My Little Pony: The Movie (2017 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids My Little Pony: The Movie |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Jayson Thiessen |
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| Music by | Daniel Ingram |
| Cinematography | Anthony Di Ninno |
| Editing by | Braden Oberson |
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| Release date(s) | September 24, 2017 (New York City) October 6, 2017 (United States and Canada) |
| Running time | 99 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $6.5 million |
| Money made | $61.3 million |
My Little Pony: The Movie is an animated musical fantasy film released in 2017. It is based on the popular TV show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. This movie is part of the My Little Pony toy and show series by Hasbro.
The film was directed by Jayson Thiessen. The story and screenplay were written by Meghan McCarthy and others. Both worked on the Friendship Is Magic TV show. The movie follows Twilight Sparkle, a magical winged unicorn princess. She goes on a big adventure with her five pony friends, called the "Mane 6". Their dragon friend Spike also joins them. They must save their home, Equestria, from a new evil villain. Along the way, they meet many new friends.
The movie features the voices of the TV show's regular cast. It also has famous actors like Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Michael Peña, Sia, Taye Diggs, Uzo Aduba, and Zoe Saldana. They voice the new characters. My Little Pony: The Movie was made by Allspark Pictures and DHX Media. It uses a type of animation called traditional animation. The movie first showed in New York City on September 24, 2017. It was released in North America on October 6, 2017. Lionsgate released it in the United States, and Entertainment One Films in Canada. The movie earned over $61 million worldwide. It was made with a budget of $6.5 million.
Contents
The Story of the Movie
The ponies of Equestria are getting ready for their first Friendship Festival. Princess Twilight Sparkle is in charge of the event in Canterlot. But an evil ruler named the Storm King interrupts the party. His main helper is a unicorn named Tempest Shadow. She is ordered to capture Equestria's princesses. The Storm King wants to use their magic to make himself stronger. Tempest also wants her broken horn fixed.
Twilight Sparkle escapes being turned to stone by Tempest's magic. This happens after Princess Celestia tells Princess Luna to find help from the "queen of the hippo" outside Equestria. Twilight sets off to find these "hippos." Her friends join her: Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike.
Journey to Klugetown
Twilight and her friends travel to a desert city called Klugetown. There, they meet a cat named Capper. He is a trickster who offers to guide them. Secretly, he plans to sell them to pay off a debt. As Capper spends time with them, he starts to become their friend. Twilight finds a map that shows the "hippos" are actually hippogriffs. This discovery reveals Capper's plan. When Tempest arrives, the group escapes on an airship. Bird-like pirates run the ship. Rainbow Dash convinces them to fly to Mount Aris, the hippogriffs' home.
Rainbow Dash gets too excited and performs a "Sonic Rainboom." This loud, colorful move accidentally shows Tempest where they are. The group has to reach Mount Aris in a makeshift hot air balloon.
Discovering Seaquestria
While exploring the empty hippogriff kingdom, Twilight and her friends almost drown. They are saved by Princess Skystar, a seapony. She leads them to her underwater home, Seaquestria. Skystar tells them that her people are hippogriffs. They changed into seaponies using a magic pearl. Her mother, Queen Novo, used the pearl to hide them from the Storm King.
Novo refuses to let them use the pearl against the Storm King. Twilight tries to steal it while her friends distract the seaponies. But her plan fails when she sets off an alarm. Pinkie Pie tries to convince Novo to help, but it's too late. The whole group is sent back to the surface. Twilight gets into a big fight with her friends and blames them. Tempest then captures Twilight. Tempest tells Twilight about her broken horn. She explains how losing her horn made her magic unstable. This caused her own friends to leave her. Meanwhile, Twilight's friends go back to Canterlot to rescue her. Capper, the pirates, and Skystar help them.
Saving Equestria
In Canterlot, Tempest brings Twilight to the Storm King. He takes the princesses' magic to power his Staff of Sacanas. He creates a huge storm against Twilight's friends. But he also betrays Tempest. Twilight saves Tempest. Twilight's friends use Pinkie's giant party cannon to blast through the storm. Twilight and her friends make up. They work together to take the staff and stop the storm.
The Storm King throws a magic orb to turn them to stone. But Tempest jumps in the way. Both she and the Storm King turn to stone. The Storm King's stone body falls and shatters. The group uses the staff to bring Tempest back to normal. She returns the stolen magic to the princesses and fixes the damaged city. The Friendship Festival starts again. The ponies celebrate with all the new friends Twilight and her group made. Tempest, encouraged by Twilight, joins the celebration. She uses her broken horn to create a beautiful fireworks show. She finally accepts their friendship.
Main Characters and Voice Actors
- Tara Strong voices Twilight Sparkle. She is a smart, winged unicorn and the Princess of Friendship. She leads the "Mane 6" ponies. Rebecca Shoichet sings for Twilight Sparkle.
- Ashleigh Ball voices Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Rainbow Dash is a brave pegasus. Applejack is an honest apple farmer.
- Andrea Libman voices Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie loves parties and makes everyone laugh. Fluttershy is a kind and shy pegasus who loves animals. Shannon Chan-Kent sings for Pinkie Pie.
- Tabitha St. Germain voices Rarity. She is a generous unicorn who designs fashion. Kazumi Evans sings for Rarity.
- Cathy Weseluck voices Spike. He is a baby dragon and Twilight Sparkle's helpful assistant.
New Characters and Their Voices
- Emily Blunt voices Tempest Shadow. She is a tough unicorn who works for the Storm King. She wants her broken horn fixed. The writer, Meghan McCarthy, said Emily Blunt's voice acting greatly influenced how Tempest was animated.
- Michael Peña voices Grubber. He is a funny hedgehog and Tempest Shadow's sidekick. Michael Peña made up many of Grubber's lines as he recorded them.
- Liev Schreiber voices the Storm King. He is a mean, satyr-like leader who wants to control all magic. Liev Schreiber said he took the role because he wanted to be in a movie his kids could watch.
- Taye Diggs voices Capper. He is a clever but good-hearted alley cat who tries to trick people. Taye Diggs was excited to be in an animated film.
- Zoe Saldana voices Captain Celaeno. She is a parrot pirate captain. She cares a lot about her crew. Zoe Saldana said Celaeno is a responsible and caring leader.
- Kristin Chenoweth voices Princess Skystar. She is an excited hippogriff who turned into a seapony. Kristin Chenoweth joked that she acted like her character, who had been "locked up for a while and is longing for friends."
- Uzo Aduba voices Queen Novo. She is the kind ruler of the hippogriffs-turned-seaponies and Princess Skystar's mother. Uzo Aduba said Queen Novo wants to protect her people and keep them safe.
- Sia voices Songbird Serenade. She is a famous pop star pegasus in Equestria. The character looks like Sia herself.
Nicole Oliver, Tabitha St. Germain, and Britt McKillip also voice their characters from the TV show. These include Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance. St. Germain also voices Granny Smith and Muffins. Michelle Creber and Peter New voice Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh. Michael Dobson voices Bulk Biceps. Samuel Vincent voices Party Favor.
Other voice actors include Adam Bengis, Brian Dobson, Max Martini, Mark Oliver, Andrew McNee, Tegan Moss, Sabrina Pitre, Rhona Rees, Richard Ian Cox, Alistair Abell, Caitlyn Bairstow, Julia Benson, Christine Chatelain, Paul Dobson, Rondel Reynoldson, Jason Simpson, Sarah Troyer, and Siobhan Williams.
