Hotel Transylvania (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hotel Transylvania |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Genndy Tartakovsky |
| Produced by | Michelle Murdocca |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Editing by | Catherine Apple |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Release date(s) | September 8, 2012 (TIFF) September 28, 2012 (United States) |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $85 million |
| Money made | $358.4 million |
Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. The first installment in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, it was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (in his directorial debut) from a screenplay by Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel and a story by Todd Durham, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman. The film stars the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, CeeLo Green, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, Jon Lovitz, and Chris Parnell.
The film tells the story of Count Dracula, the owner of a hotel called Hotel Transylvania where the world's monsters can take a rest from human civilization. Dracula invites some of the most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis. When the "human-free hotel" is unexpectedly visited by an ordinary 21-year-old traveler named Jonathan, Drac must do everything in his power to prevent Mavis from falling in love with him before the hotel's guests learn a human is in the castle, which may jeopardize the hotel's future and his career.
The film was released on September 28, 2012 by Sony Pictures Releasing. It earned a total of $358 million worldwide, against a budget of $85 million, at the box office, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. The success of Hotel Transylvania launched a multimedia franchise and a series of three sequels, starting with Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015).
Contents
Plot
In 1895, after the death of his wife Martha at the hands of an angry human mob, Count Dracula commissions and builds a massive 5-star, monsters-only hotel in Transylvania, in which he raises his daughter Mavis. The hotel also serves as a safe haven and a getaway for the world's monsters from fear of human persecution. Famous monsters such as Frankenstein and his wife Eunice, Wayne and Wanda Werewolf and their massive immediate family, Griffin the Invisible Man, and Murray the Mummy often come to stay at the hotel.
In the present day, on Mavis' 118th birthday, Dracula allows his daughter to leave the castle to explore the human world, but he sets up an elaborate plan using his zombie bellhops disguised as humans to make them seem intimidating, and frighten her home. The plan works, but the zombies inadvertently lead a 21-year-old human Jonathan "Johnny" Loughran back to the hotel. Drac frantically disguises him as a Frankensteinesque monster and passes him off as Frank's cousin "Johnnystein". Jonathan soon encounters Mavis and the two "Zing". Unable to get Johnny out of the hotel without notice, Drac quickly improvises that Johnny is a party planner, brought in to bring a fresher approach to his own traditional and boring parties. Johnny quickly becomes a hit to the other monsters, but this disgusts and worries Drac. Drac orders Johnny to leave, but he is brought back by Mavis. After being shown the beauty of a sunrise by Johnny, Mavis is inspired to give humans another chance.
Meanwhile, the hotel chef Quasimodo, with the help of his pet rat Esmeralda, learns that Johnny is a human and kidnaps him to cook him. Drac intervenes and magically freezes Quasimodo to keep him from telling anyone that Johnny is human. Drac leads Johnny to his quarters and shows him a painting of Martha, allowing Johnny to realize why Drac built the hotel and became overprotective of Mavis. Johnny then agrees to leave for good, but Drac persuades him to stay for the time being to avoid ruining Mavis's birthday.
The party is a great success the next night, and Mavis looks forward to opening a gift from Martha. However, when Johnny and Mavis share their first kiss, Drac overreacts, and in his outburst, inadvertently confesses to deceiving Mavis with the town. A still-frozen Quasimodo bursts in and Mr. Fly reveals from his frozen speech that Johnny is a human disguised by Drac. The guests are shocked outraged by the deceit at play, but Mavis is undeterred and wants to be with Johnny. Johnny feigns uninterest in Mavis and rejects her out of respect for her father and leaves the hotel.
A heartbroken Mavis flies onto the roof with her mother's present, and Drac follows her in hopes of comforting her. He learns the present is a book about how Drac and Martha "Zinged" and fell in love. Drac realizes he no longer knows humankind's true tolerance of monsters. After apologizing to the patrons, Drac persuades Frank, Wayne, Griffin and Murray to head out into the human world to help him find Johnny, and with the scent-tracking ability of Wayne's daughter, Winnie, they learn that he is about to catch a flight back to the United States.
The four head to the airport, but are held up in a town celebrating a Monster Festival along the way. Admiring the group, the humans agree to help, and a team of men dressed as vampires provides Drac shelter from the sunlight while he rushes to the airport. Drac arrives to see Johnny's plane taking off, and he gives chase in bat form, burning in the sunlight. After getting Johnny's attention, Drac makes his way to the windshield of the plane and uses his mind-controlling power on the pilot to help him apologize, stating that Mavis has grown up and can make her own decisions. Johnny accepts his apology, and Drac manipulates the pilot to return to the Transylvanian airport.
