The Star Skipper Movie

The Star Skipper Movie is a 2023 live-action/CGI-animated action fantasy comedy film based on Paramount Animation's very own mascot. The film is directed by Nathaniel H. Baptiste in his feature directorial debut. It stars Jojo Siwa as the voice of Star Skipper and Nathaniel H. Baptiste as Dr. Shadow Nelvana, as well as Thomas Sanders, Olivia d'Abo, Raven-Symoné, Peter Capaldi, and Andrew B. Bachelor. In the film, Star teams up with local town sheriff Tim Weinstein to find her lost stars and to escape Shadow Nelvana.

Plot
On a distant dimension, Star Skipper, a tween girl with star energy, finds herself sought after a force of darkness for her energy. Her mom, Stella Skipper, gives her a bag of stars that can create star-portals and allow traveling other dimensions, using one to send her to Earth while they protect her from darkness, and gives Star a map to a dimension filled with light and dark crystals if she finds trouble. Ten years later, Star enjoys a secret life in the town of Stella, California but longs to make friends. She idolizes the local sheriff, Tim Weinstein, and his veterinarian wife Julie, unaware the pair are planning to relocate to New York, New York soon, as Tim has been hired by the New York Police Dept.

One night, Star became upset over her loneliness when playing baseball by herself, and sprints faster as a result, inadvertently triggering an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) that knocks out the entire Pacific Northwest. Because of this, a roboticist and scientific genius named Dr. Shadow Nelvana is enlisted by the US Dept. of Defense to uncover the source of the outage. Shadow discovers and tracks Star, who hides in the Weinsteins’ shed. Tim uncovers Star who accidentally shoots her with a tranquilizer causing her to send a bag of stars to Boston. Tim reluctantly agrees to help Star before Shadow arrives at the Weinsteins’ house and the two flee. As the pair evade Shadow, who enables Tim a domestic terrorist, they slowly bond, with Tim learning about Star’s desire for a real friend.

Shadow comes across one of Star’s magical stars, discovering the power in it has the potential to fuel his robots and becomes obsessed with capturing Star. As he tracks them down, Tim discusses his plan to leave Stella, which Star disapproves of. Shortly after defeating a robot sent by Shadow, an explosion injures Star. Arriving at New York, Tim brings her to Julie, who revives her. While Tim explains this about their situation with Julie, Star receives a new pair of clothes from Julie’s niece. The group soon head to the roof of the Millenium Tower, where Star’s bag of stars landed, and recover them. Black Shadow (whose Star calls him) arrives in a dark hovercraft and attacks them, forcing Star to use a star, transforming into a portal and sending Tim and Julie back to Stella.

Star flees from Shadow, who uses the power to match her energy. The two engage in across the world, ultimately returning to Stella. Shadow incapacitates Star but Tim and the other townsfolk intervene, allowing Star to regain her strength and reclaim her lost energy. Overcoming Shadow, Star decided to defeat him by sending him to the light and dark crystal dimension. Following the incident, Tim and Julie decide to stay in Stella and let Star with them. The US Gov. erases all evidence of the events, including one of Shadow’s existence. Meanwhile, Shadow (with his beard now grown and abstract-esque and his eyes eclipse-like), still in possession of Star’s energetic hair and losing his sanity, begins plotting revenge. On Earth, Molly Skipper, a younger sister from Star’s world, emerges from a magical portal in search of finding Star.

Cast
Jojo Siwa as the voice of Star Skipper: An pre-teen human girl with golden star energy who is on the run from both Shadow and the U.S. Government.


 * Brianna Denski as a young Star

Hudson Black as Dr. Shadow Nelvana: a mad-scientist, intelligent person, and inventor who is after Star's golden powers for world conquest.

Thomas Sanders as Timothy Wilson "Tim" Weinstein: The sheriff of Stella who wishes to join the BPD. He befriends Star and aids her on a quest to stop Shadow.

Olivia d'Abo as Julie Weinstein: A veterinarian and Tim's wife who later helps him and Star evade Shadow.

Morgan Daws as Morgana LeFay: A government agent who works for Shadow.

Brianna Denski as Maya: Julie's older sister who dislikes Tim and frequently encourages Julie to leave him.

Raven-Symoné as Isabelle: Maya's daughter and niece of Tim and Julie Weinstein.

Rob Gronkowski as Robert Redford: A police officer and Tim's friend.

KingBach as Major Kevinston: a soldier who dislikes Shadow.

Anderson Cooper as Commander James: The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who orders Shadow to investigate the disturbances Star caused.

Hailee Steinfeld as Molly Skipper: Star's younger sister who was emerged from a portal in hopes of finding her sister.

Trivia
This is the secondary movie to be based on a mascot besides Foodfight!

This also has a similar plot to the 2020 Sonic movie.

In this movie, each clothing bears a similar reference.

For example:


 * Star's former clothing bears a reference to Steven Universe, who was 4 years old, minus the flip-flops.
 * Shadow's clothing (happened in most scenes) also bears a similar reference to The Master in the TV Movie, Dr. Who, who is portrayed by Eric Roberts.

This movie is filmed in Hartford and Manchester, CT...even New York, NY.

Upcoming Sequel
Paramount Global and Searchlight Nebula have both announced a sequel to be "in the works". Nathaniel H. Baptiste returned to both direct and produce the movie but he and dudiho screenwrite for the sequel. The cast returned with Robert Downey Jr. portraying as Star's cousin, Silvina Skipper.