Undertale (2022 film)

Undertale is a 2027 American live action/computer animated comedy drama fantasy adventure film directed by Ruben Fleischer. Based on the cult classic RPG created by Toby Fox, it was written by Phil Lord, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and Oren Uziel, based off from a story by Lord and Fox. The film was produced by Legendary Pictures, in association with Atomic Monster Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard plays their live action roles as Frisk and Leon, while Jennifer Chastain, Keanu Reeves, Tom Hardy, Bill Skarsgard, Ella Purnell, Justin Felbinger, Stephanie Beatriz, Anthony Ramos, Idris Elba, and Rami Malek play their animated roles. The plot follows the two as they find a secret inside Mount Ebott and learn about the lost past of the secret monster race that was exiled by humans.

The film was announced by Fox himself via Twitter on January 2022 and Letterman was announced as the director in March of the same year.

The movie was released worldwide in October 21, 2026 to average to positive reviews from critics and fans of the game with praise for it's visual effects, tone, and performances, particularly those of Chastain and Elba. It was also a box office success, grossing $417 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing video game adaptation movie of all time in front of Sonic The Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu.

After the sucess of the first movie, two sequels, named Undertale: Genocide and Undertale: Beyond the Void were released in 2029 and 2032. A reboot, Deltarune, was released in 2036.

Plot
Long ago, there was once two races known as humans and monsters lived in harmony, until one day when both races broke together and start the war known as the Great War against each other. After a 10-year battle, the humans won and sealed all monsters in the mountain known as Mount Ebott. However, as time went on, the story was soon erased by mankind, turning it into just a myth, then a historical event. Many years later in Magnolia City, 2 young humans appear as the main protagonists, Frisk, an orphan, and Leon, a loner, who decide to go on a school field trip to Mount Ebott together. When they arrive however, they are chased by the school's bully Samuel. They go inside the mountain to hide from him, but in the process, they get caved in. However, a red light emerges out of nowhere, and it seems to take shape into a heart. They chase the light a few times before Frisk grabs it, but then, the ground beneath them starts to shake, and it eventually collapses, causing them to fall. When they wake up, they are introduced to Flowey, a sentient flower who seemingly knows everything about the underground. Flowey then teaches the two about their souls and LV, but then they get betrayed by Flowey himself. All hope seems lost, but then a fireball throws the flower out of the way and Toriel, the caretaker of the ruins, runs up to them. She's the one that can take care of Frisk and Leon throughout the ruins as she trains both of them about compassion and mercy by telling him the story of Jonah and the Whale. She showed Frisk how to fight at the dummy, in which she succeeded, so Toriel tell Frisk that she can walk by himself. Meanwhile, Frisk met a ghost name Napstablook who was blocking his path, then Frisk got it to Toriel's home until he had realized that he must have found a hole to escape the mountain. So, he went back and tell Toriel of how to find the exit from the ruins, but Toriel is going to destroy the exit of the ruins and she won't stop until Frisk had determination of bringing back peace and harmony, so he must tell her that he will never hurt her, so Toriel understood that she can let him go, but not return to that place. So, she waved goodbye, hugged him, and walked away until she was gone. However, when Frisk and Leon are walking to the exit from the ruins, they encountered Flowey again who told him that Frisk can do by his own rules where in this world is "kill or be killed" and Flowey will become a god in the future, so he left the mountain.

