THE ANT BULLY
Year: 2006
USA: Warner Bros Pictures
UK: Warner Bros Pictures International UK
Cast: Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Zach Tyler Eisen, Alan Cumming, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri, Jake T Austin, Myles Jeffrey, Regina King, Larry Miller, Alison Mack
Director: John A Davis
Country: USA
USA & UK: 89 mins
USA Rated: PG for some mild rude humor and action
UK Certificate: U contains mild language and scary action scenes
USA Release Date: 28 July 2006 (including selected IMAX theaters)
UK Release Date: 4 August 2006 (including selected IMAX cinemas)
Synopsis
Poor 10 year-old Lucas Nickle (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen) can't get a break. Recently moved to a new city with his family, he hasn't made a single friend. He gets nothing but grief from his teenage sister Tiffany (voiced by Allison Mack) and not a whole lot of attention lately from his parents (voiced by Cheri Oteri and Larry Miller), who are busy planning their big anniversary weekend trip to Puerto Vallarta. Meanwhile, his loving but kinda kooky grandmother Mommo (voiced by Lilly Tomlin) spends all her time trying to protect the family from those outer-space aliens she's been reading about in the grocery store magazines.
To make matters worse, Lucas has become the number one target of local bully Steve (voiced by Myles Jeffrey), who never misses an opportunity to push him around. In turn, Lucas delights in destroying ant hills in his front yard - venting his frustration on the defenceless mounds of dirt and their tiny inhabitants by kicking them, stomping them and squirting them with the garden hose.
But, unbeknownst to Lucas, there is a whole world alive and busy under his feet and what he sees as "just a bunch of little ants" are actually members of a complex society, with names and relationships, responsibilities and emotions. They're getting mighty tired of having their homes trampled by Lucas the Destroyer. And they're ready to fight back.
The ants retaliate by using a magic potion and shrink Lucas down to ant size and sentence him to live like an ant in their colony. In this strange new world Lucas will learn important lessons about friendship, get a whole new perspective on life and ultimately find the courage to stand up for himself.
From Academy Award nominated filmmaker John A Davis (JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS) and producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman (THE POLAR EXPRESS), THE ANT BULLY tells a witty and heartwarming story.
Synopsis IMAX
THE ANT BULLY 3D uses cutting-edge CGI animation and IMAX 3D to bring this beloved children's book to life. Produced by Tom Hanks, it features an all-star cast that includes Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Paul Giamatti.
Moviegoers will be virtually shrunken down to size as they enter the world of THE ANT BULLY. Debuting concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release from Warner Bros Pictures, the entire film has been digitally converted into IMAX 3D and features proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology.
The film will open in 3D at the bfi London IMAX Cinema on 4 August, IMAX Theatre-At-Bristol, the Birmingham IMAX Cinema and the Glasgow IMAX Cinema.
The Ant Bully: An IMAX 3D Experience is the second animated feature film converted into IMAX 3D, and follows the phenomenal success of THE POLAR EXPRESS: An IMAX 3D Experience, released in 2004. The three-dimensional images will offer moviegoers the feeling of travelling deep below the anthill for a truly unique cinematic experience. This picture marks Playtone's third IMAX film project, and Warner Bros. Pictures' tenth film commitment to IMAX.