kids encyclopedia robot

The Prince of Egypt facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
The Prince of Egypt
Directed by Simon Wells
Brenda Chapman
Steve Hickner
Produced by Penney Finkelman Cox
Sandra Rabins
Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer)
Screenplay by Philip LaZebnik
Nicholas Meyer
Starring Val Kilmer
Ralph Fiennes
Michelle Pfeiffer
Sandra Bullock
Jeff Goldblum
Patrick Stewart
Danny Glover
Steve Martin
Martin Short
Music by Hans Zimmer
Editing by Nick Fletcher
Studio DreamWorks Animation
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures
Release date(s) December 18, 1998 (1998-12-18)
Running time 99 minutes
Country United States
Language English / Hebrew
Budget $70 million
Money made $218,613,188

The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama movie made by DreamWorks Animation. It is a movie adaptation for the Book of Exodus. It follows Moses' life from being a prince of Egypt to ultimate destiny about defending the Israelites. The movie was directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells and Steve Hickner. The movie featured songs written by Stephen Schwartz. The score was composed by Hans Zimmer. The voice cast for the movie had very popular Hollywood actors. During the musical part of the movie, professional singers replaced them for the songs. The exceptions were Michelle Pfeiffer, Ralph Fiennes, Ofra Haza (who sang her song in over seventeen languages for dubbing), Steve Martin and Martin Short.

The movie was nominated for best Original Musical or Comedy Score. The film's success led to the direct-to-video prequel Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) and the development of a stage adaptation. It won Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards for "When You Believe". The song's pop version was performed at the ceremony by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. The song was co-written by Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer. There were additional production by Babyface. The song was nominated for Best Original Song (in a Motion Picture) at the 1999 Golden Globe Awards. It was also nominated for Outstanding Performance of a Song for a Feature Film at the ALMA Awards.

The movie was released on December 18, 1998. It was released on home video on September 14, 1999. The movie gross $218,613,188 worldwide. It became the second animated featured not released by Walt Disney Pictures to gross over $100 million in the United States. This was after, Paramount/Nickelodeon's The Rugrats Movie. The Prince of Egypt became the top grossing non-Disney animated movie until 2000. The movie, Chicken Run, took the number one spot. The movie remains the highest grossing traditionally-animated non-Disney movie until 2007. The movie, The Simpsons Movie, took the number one spot. This is DreamWorks Animation's first movie and only traditionally animated movie to win an Oscar.

Release dates

Country Premiere
 Belgium 16 December 1998
 Switzerland 16 December 1998 (French speaking region)
 France 16 December 1998
 Germany 17 December 1998
 Netherlands 17 December 1998
 Singapore 17 December 1998
 Austria 18 December 1998
 Switzerland 18 December 1998 (German speaking region)
 Spain 18 December 1998
 Finland 18 December 1998
 United Kingdom 18 December 1998
 Greece 18 December 1998
Republic of Ireland Ireland 18 December 1998
 Italy 18 December 1998
 Portugal 18 December 1998
 Sweden 18 December 1998
 United States 18 December 1998
 South Korea 19 December 1998
 Czech Republic 24 December 1998
 Hong Kong 24 December 1998
 Hungary 24 December 1998
 Norway 24 December 1998
 Argentina 25 December 1998
 Brazil 25 December 1998
 Denmark 25 December 1998
Mexico Mexico 25 December 1998
 Poland 25 December 1998
 Slovakia 25 December 1998
 Australia 26 December 1998
 Iceland 26 December 1998
 Taiwan 23 January 1999
 Philippines 27 January 1999
 Israel 18 February 1999
 Thailand 5 March 1999
 South Africa 19 March 1999
 Croatia 1 April 1999
 Slovenia 1 April 1999
 Estonia 2 April 1999
 Turkey 14 May 1999
 Japan 24 July 1999

Plot

In Ancient Egypt, the Hebrews have become slaves and pray to return to the Promised Land ("Deliver Us"). Meanwhile, a female slave called Yocheved and her children, Miriam and Aaron, witness several male infants being ruthlessly taken and butchered by the soldiers of Pharaoh Seti I, who fears that an increase in Hebrew men would culminate in rebellion. Fearing for her own son's safety, she places him in a basket on the Nile. The basket arrives at Pharaoh's palace and Miriam witnesses her brother being taken in by Pharaoh's wife, who names him Moses.

Twenty years later, Moses and his adoptive brother Rameses accidentally destroy a temple while racing their chariots, for which Pharaoh reprimands them. Moses tries to take the blame and tells Pharaoh that Rameses only wanted his approval. At a palace banquet that evening, Pharaoh appoints Rameses as Prince Regent and gives him authority over all the temples in Egypt. Moses is later given Tzipporah, a Midian girl the priests Hotep and Huy captured as a concubine, after she nearly attacks Rameses. Moses ends up humiliating Tzipporah by pushing her into a pool at the palace, and Rameses later appoints him as Royal Chief Architect.

