 11, 2018, and was shown before *Incredibles 2*, *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom*, *Birdz*, *Ant-Man and the Wasp*, *Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation*, and *Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.*

### Home Media

The film was released on digital and Movies Anywhere on November 27, 2018 and on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 4, 2018.

## Reception

### Box Office

As of November 12, 2018, *Puppet Pals: Forever After* has grossed $589.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $612.3 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $1.201 billion, making it the highest-grossing *Puppet Pals* film in the whole franchise.

### United States and Canada

*Puppet Pals: Forever After* opened alongside *The House With A Clock In Its Walls*, *Assassination Nation*, *Life Itself (2018)*, and *Fahrenheit 11/9*. and was projected to gross $95–110 million in its opening weekend, which would be the biggest opening for an animated film released in September.

It played in 4,486 theaters, of which 4,186 showed the film in 3D and 937 of them showing the film in IMAX, setting the second record for widest release for a Fox animated feature of all-time, only behind *Kate & Chris: Back in Action*. Within the first 24 hours of pre-sale tickets going on sale, it broke Fandango's pre-sales record to become the top Fox pre-seller of all-time, eclipsing *Kate & Chris: Back in Action* (2018) and later set the record for the site's top pre-seller for an animated Fox film as well as a non-Disney animated film. The film made $16.5 million from Thursday night previews being the biggest for both a Puppet Pals film and a overall animated film released by Fox, and in its opening weekend, it exceeded expectations and grossed $106.2 million, finishing first at the box office.

In its second weekend, the film fell by 42% to $51.9 million while maintaining the top spot, despite facing stiff competition with newcomers Smallfoot and Night School (2018). It made another $42.4 million in its third weekend, finishing 3rd.

### Internationally

Outside North America the film made $85.8 million from 25 countries in its opening weekend, for a global debut of $182 million, the highest for a animated Fox released film outgrossing *Kate & Chris: Back in Action'*s worldwide opening of $176.2 million. Mexico was the largest debut with $18.4 million, followed by Australia ($16.4 million) and Russia ($13.1 million). On October 19, 2018, it opened up in 5 more territories with the biggest being the United Kingdom as it grossed $37.5 million.

### Critical Response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 93% "Certified Fresh" approval rating based on 109 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Puppet Pals: Forever After doesn't break up GoAnimate's most popular franchise's grounds, but its final film entertains fans widely enough to carry its usual wit and charm, and is often hilarious at times."

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 94% overall positive score (average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 74% "definite recommend".

### Epilepsy Issues

Many disability advocates, including the Epilepsy Foundation, have raised concerns that scenes with flashing lights, mostly in a party sequence as well as Alonzo's hallucinations, can trigger seizures in viewers affected by photosensitive epilepsy. As a result, several theaters have started posting warnings for audiences. Fox issued a statement to *USA Today* stating that they appreciated the efforts the theaters had already made in making signs warning people seeing the movie. They then asked theaters to warn audiences about the scene in a memo that reads, "*Puppet Pals: Forever After* contains a sequence of flashing lights, which may affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photosensitivities." However, in the DVD/Blu-ray release of the film, they removed the epilepsy.