Sheep and Wolves: Pig Deal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheep and Wolves: Pig Deal
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Vladimir Nikolaev Mikhail Babenko
Produced by	Yuri Moskvin Vladimir Nikolaev [ru] Sergey Selyanov [ru]
Written by	Anton Timofeev Vladimir Nikolaev Aleksey Tsitsilin Robert Lence Mikhail Babenko
Story by	Aleksey Tsitsilin Vladimir Nikolaev
Starring	Maxim Matveev(en) Elizaveta Boyarskaya Galina Korneva Anton Yuriev Alexey Sigaev Mikhail Belyakovich Nikita Prozorovsky [ru] Daniel Eldarov Mikhail Tikhonov(en) English Graham Halstead Kate Bristol Melissa Hope Vanessa Gardner Billy Bob Thompson Major Attaway Tyler Bunch Oliver Wyman Jason Griffith
Music by	Benjamin Zecker
Studio	Wizart Animation CTB Film Company
Distributed by	Nashe Kino International Pro Films Koch Media United States Vertical Entertainment Canada VVS Films
Release date(s)	24 January 2019 (2019-01-24) (Russia) 10 August 2020 (2020-08-10) (UK) 29 January 2021 (2021-01-29) (USA)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	Russia
Language	Russia English
Budget	₽350 million ~$4.5 million
Money made	$3.5 million

Sheep and Wolves: Pig Deal (Russian: Волки и овцы: Ход свиньей) is a 2019 Russian 3D computer-animated fantasy-comedy film. The story is the sequel to original film Sheep and Wolves and contains the elements of the fairy tale The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids. Wizart Animation and CTB Film Company were joint animation production studios for the film. The film is produced by Sergey Selyanov, Yuri Moskvin, Vladimir Nikolaev, and directed by Vladimir Nikolaev and Mikhail Babenko.

The original Russian version of the film features Maxim Matveev as Grey and also includes talents of Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Galina Korneva, Anton Yuriev, Alexey Sigaev, Mikhail Belyakovich, Nikita Prozorovsky [ru], Daniel Eldarov, and Mikhail Tikhonov. The international versions stars Graham Halstead as Grey and also features Kate Bristol, Vanessa Gardner, Melissa Hope, Billy Bob Thompson, Major Attaway, Tyler Bunch, Oliver Wyman, and Jason Griffith.

Grey, the peaceful wolf, leads a grassy utopia village where wolves and sheep live in harmony. Unexpected guests appear – an arctic vixen Simone and sheep girl Josie who are saved from a vicious warring wolf clan. The wolves appetite for the newcomers forces them to attack the village and demand Grey to extradite them. Instead of satiating their appetite, Grey raises the walls as pacifists are ready to protect against war marauders. Nashe Kino distributed the film in Russia at the premiere of 24 January 2019 followed by a global release. The movie released in the UK on 10 August 2020. The film opened in USA on 29 January 2021.

The movie was nominated for awards including the Pulcinella Award at Cartoons on the Bay in Italy and won the award for Best Storyline at the Catalina Film Festival. Critical reception for the film outside of Russia was largely negative, being criticized mostly for being a bland, boring rehash of the first film.

Plot

The movie begins with a flashback to Sheep and Wolves movie as Grey the wolf wakes up from a twilight dream as he is tended by Lyra the sheep. Thereafter, Grey is shown to develop his empathy toward the sheep and then he becomes friends at the sheep village. At a dark grotto, an emissary wolf meets Gark, the leader of a warring wolf clan sitting atop his walrus throne. The emissary reports the rumors that Mami, the gypsy is selling souvenirs. However, she is close to the harmonious village where sheeps and wolves live in peace. Gark and the wolves agree to capture this new animal that suddenly appeared to them in the food chain. They succeed in capturing Mami. Back at the egalitarian society of wolves and sheep, Belgour names Grey the new successor.

The wolf Grey becomes the unanimous leader. During those times unexpected guests arrives: a small ewe Josie with polar vixen Simone who sought refuge from the predator wolves of Gark. Grey welcomes them with open arms, despite peremptory suspicions from Ziko the ram. The wolf clan learns of this news and attacks the village to extradite the new animals for feasting. However they avoid an all out war because they know Grey the wolf will overcome his identity crisis and be a wolf again. Then they can easily handle the sheep village. Gark defeats Grey. He leaves with a declaration, "Your alliance with sheep is disgusting." as Grey has a couple of days before they overrun their village to feast on everyone and make the sacred pact between vegetarians and carnivores void.

Grey returns to the village and declares the threatening news. The villagers agree to defend their rights and rally for a noble cause. They build a fortress for the upcoming clash with the hungry wolves. However, mysterious saboteurs cause the fortress to crumble. Grey, discouraged and full of self-doubt, seeks Belgour's advice again. Belgour is still calm and repeats that his faith in the new leader is unbreakable. He says that Grey has already managed to transform groups of carnivores and herbivores into one big family and that means there is nothing he can not do. Belgour leaves with sage advise, "Any chaos can be turned into something beautiful."

Out of this predicament Grey defends the village held together by bonds of harmony between vegetarians and carnivores which the wolves are trying to shred.The ingenuity and unity of Gray, Bianca the wolf, Cliff the Seagull, Zico the lamb, Josie the sheep, and others is utilized to protect their village from a clash of clans. Ziko and others decide to capture the mysterious saboteur with white gloves. Meanwhile, Grey and Bianca journey to the wolf pack ravine and secretly save the gypsy Mami. Mami cooks up a secret potion that turn the tide of the war, but the mysterious infiltrator replaces the vials with a different potion that turn the defenders into pigs.

Cast

Accolades