Later that night, Moses helps Tzipporah escape from the palace and, by chance, runs into his siblings Miriam and Aaron. Miriam tries to explain to Moses about his true past, but he refuses to listen and runs back to the palace. He later has a nightmare in which he witnesses several Hebrew infants being thrown in the Nile and later, Seti reveals that he "sacrificed" the Hebrew children, to prevent retaliation. The next day, Moses witnesses an Egyptian overseer whipping an elderly Hebrew slave. He unintentionally kills the guard by pushing him off a scaffolding. Although Rameses pleads with Moses to stay and that he is innocent, Moses bids him farewell, before exiling himself into the desert.

Moses then arrives in the land of the Midianites, a tribe of which Tzipporah is a member. He is welcomed into the tribe by the High Priest and Tzipporah's father Jethro and becomes a part of their community ("Through Heaven's Eyes"). He and Tzipporah later marry. When chasing a stray sheep into a cave, Moses encounters a burning bush. Through this, the voice of God instructs him to return to Egypt and guide the enslaved Hebrews to the Promised Land. He bestows Moses' shepherding staff with his power and promises that He will tell Moses what to say.

Moses and Tzipporah then travel to Egypt and discover that while he was absent, the slaves' treatment has worsened and Pharaoh and his wife have since died, resulting in Rameses taking over. He happily greets Moses. When Moses asks Rameses to free the Hebrews and demonstrates his alliance with God by turning his staff into a Egyptian cobra, Hotep and Huy boastfully recreate this transformation ("Playing With The Big Boys Now"), only to have their snakes eaten by Moses'. Rather than relenting, Rameses doubles the Hebrews' workload. Moses and Tzipporah then encounter Aaron and Miriam, the former berating Moses for not feeling sorry for the years of slavery the Hebrews have endured. Miriam later convinces her brother and the other slaves to trust them. God later inflicts the Ten Plagues on Egypt, however Rameses is undeterred and refuses to give in to Moses' request.

Moses then prepares the Hebrews for the final plague by instructing them to paint their doorposts with lamb's blood. The final plague-the Angel of Death-sweeps through the city, killing the firstborn Egyptians-including Rameses' son-and sparing the Hebrew children. A grief-stricken Rameses then allows Moses and the Hebrews to leave.

The next day, Moses, Aaron, Miriam and Tzipporah along with the other Hebrews leave Egypt and arrive at the Red Sea ("When You Believe"). Rameses and his army then arrive and pursue them, and Moses parts the sea with his staff. The Hebrews are guided safely across and the waters close on the Egyptian army, while Rameses is spared and thrown onto the rocks. Moses then bids his brother a final, emotional farewell, before leading the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments from God.

Cast

  • Val Kilmer as Moses, a Hebrew who was adopted by Pharaoh Seti.
    • Val Kilmer also provides (uncredited) the voice of God
    • Amick Byram provides Moses' singing voice.
  • Ralph Fiennes as Rameses II, Moses' adoptive brother and eventual successor to his father, Seti.
  • Michelle Pfeiffer as Tzipporah, Jethro's oldest daughter and Moses' wife.
  • Sandra Bullock as Miriam, Moses and Aaron's biological sister.
    • Sally Dworsky provides Miriam's singing voice.
    • Eden Riegel provides both the speaking and singing voice of a younger Miriam.
  • Jeff Goldblum as Aaron, Moses and Miriam's biological brother.
  • Patrick Stewart as Pharaoh Seti I, Rameses' father, Moses' adoptive father and the first Pharaoh in the film. Despite his uncaring attitude towards the Hebrew slaves, he is shown to treat Moses and Rameses with good care and love.
  • Danny Glover as Jethro, Tzipporah's father and Midian's high priest.
  • Helen Mirren as Queen Tuya, Seti's consort wife, Rameses' mother and Moses' adoptive mother.
    • Linda Dee Shayne provides Queen Tuya's singing voice.
  • Steve Martin as Hotep
  • Martin Short as Huy
  • Ofra Haza as Yocheved, the biological mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses.

Director Brenda Chapman briefly voices Miriam when she sings the lullaby to Moses. The vocal had been recorded for a scratch audio track, which was intended to be replaced later by Sally Dworsky. The track turned out so well that it remained in the film.

Awards

Award Category Recipient Result
Academy Awards Best Original Musical or Comedy Score Nominated
Best Original Song "When You Believe" Won
Annie Awards Best Animated Feature Nominated
Individual Achievement in Directing Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells Nominated
Individual Achievement in Storyboarding Lorna Cook (Story supervisor) Nominated
Individual Achievement in Effects Animation Jamie Lloyd (Effects Lead - Burning Bush/Angel of Death) Nominated
Individual Achievement in Voice Acting Ralph Fiennes ("Rameses") Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Original Score Nominated
Best Original Song "When You Believe" Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: El príncipe de Egipto para niños

kids search engine
The Prince of Egypt Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.