They then enter a new location called Snowdin. While they were walking, he was followed by someone, which turns out to be a lazy talking skeleton name Sans. He can help him out with his older brother Papyrus to have fun where Papyrus was finding humans in the underground to become as the Royal Guard. Later, Frisk and Leon meet Papyrus for the first time where Papyrus is fighting and looking for humans to capture. Until then, Papyrus gave up capturing him where Frisk gave him compassion and mercy, and the humans will become Papyrus's friends, which made Papyrus happy, and he will help him out. Meanwhile at the waterfall, a royal guard is tracking down Frisk which got a good friend name Monster Kid who can help him throughout the waterfall cavern. When they split up, Frisk fell down in the garbage dump. He later got attacked by Mad Dummy until the evil dummy is gone and Frisk was saved by Napstablook. Meanwhile Frisk is cornered by Undyne where she is going to kill him when Monster Kid is protecting the human to make Frisk run away from her until Frisk was spotted by Undyne who was ready to kill him for a chase. Undyne starts chasing the three of them around Mount Ebott until Undyne fell down in Hotlands because she was almost dying from thirst, so Frisk give her some water and ran away before she would see him again. They find a building where a doctor is living there. That doctor was named Dr. Alphys. She was originally going to stop this human, but she saw that all of his actions were mindful, kind, and friendly, so she gives Frisk a phone for help at the puzzles, but she had a big problem about a robot named Mettaton who became the host in entertainment, but he's also very murderously, and when he saw a human, he would kill it. It's too late for Frisk and Dr. Alphys as Mettaton breaks in, fighting the human in a questions game. They got the answers correct and passed the game, so Mettaton says he'll return because it was a pilot episode that he will fight Frisk for "More Drama, More Action and More Bloodshed". Alphys tells Frisk to be more careful as there are lots of traps around in the Hotlands. Later, Frisk is been seen the room filled with spiderwebs which he was been encountered by Muffet then she was been spared the human life, meanwhile he had found a hotel where Mettaton lives until he meet Sans where their can have a talk of Frisk leaving the underground and even about Sans past where he found the biggest door that he can test of his knock knock jokes until he heard a female voice in the other side from the door Frisk thinking it was Toriel, after Sans and Toriel having fun for jokes until later Toriel is feeling upset and said was "If the human past this door, please please take care of them" so Sans promise to her which he can take care of Frisk. After Sans says goodbye, Frisk enters the CORE where it had filled with many monsters, when finally got to meet Mettaton for a big battle and aired on television for the biggest finale when Alphys calls Frisk that Mettaton had a switch in his back which she thinks that Mettaton will be switched off, but it didn't turn the robot off but it transform Mettaton to Mettaton EX, so Frisk got an idea that he had to entertain the viewers to get the most views ever, until Mettaton EX's arms and legs fell, but he's not hurt, then it work, and Mettaton EX is happy that he can get a few collars, but his face is turned down that it was his finale ever so Mettaton happily said thanks and tells him that he can let Frisk to the King of Monsters before he was completely turned off. Then, Alphys is here and she was glad that Mettaton is changed, as they got to the elevator, she tell Frisk that she was sad because the only way to escape the mountain is to kill the king and she left and say goodbye to the two of them, and walked away before she was gone. Feeling bad for her, however, Leon and Frisk part ways for a little while Leon chases after Alphys.

Frisk exits out the elevator where she noticed that the house was look alike Toriel's home but in greyscale, so she takes a look around the house when he found a Worn Dagger and a Locket where it had a letter said, "Best Friends Forever" and a photo but it was worn out until he was meet the other monsters he had encountered and spared which the monster tell Frisk about what happened about few years ago. They then tell the story of the first child and Asriel, who died and was buried underneath the castle. So Frisk and Leon say thanks for the backstory of the history until he was enter Hallway of Judgement where Sans is here so he was began to judge of Frisk's actions of EXP which the acronym known as "execution points" and even LOVE is known as "Level of Violence" if Frisk had kill a monster or not, then Sans find him not guilty where he never gain any LOVE and never hurt many monsters which Frisk is have "Determination" that he was doing the right thing so Sans let him pass to fight against Asgore. Then Frisk meet the King of Monsters Asgore Dreemurr where he was watering the golden flowers until he turns around and see a human right fount at him, so Asgore can tell Frisk know what to do where he shows Frisk the barrier where it looks like very longest path so Asgore is ready to be accepted for the battle until then Asgore destroy Frisk's Mercy that he cannot Spare him which Frisk had to do was hurt him. They fight for a little while.

