The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather

The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather is a 2023 American 3D computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Nelvana and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is directed by Robert Rodriguez, written by John A. Davis, and stars the voices of Brendan Fraser, Paul Giamatti, Zachary Levi, Bill Nye (in his first theatrical animated role), Jon Stewart (in his final film role before his retirement), Jennifer Garner, Amy Poehler and Steve Carell.

The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather follows Bula (Fraser), Zeeter (Giamatti) and Multo (Levi) as they travel to Earth to investigate a strange weather phenomenon that threatens their home planet of Zula. Along the way they must contend with Dark Truder's latest scheme to take over the universe while also learning about Earth's climate and its impact on our planet's weather patterns.

The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather was released in theaters on July 15th 2023 to positive reviews from critics who praised its animation, humor and message about climate change but some criticized it for being too didactic at times. The film grossed $365 million worldwide against its $100 million budget making it a box office success.

Plot
The Zula Patrol is a team of aliens who protect the universe from the evil Dark Truder. When they learn that he is planning to use a strange weather phenomenon to take over the universe, they travel to Earth to investigate. Along the way they must contend with his latest scheme while also learning about Earth's climate and its impact on our planet's weather patterns.

Distributed:
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather is distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Soundtrack:
The film's score was composed by John Powell and conducted by Tim Simonec.

Trailers:
A teaser trailer for the film was released on March 3, 2023, with the full theatrical trailer being released on May 12, 2023.

Production:
Development of a feature-length Zula Patrol film began in early 2020 after Nelvana acquired the rights to the franchise from its previous owner, Cookie Jar Entertainment. Robert Rodriguez was brought on as director in September 2020, with Davis coming aboard as screenwriter shortly thereafter.

The majority of the cast signed on between October 2020 and February 2021, with Nye being added to the cast in April 2021 following an extensive search for a suitable voice actor to play him.

Release/Screening:
The world premiere of The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather took place at Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 11, 2023. The film was released in the United States on July 15, 2023.

Home media:
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather was released on Digital HD on October 5, 2023 and DVD and Blu-ray on November 7, 2023.

Reception/Box office:
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 87% based on 140 reviews with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads "With a smart script and gorgeous animation to match its ambitious scope, The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather is a delightful addition to Robert Rodriguez's impressive oeuvre." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 30 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Box office:
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather grossed $103 million in North America and $204 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $307 million.

Accolades/Legacy:
The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning Best Animated Feature. It also won five Annie Awards, four Saturn Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.

At the 92nd Academy Awards, The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather won Best Animated Feature.

The film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song ("We'll Meet Again").

The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather received five Annie Awards, winning four for Outstanding Achievement in Directing in an Animated Feature Production (Rodriguez), Outstanding Achievement in Writing in an Animated Feature Production (Davis), Outstanding Character Animation in a Live Action Production or Video Game (for Fraser's performance as Bula) and Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production (Fraser). It lost to Toy Story 4  in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Animated Effects in an Animated Production.

The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather won four Saturn Awards, for Best Animation (Rodriguez), Best Director (Rodriguez), Best Music (Powell) and Best Voice Acting by a Male Performer in a Film or Television Series (Fraser). It was also nominated for three other Saturn Awards, losing to Frozen II  in the categories of Best Fantasy Film and Best Writing and to Toy Story 4  in the category of Best Animated Film.

The Zula Patrol: Under the Weather won three Golden Globe Awards, for Best Motion Picture – Animated (Rodriguez), Best Original Song ("We'll Meet Again") and Best Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Film or Television Series (Fraser). It was also nominated for two other Golden Globes, losing to Frozen II  in the category of Best Original Score and to How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World  in the category of Best Motion Picture – Family.

Categories
2023 animated films

2023 computer-animated films

American 3D films

American children's animated adventure films

American children's animated comedy films

American computer-animated films

Animated space adventure films

English-language films

Films about extraterrestrial life

Films directed by Robert Rodriguez

Nelvana films

Paramount Pictures animated films

Paramount Pictures films