The Secret Life of Pets facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Secret Life of Pets |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Chris Renaud |
| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
| Editing by | Ken Schretzmann |
| Studio | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 16, 2016 (AIAFF) July 8, 2016 (United States) |
| Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $75 million |
| Money made | $885.3 million |
The Secret Life of Pets is a fun animated comedy film from 2016. It was made by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment. The movie shows what our pets do when we leave for school or work!
Chris Renaud directed the film. It features the voices of many famous actors. These include Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, and Kevin Hart. The story is about a small dog named Max and a big dog named Duke. They learn to get along in New York City.
The movie first showed at a film festival in France on June 16, 2016. It came out in U.S. theaters on July 8. People really liked the film. It earned over $885 million around the world. This made it one of the highest-earning movies of 2016. A sequel, The Secret Life of Pets 2, came out in 2019.
Contents
Meet the Characters: The Story Begins
Max, a Jack Russell Terrier, lives happily with his owner, Katie. They share a cozy apartment in New York City. When Katie is away, Max hangs out with other pets in the building. His friends include Chloe the tabby cat, Mel the pug, Buddy the dachshund, and Sweet Pea the budgerigar.
One day, Katie brings home a new dog, Duke. He is a huge Newfoundland mix. Max feels jealous because Duke is so big and messy. Duke tries to leave Max in an alley. But then, a group of cats led by Ozone the Sphynx cat attacks them. The cats take their collars. Max and Duke are then caught by Animal Control. Duke is scared of going back to the animal shelter.
Escaping and Making New Friends
A white rabbit named Snowball rescues Max and Duke. Snowball is the leader of "the Flushed Pets." This is a group of animals who live in the sewers. They dislike humans because their owners abandoned them. Max and Duke pretend to hate humans too. The Flushed Pets invite them to join their group.
To prove their loyalty, Max and Duke must face a challenge. But Snowball soon finds out they are house pets. Max and Duke quickly escape the sewers. They get on a ferry to Brooklyn. During their escape, a viper snake is accidentally defeated. Snowball gets very angry and promises to get revenge. He leads the Flushed Pets after them.
Gidget's Search and Duke's Past
Meanwhile, Gidget, a white Pomeranian, realizes Max is missing. She has a big crush on Max. Gidget decides to find him. She asks Tiberius, a red-tailed hawk, for help. Tiberius mistakenly finds Ozone. Gidget makes Ozone tell her what he knows about Max and Duke.
Gidget then gathers her friends: Mel, Buddy, Chloe, Norman the guinea pig, and Sweet Pea. They meet Pops, an old Basset Hound who can't use his back legs. Pops helps Gidget and her team track Max. Gidget's group later runs into Snowball. He wants to get them too. Norman gets caught, but the rest of Gidget's team escapes.
Duke tells Max about his first owner, Fred. Fred adopted Duke as a puppy and loved him very much. One day, Duke got lost chasing a butterfly. Animal Control caught him, and Fred never came to get him. They visit Fred's old house. A cat named Reginald tells them Fred has passed away. Duke is heartbroken. He thinks Max tried to get rid of him. Duke barks at the new homeowners, who call Animal Control. Max escapes, but Duke gets caught.
A Big Rescue and New Beginnings
While trying to save Duke, Max is attacked by Snowball. But Snowball's own gang gets caught. So, Snowball has to work with Max to save everyone. They drive a bus into the Animal Control van on the Brooklyn Bridge. This stops all the traffic. The Flushed Pets surround Max, ready to cause trouble. They don't know Max and Snowball are now working together.
Then, Gidget and her team arrive and save them. The van falls into the East River. Max tries to free Duke. Snowball bravely jumps into the river. He gives them the keys to Duke's cage. They all escape the sinking van.
The whole group returns to their apartment building in a pig-driven taxi. Snowball and the Flushed Pets plan to cause trouble for humans again. But a little girl named Molly arrives. She adopts Snowball! Snowball resists at first, but then he lets himself become a house pet again. All the other pets go back to their homes. They are happy to be reunited with their owners. Max and Duke finally get back with Katie.
Voice Actors: Who Plays Who?
Here are the amazing actors who gave their voices to the characters in The Secret Life of Pets:
- Louis C.K. as Max, a small Jack Russell Terrier.
- Eric Stonestreet as Duke, a big, shaggy brown Newfoundland mix. He becomes Max's new brother.
- Kevin Hart as Snowball, a funny white rabbit.
- Jenny Slate as Gidget, a brave Pomeranian dog.
- Ellie Kemper as Katie, the kind owner of Max and Duke.
- Lake Bell as Chloe, a fluffy and lazy grey tabby cat.
- Dana Carvey as Pops, an old Basset Hound who can't use his back legs.
- Hannibal Buress as Buddy, a chill miniature dachshund.
- Bobby Moynihan as Mel, a very excited pug.
- Tara Strong as Sweetpea, a green and yellow budgie parakeet.
- Steve Coogan as Ozone, a Sphynx cat with a British accent. He also voices Reginald, another cat.
- Albert Brooks as Tiberius, a grumpy red-tailed hawk.
- Chris Renaud as Norman, a guinea pig who often gets lost.
- Michael Beattie as Tattoo, a pig with tattoos.
- Sandra Echeverría as Maria, a character from a TV show Gidget watches.
- Jaime Camil as Fernando, another character from the TV show.
- Kiely Renaud as Molly, the girl who adopts Snowball.
Making the Movie: Behind the Scenes
The idea for The Secret Life of Pets started in 2012. Chris Renaud was working on another movie, Despicable Me 2, at the time. Illumination's CEO, Chris Meledandri, suggested making a film about what pets do when their owners are away.
The team thought this was a cool idea. They wanted to make a story that everyone could relate to. The artists used the style of Jean-Jacques Sempé for the look of the city. They made sure the buildings looked very tall. You only see the owners' faces sometimes, like in old cartoons.
The home of the Flushed Pets in the sewers was designed to show a "darker side" of pet life. But they kept it light enough for a kids' movie. All the animation for the film was done in France by Illumination Mac Guff.
Movie Music: The Soundtrack
The music for the film was created by Alexandre Desplat. The movie's official soundtrack was released on July 1, 2016. It was put out by Back Lot Music.
Movie Release: When It Came Out
The movie was first planned for release on February 12, 2016. But it was moved to July 8, 2016. It was shown in regular 2D, 3D, and special IMAX 3D theaters.
The Secret Life of Pets had its first showing at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 16, 2016. A short film called Mower Minions, featuring the Minions from Despicable Me, played before the movie in theaters.
Watching at Home: DVDs and More
You could watch The Secret Life of Pets at home starting November 22, 2016, on Digital HD. It came out on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, Ultra HD Blu-ray, and DVD on December 6.
Besides Mower Minions, the home releases also included two other short films: Norman Television and Weenie. The movie was very popular for home viewing. It was the sixth best-selling title of 2016, earning $69.7 million from sales.
More Pet Adventures: Sequels
A second movie, The Secret Life of Pets 2, came out on June 7, 2019. Chris Renaud directed it again. Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy produced it, and Brian Lynch wrote the story. In this movie, Patton Oswalt took over the voice of Max.
The creators have also said that a third Secret Life of Pets movie is being planned!
Images for kids
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The official movie poster.
See also
In Spanish: The Secret Life of Pets para niños