Frisk gets to Asgore where he was waiting for him for a battle, before he destroys the Mercy command, he was noticing a fireball appear and knock him out which it was Toriel appears where she was been woried about Frisk that he was going to get killed by the king so she will give Asgore a mercy, then Asgore finally meet his wife, but Toriel is rejected him for his actions in few years ago. Later Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys meet the human that there is no fighting which there can be as a family, until when Alphys notice of how Papyrus to call everybody in the underground which Papyrus said was the tiny flower helped him when... Asgore, Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys is trapped in the giant vine of Flowey that he got the human souls and even worse he will going to take Frisk's friends souls too that he will turn back to his true form before he will going to do this, Flowey began to hurt Frisk until Toriel and the others including all the monsters to make Frisk brave, saved and he was the future of humans and monsters. Flowey is been shocked of it until he had realized that he got all the souls but not Frisk then Flowey was been turned into a young anthro male goat that it was Asriel Dreemurr that he remember Chara (looking at Frisk of the name) and he was transformed into a god-like where he can control time and erase everyone memories but Frisk cannot let it happen so Frisk is dodge of his dangerous attacks until Asriel become more powerful causing to Frisk never moved, Frisk cannot reset it until he realized that he will saved his friend of their memories. After when Frisk done of his friends there is one more that it was Asriel Dreemurr, then it was been flashbacks of Chara meet Asriel for the first time when she fell in the underground, Frisk must use the power of save to Asriel from ten times then Asriel turns back to his young form and he was apologize for his acts so Asriel will released his friends, letting the souls go and destory the barrier where the human sealed them few years. Asriel say goodbye to Frisk that he cannot live his normal form that he was going to turn back into a flower until Frisk give Asriel a hug then he was gone. Later, Frisk is woke up where Toriel, Asgore, Sans, Papyrus, Alphys and Undyne is been notice that the barrier is gone where all the monster were freed as there were going having a look of the sunset, while the others are gone Toriel asked Frisk that what he would do which Frisk had been thought that he can stay with Toriel, causing her feeling happy that he would tell her early where she meet him for the first time so Toriel and Frisk was going to the other while the sunset is done.

Humans

 * Mckenna Grace as Frisk Dreemurr- An orphan who doesn't know her parents. Is adopted by Toriel and Asgore.
 * Finn Wolfhard as Leon Porter- Frisk's only friend who became friends when she was 5.
 * Melissa Benoist as Betty Porter- Leon's mom who is a stressed parent after her husband split up 2 years ago.
 * Ralph Macchio as Mr. Reid- Leon and Frisk's teacher in Flower Creek High School.

Monsters

 * Bill Skarsgard as Flowey the Flower- A talking flower and appear as the central antagonist of the movie.
 * Jessica Chastain as Toriel Dreemurr- A caring mother that was the former queen of the underground, now the caretaker of the ruins.
 * Keanu Reeves as Sans the Skeleton- A talking skeleton that he only like to make puns at his brother, which he can help Frisk.
 * Tom Hardy as Papyrus- The younger brother of Sans, he wants to capture Frisk so he can become a member of the Royal Guard.
 * Ella Purnell as Undyne- A very brave fish is who is recruited by Asgore as part of the Royal Guard.
 * Justin Felbinger as Monster Kid- A reptile kid with no arms and is a fan of Undyne.
 * Stephanie Beatriz as Alphys- A very shy dinosaur who loves anime and manga and has a crush on Undyne.
 * Anthony Ramos as Mettaton- A robotic celebrity who is the host of entertainment in the Underground on a television channel called MTT. He does a cooking show, a musical, the news and much more.
 * Idris Elba as Asgore Dreemurr- An anthropomorphic white goat and is the king of the Underground and all monsters who used to be with Toriel before she left him all alone.
 * Max Charles as Asriel Dreemurr- An anthro white goat and is the king's son, he was the true form of Flowey when Flowey absorbs everyone's souls into one little white anthro goat.
 * Rami Malek as Asriel Dreemurr (God of Hyperdeath)- When Asriel turns into the God of Hyperdeath, he wants to reset the timeline so he'll everything all over with his old friend, Chara.
 * Steven Yeun as Napstablook- A ghost with crippling depression and is the cousin of Mettaton.
 * Camila Mendes as Muffet- A female spider who runs a bakery and has a pet cupcake monster. Has an army of spiders by her side.

