DreamWorks' Penny (2023)

Penny is an upcoming computer-animated science-fantasy comedy/adventure film coming in 2023. It is the sequel to the 2014 film Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and the 2020 film Mr. Peabody and Sherman 2, a prequel to the 2022 film Mr. Peabody and Sherman: World War, & the 2024 film Mr. Peabody and Sherman: Forever. It is made by DreamWorks Animation, Bullwinkle Studios, and Vyond Studios, and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Jill Culton, and stars the voices of Ariel Winter, Scarlett Johansson, Jude Law, Leslie Mann, Stephen Colbert, Tom Holland, and Chris Pratt.

This Film is Set in New York City After Mr. Peabody and Sherman 2 and Before Mr. Peabody and Sherman: World War

Premise
Penny explores a whole immersive virtual video game universe called Virtual World, where some of humanity spends their days. But when it comes to danger, Virus Master is planning to return from the Island of Ruins after 1000 years of exile. So he is wishing to get revenge on The Creator and to destroy the Virtual World as much as he can. Penny and Rita must work with The Galactic Four to find the 3 anti-virus shields to put them all together, and to stop the virus from consuming the whole universe.

Cast

 * Ariel Winter as Penny Peterson
 * Scarlett Johansson as Rita Beckett
 * Jude Law as Virus Master
 * Leslie Mann as Patty Peterson
 * Stephen Colbert as Paul Peterson
 * Chris Pratt as The Creator
 * Tom Holland as Simon
 * Jack Dylan Grazer as Toby
 * Amy Poehler as Jennifer
 * Kimiko Glenn as Lucy
 * Will Arnett as Jonathan/Scene Announcer
 * Ariana Greenblatt as Young Rita Beckett
 * Kristen Bell as Rita's Mom
 * Tom McGrath as Virtual World Guard 1
 * Joel Crawford as Virtual World Guard 2/Rita's Dad
 * Mike Mitchell as Virtual World Guard 3/Citizen 1
 * April Lawrence as Citizen 2
 * Walt Dohrn as Ice Cream Cashier
 * Trevor Devall as Automated Voice

Score Rating
TBA

Metacritic
TBA

Ratings in Other Countries

 * USA: PG (For action/Peril and some thematic elements)
 * UK: U (Mild threat, violence, language, rude humour)
 * Ireland: G (very mild threat)
 * Canada: G
 * Australia: PG
 * Germany: 6
 * Japan: G

Animation and Design
Like DreamWorks' previous movies The Bad Guys (2022) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, inspiration for the design of the film came from Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), to make it more unique as a storybook than a comic. Using new technology, the team at DreamWorks focused more on a painterly style design, to make the film look alot more futuristic and colourful, different from what it was in Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) from their defunct studio Pacific Data Images.

Music
On June 9, 2018, Variety stated that Rupert Gregson-Williams was planning to compose the film's score. However, in July 2020, it was reported that Williams had left the project to work on Wilderman's Mr. Peabody and Sherman: Forever instead, with Henry Jackman hired to take over scoring duties for Penny starting in November 22, 2020. The official score was released by Backlot Music as a two-CD set on January 31st, 2021, with vinyl and cassette releases projected for the summer.

Theatrical Release
Penny was released on on January 25, 2023 in the United States and released on February 24, 2023 in the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures, moving up from the film's previously announced date of March 10, 2023.

Universal Pictures had originally planned to release Penny theatrically in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2022. It was pushed back to June 2, 2023 due to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) was originally going to be released, and finally it was also later pushed back to March 10, 2023.

Songs

 * Taylor Swift - Welcome to New York
 * Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
 * Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun
 * A-Ha - Take on Me
 * Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky (featured song)

Genres
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Trivia

 * This is Henry Jackman's 4th DreamWorks Animation film to compose Penny after Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), Puss in Boots (2011), and Turbo (2013).


 * This is the DreamWorks Animation's 9th film's soundtrack on Back Lot Music after How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), Abominable (2019), Trolls World Tour (2020), Mr. Peabody and Sherman 2 (2020), The Croods: A New Age (2020), Spirit Untamed (2021), & The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021), & Mr. Peabody and Sherman: World War (2022).
 * Tom Holland and Chris Pratt both Appeared in Onward (2020).
 * Chris Pratt and Will Arnett both Appeared in The Lego Movie (2014).
 * Originally intended to release on October 21, 2022 in the UK, but was pushed back over a month to June 2 in 2023 to avoid competing with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).
 * Before Jude Law was cast as Virus Master, Ben Mendelsohn, Eddie Izzard, and Liev Schreiber were on the list by Dreamworks to play the part.
 * Will Arnett and Stephen Colbert Appeared in Monsters vs Aliens (2009)
 * This is the first and only Mr. Peabody & Sherman film not be executivley produced by Tiffany Ward.
 * This is Jill Culton's second DreamWorks Animated feature film to produce Penny (2023) after Abominable (2019).
 * This will be the third DreamWorks Animation movie that starts with "Universal Pictures Presents" in the beginning since The Bad Guys (2022), and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).
 * This will be the second DreamWorks Animated feature film to have brand new (2022) animated logo after Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).

Locations

 * New York City
 * Island of Ruins(Virus Master's Exile)
 * Abandoned Kingdom(First Dimension)
 * Stone Labyrinth (Second Dimension)
 * Rainbow Land(Final Dimension)
 * Virtual World
 * The Creator's Headquarters