Drac returns Johnny to Mavis, announcing that he approves of Johnny. Johnny confesses to Mavis that their "Zing" was mutual and the two kiss. The monsters finish celebrating Mavis' party, impressing the hotel guests.
Cast
- Adam Sandler as Count "Drac" Dracula: a vampire and the owner of the hotel and Mavis' overprotective father
- Andy Samberg as Jonathan "Johnny" Loughran: Mavis' love interest.
- Selena Gomez as Mavis Dracula: daughter of Count Dracula and late Martha.
- Sadie Sandler as young Mavis Dracula and also plays Winnie
- Kevin James as Frankenstein: one of Dracula's best friends who acts as an uncle to Mavis and mostly hangs out with Murray.
- Fran Drescher as Eunice: Frankenstein's wife and Wanda's best friend.
- Steve Buscemi as Wayne: a male werewolf who is one of Dracula's best friends and Wanda's husband.
- Molly Shannon as Wanda: a female werewolf, Wayne's heavily pregnant wife and Eunice's best friend.
- David Spade as Griffin the Invisible Man: a ghost and one of Dracula's best friends.
- CeeLo Green as Murray: a short, fat mummy who is one of Dracula's best friends and mostly hangs out with Frankenstein. He is later voiced by Keegan-Michael Key in the next two films
- Jon Lovitz as Quasimodo Wilson: a hunchbacked gourmet chef and the former bell-ringer of Notre Dame who desires to make a dish with human as the main ingredient.
- Jim Wise and Luenell as the shrunken heads that serve as a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door of Mavis's room.
- Chris Parnell as Mr. Fly: Hotel Transylvania's fitness coordinator who can also translate any speech.
- Brian George as a suit of armor who acts as the head of Hotel Transylvania's security guards.
- Brian Stack as a pilot who flies Jonathan's airplane back to America.
- Jackie Sandler as Martha: Dracula's wife and Mavis' mother who was killed by an angry mob when Mavis was an infant.
- Rob Riggle as Skeleton Husband
- Paul Brittain as Mr. Ghouligan: a zombie plumber.
- Brian McCann as a hairy monster that resembles a Yeti.
The heads of the Hydra named Mr. Hydraberg are voiced by Jim Wise, Paul Brittain, Jonny Solomon, Craig Kellman, and Brian McCann.
Soundtrack
- "Where Did the Time Go Girl (Party Version)" Written by Robert Smigel, Adam Sandler, and Dennis White. Produced by Static Revenger.
- "Daddy's Girl" Written by Adam Sandler and Robert Smigel. Performed by Adam Sandler.
- "Call Me Mavy" Performed by Traci L.
- "Problem (The Monster Remix)" Written by Henry Walter, Lukasz Gottwald, Becky G (as Becky Gomez) & will.i.am (as William Adams). Performed by Becky G featuring will.i.am.
- "Overprotected" Written by Max Martin. Performed by Britney Spears.
- "The Zing" Written by Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, and Dennis White. Produced by Static Revenger. Performed by Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, CeeLo Green, Kevin James, and Selena Gomez.
- "Helpless", written and performed by Peter Tvrznik
- "Sweet 118", written by Andy Samberg, Stuart Hart and Trevor Simpson. Performed by Andy Samberg.
- "Hush Little Baby", performed by Adam Sandler.
- "Monster Mash", performed by Bobby Pickett.
Sequel
The sequel, titled Hotel Transylvania 2, was released on September 25, 2015. Its story takes place seven years after the first film, with the hotel now open to human guests, and its owner, Count Dracula, being more preoccupied with the fact that his 5-year-old grandson is not a pure-blood vampire. The original crew and cast returned for the film, except CeeLo Green as the role of Murray, who was replaced by Keegan-Michael Key. New additions include Mel Brooks as Dracula's father, Vlad; Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally as Jonathan's parents, Mike and Linda; and Asher Blinkoff as Mavis and Johnny's half-human/half-vampire son, Dennis.
Images for kids
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Director Genndy Tartakovsky presented a few scenes from the film at the 2012 Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
See also
In Spanish: Hotel Transylvania para niños