Other voices include Eric Bauza as Froggit, Mike Myers as Doggo, Charlene Yi as Temmie, Seán William McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye) as Mad Dummy, Robert De Niro as Gerson, Sam Rockwell and Craig Robinson as the Royal Guards, Matthew Patrick (MatPat) as Grillby, Patton Oswalt as Bob, and Zach Woods as So Sorry.

Conception
On September 15, 2022, the day of Undertale's 7th anniversary, Fox expressed his thoughts on making a TV show and movie based on his games, plus the publishing rights for future games. He talked about how the TV show and movie would play out, and his personal casting choices. He also said that he would have full control over the projects.

Development
On October 8, it was announced that Sony and Legendary had acquired the movie rights from Fox, with James Wan and Dylan Clark set to produce. Additional reports also said that Wan was supposed to direct as well, but Clark denied these claims. The film was proposed as "a faithful recreation of Fox's source material, with a couple twists," and "a mix between The Princess Bride and Golden Compass."

By December, it was announced that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller would develop the film, as well as possibly direct, and produce with Fox, Mary Parent, and Dylan Clark, with Richard Brener, Will Allegra, Matt Tolmach, Thomas Tull, Dave Neustadter, Simon Emanuel, Temmie Chang, and Damon Ross executive producing. For a director, Ruben Fleischer stepped in to helm the project, after Rob Letterman declined the job. Sony recommended the producers that he'd take the role, after his previous video game to movie adaption, Uncharted. Fleischer also had to decline the role of directing the Amphibia sequel, Calamity's Curse. When asking about taking the job, Fleischer said: "I've learned a lot from Uncharted and how many things it got wrong. The cast, story, choreography... it's things like this you don't fuck with. I want to tell a story of finding yourself, and how to overcome the world's expectations. That's my goal with this movie.""

- Ruben Fleischer

Writing
On October 10, 2023, it was announced that Geneva Robertson-Dworet had been set to write the film, based on the improvised story written by Fox and Lord. Dworet wanted to write a film that would appease fans of the source material while changing things up a little. For example, Dworet decided to add Leon into the film, even though the character wasn't part of the original game. Dworet said that Leon was added because Frisk doesn't talk that much, and that's she's shy, so she has someone to help talk to. She then decided to cut some content of the original game up so that it would hit the 2-hour mark, like when Frisk decides to date Papyrus. In December 15, it was announced that Lord and Oren Uziel would be polishing the script originally by Dworet.

Casting
Casting directors Sarah Halley Finn and Douglas Aibel wanted actors to capture the motivations, traits, and emotions of the game's signature characters. For Toriel, thousands of actresses auditioned for the role. Emily Blunt, Marissa Tomei, and Uzo Aduba all auditioned for the role, but the role was given to Jessica Chastain. Papyrus was a hard one, as his canon voice resembles something like Skeletor. The casting directors considering having either Tony Hale or Alan Tudyk (who was cast as Jevil in the third movie) was considered for the role, however, Lord and Miller suggested giving Papyrus a British accent at the last second, which lead to Tom Hardy being cast as him. (Simon Pegg was one of the other candidates.) However, Leon was even harder to cast, due to him not appearing in the original game. They had 200 boys audition for the character, like Noah Centineo, KJ Apa, Ezra Miller, and Tye Sheridan before they eventually chose then 21 year old Finn Wolfhard for the role. On December 12, 2021, a few more actors were announced to play the roles. These including Ella Purnell as Undyne, Justin Felbinger as Monster Kid, Stephanie Beatriz as Alphys, and Bill Skarsgard as Flowey. In January 2022, Idris Elba was cast as Asgore after a numerous number of declines for many other actors like Sean Bean and Christian Bale. Elba, who had worked with Chastain on Molly's Game, was also eager to work with her once again. By February 3, 2022, Ralph Macchio, Max Charles, Lucy Liu, Keanu Reeves, Anthony Ramos, and Rami Malek had joined the cast. On November 7, Variety reported that YouTube stars Matthew Patrick and Sean McLoughlin would be appearing in the movie as additional voices.

