The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania (film)

The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania is a 2022 American computer-animated science-fiction action adventure comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and Movie Land Animation Studios, which was the second film to be distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing under its Columbia Pictures label after 2021's Jerry and Will. Intended to be the fifth installment in the JH Movie Collection Movie series and the sequel to The JH Movie Collection Movie 4: Friendship Vacation, which is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it was directed by William Renschen and George Gipson (in his directorial debut), with a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Rodney Rothman. It stars the voices of Brian Hull, Jim Carrey, Gal Gadot, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Christina Hendricks, Jamie Chung, Daryl Sabara, Tom Cruise, and Julia Michaels.

The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania was premiered in China on January 7, 2022 by Tencent Pictures, and was theatrically released in the United States on January 21, 2022 by Sony Pictures Releasing, under its Columbia Pictures label. It also became available for online rental on the same day in the United States and Canada. The film earned $354.7 million worldwide against a $99 million budget and received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its animation, plot, humor, performances, and screenplay.

The sixth and final installment, The JH Movie Collection Movie: Homecoming was theatrically released in the United States on November 25, 2022. In January 2021, a spin-off film focusing on Officer Jaffe is in development and is scheduled for theatrical release in November 2024.

Plot
TBA

Cast

 * Brian Hull as Tom Miller, a talking hand.
 * Jim Carrey as Mark Miller, a talking hand.
 * Andy Samberg as Junior the Stork
 * Tenzing Norgay Trainor as Jin, Peng's cousin and a friend of Yi.
 * Tenzing also voiced as Twink from Q-Force, once he turns Jin into this character.
 * Gal Gadot as Shank
 * Bill Hader as Gabriel, an orange cat.
 * Cathy Ang as Fei Fei
 * Charlyne Yi as Mai Su
 * Charlet Chung as Jessica
 * Chung also voiced as Echo from ''Fast & Furious Spy Racers.
 * Christina Hendricks as Officer Jaffe, a police officer.
 * Jamie Chung as GoGo Tomago
 * Daryl Sabara as Jerry Hernandez
 * Tom Cruise as William Renschen, Jerry's best friend in high school.
 * Nina Dobrev as Bethany "Jessica" Pearl, William's girlfriend.
 * Julia Michaels as Ella Ray, Jerry's love interest in high school.
 * Avril Lavigne as Emily Flynn
 * Jake T. Austin as Marcos Rivera, Jerry's best friend in high school.
 * Lil Nas X as Duggie
 * Rose Byrne as Agent Julie, leader of the Agent family.

Development
In September 2019, Movie Land Animation Studios announced that a fifth JH Movie Collection Movie that had been in development. In December 2020, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse crew producers were announced to began filming the project. William Renschen and George Gipson (who directed the episodic platform of Fast & Furious Spy Racers) were hired to direct the animated film, now with a script by Robert L. Baird and Rodney Rothman. In April 2021, the film's title was revealed to be The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania and was confirmed that it would be the fifth installment in the franchise.

In December 2020, unlike the first four films, Movie Land confirmed that the sequel was released by Sony Pictures under the Sony Pictures Animation label, instead of Warner Bros. Pictures, after Sony Pictures Animation producing the 2021 spinoff film Jerry and Will. Even since February 2020, Sony Pictures will become the distributor of the franchise's films.

Casting
On April 1, 2021, Sony confirmed that Adam Sandler would not return to voice Tom Miller. The role was given to Brian Hull after voicing the character in the Netflix original series, The Tom the Hand Show. Charlet Chung reprised her roles to play the voice as Echo (from the show, Fast & Furious Spy Racers) after she voiced her character in JH Movie Collection's Christmas Caper.

Animation
Production took place remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Movie Land Digital Production Services returned to animate the characters and settings, having previously provided the animation for the first three films and the visual effects for Friendship Vacation, while Lynn Hobson served as editor.

Music
Henry Jackman and James Newton Howard will return to compose the film score from the second film with newcomers Kris Bowers. The soundtrack was released on January 19, 2022 by Sony Classical Records.

Release
The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania was theatrically released by Sony Pictures Releasing under via Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation label. In the United States and Canada, it was released on January 21, 2022. The film also became available for online rental on the same day. The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania was first released in China on January 7, 2022. In Russia and Ukraine, The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania was originally planned to be released theatrically in the United States on March 25, 2022. Sony cancelled the film's release plans and sold the film's distribution rights to Disney+ for $100 million, in responses of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It was previously scheduled to be released on April 8, 2022.

Marketing
It launched promotional collaborations with Smash Land, Fortnite, McDonald's and Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Home media
The JH Movie Collection Movie: Friendsformania was released on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD on April 26, 2022 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Box office
TBA

Future
Sony Pictures Animation confirmed that the sixth and final installment in the franchise, subtitled Homecoming, was in conversation for Movie Land's announcement to be in development on June 12, 2020 and was theatrically released in November 2022. In January 2021, Movie Land Animation Studios announced that a Officer Jaffe spin-off film is in development and is set to feature Christina Hendricks and to be released in November 2024.