Filming
Principal photography began April 8, 2022, in Seattle, Washington for the town of Magnolia Falls and Mt. Ebott. Shortly after they got done filming there, production then moved to Wieliczka Salt Mine in Wieliczka for the Ruins, Alta, Utah for Snowdin, Waitomo Glowworm Caves in North Island for Waterfall, and Mount Etna in Sicily for Hotlands. Production ended on October 15, 2023.

Music
The team recruited Alexandre Desplat to recreate the music originally by Fox, with him being the executive music producer. Desplat made the music so that it would recapture Fox's ability to "turn old songs into completely new experiences". According to him, Desplat had originally two prototypes of the soundtrack which were turned down by Fox before he made a suitable soundtrack that everyone liked.

Animation
The CGI animation was done by Blur Studio, who had previously worked on another video game movie, Sonic The Hedgehog, which released in February 2020. Tim Miller, who was also one of the executive producers for the movie, said that animating the film was a long process as the animation team didn't want to go down a similar path with the old design of Sonic in the movie. First, they studied at the characters from the original game. Second, they watched fan animations and films so they would have a better perspective on how to model and animate their bodies and faces. The animators didn't want to the monsters to look uncanny valley, and wanted to go through a more cartoony approach, so they took out facial capture from animation. And finally, they used motion capture to put the models into the film. Sony Pictures Imageworks, Luma Pictures, and Weta Digital helped with the visual effects, along with The Third Floor with previsualization.

Marketing
The movie had its premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on September 2, 2028. It later then had its Tokyo premiere in October 20 and its worldwide premiere in Boston in October 21.

Sony and Legendary made up a campaign that would please fans and build hype for the movie. The campaign included merchandise by iam8bit, an art gallery hosted at the Louvre, and a cookbook on how to make the movie's signature foods. On February 7, 2027, Hatchet Book Group released a novel called The Tale of the 2 Races, which was written by John August. It then got a manga adaption by Yen Press, which was drawn by anime artist Rimukoro. Also, Fox, along with Flinthook developer Tribute Games and game publisher Annapurna Interactive, released Undertale: Reunion, a 16-bit remake of the original game, which has elements of the movie in it and was released alongside the film.

Home media
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the movie on DVD and Blu-ray on April 20, 2029. The discs included behind-the-scenes footage with the cast, promotional shots, deleted scenes, and the theatrical trailer.

Box office
Undertale grossed $137 million in the United States and Canada and $285.6 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $422.6 million. Made on a production budget of $98 million, with $44.5 million more spent on global marketing costs, the film needed to make at least $200-300 million worldwide in order to break-even.

Critical response
Undertale has received generally positive reviews, with praise towards to the film's casting, animation, screenplay, musical score, and faithfulness to Toby Fox's video game. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 87%, based on 329 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A video game adaptation done right, Undertale brings it all in with it's animation, cast, writing, and faithfulness to the original game." On Metacritic, it had "69/100" rating of positive reviews indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "A-" on a A+ to F scale. Audiences surveyed by PostTrak gave the film an overall positive score of 80% and 65% of the audience would definitely recommend. IMDb gave it a 7.2/10.

Sequel
Two sequels were made after the commercial success of the movie, Undertale: Genocide and Undertale: Beyond the Void, both received very decent reviews and sold very well, but not as much as it's predecessor.

Trivia

 * Kathryn Newton, Rachel Bloom, Vin Diesel, Simon Pegg, Ali Wong, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Dev Patel were considered for the roles of Frisk, Undyne, Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, Mettaton, and Asriel, respectively.