Airplane World! (film)

Airplane World is a 2023 animated adventure film produced by Bony Pictures Animation and Ponchokings Animation and released by Columbia Pictures. The fifth installment in the Airplane franchise and serving as a sequel and spin-off to Airplane 4: One Last Flight (2021), the film was directed by Frankie Pearce, produced by Alex Carr, Frankie Castro and Jax Deleon and written by Kayla Saunders, Emma Benjamin, Tyler Gallagher, Kole O'neil, Chloe Goodman, Michaela Jimenez and Kenya Roman, based on a story by Anthony Reid, Rory Jones, Jayden Chapman and Atticus Bullock.

It stars the voice cast of Laura Anderson, Luke Watts, Edward Brooks, Jacob May, Daniel Jones, Zak Lee, Leah Ross, Elliot Banks, Rose Cook, Landry Ware, Kane Fulton, Ishaan Reese, Briley Contreras, Darius Contreras, Eli Morrison and Willow Ward. The plot, which takes place on the fictional Roblox planet, a reimagined version of the 2010s, centers on fourteen- and sixteen-year-old Alex (Luke) and Sophie (Laura), along with a group of about eight people and a father. The government is out to destroy them, so they must flee and prevent all of the villains from the previous movies, such as Monster from taking over the planet.

Development of Airplane World began in 2021, following the commercial and critical success of the previous installment, Airplane 4: One Last Flight, which had director Frankie Pearce serving as producer, many directors were cut or removed from the film before he eventually took the lead in August of that same year. Tyler Matthews and Leo Wilson were supposed to write the film as a "group," while Kayla Saunders and Pearce were supposed to co-write it. With new story ideas from most of the now-hired writers and the potential for "new success," Airplane World was announced to be in the works, revealing the title, characters, and its plot the following January with writing. Originally conceived as a spin-off to the franchise, the film was originally planned to be a "short 70-minute film." Official production on Airplane World started in July of that year. The film's animation started around Thanksgiving, and further casting was announced as the months went by.

Airplane World was released in the United States on November 1, 2023. It grossed over $519 million worldwide, becoming the tenth-highest grossing film and the second highest-grossing film in the franchise, following Airplane 2 (2018). Airplane World received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the writing, animation, story, humor, characters and musical score, but criticized the pacing as "slow". In addition to winning Best Animation Feature, Best Directing, and Best Casting at the Annual Bloxy Awards, the movie also took home the prestigious Best Screenplay prize from the Primetime Bloxy Awards. The same accolades from other award shows were also given to it.

Plot

A family of about eight individuals, including two teens named Alex and Sophie, must reside in a nearby town. As they coexist happily, the monster is able to find them and launch an attack on the city when it is revealed that Donald has been transformed into a living monster under the power of the previous monster and is on route to destroy the member. The family opted to stay behind and battle the monsters together, and soon after a fierce battle broke out, Alex and Sophie managed to escape the town via a local plane that was soon destroyed by the creatures. The father then revealed a large plane that was hidden beneath the town. The government is searching for the entire family because they believe they are the primary source of the monster, which has also converted several FBI agents into living things. The primary antagonist Donald, who is under their control, is attempting to locate the new creatures that Monster is able to generate, which include all of the monsters and creatures from the previous movies, as he attempts to take over the globe.

While all is going on, Alex and Sophie are trapped in the "middle of nowhere" and must work as a team to live. Then, without warning, there was a tremendous earthquake that rocked the whole region, followed by a gigantic beast. Fortunately, the Father was able to use his lasers to destroy the plane and save Alex and Sophie. Throughout the movie, the Monster devastated a great deal of the planet's villages, cities, and other locations, causing enormous destruction and damage. Upon realizing this, Sophie and Alex chose to fight the conflict themselves out of concern for their planet. The father then built a large number of tiny planes to fly to the Monsters' base, but they are discovered and destroyed. When Sophie and Alex first attempt to fight the Monsters, they fail and end up stuck in a "different world" where a lot of people are sobbing aloud. Eventually, Sophie and Alex manage to escape, and they use a variety of tiny to large planes to combat the Monsters. Five years later in 2018, the film concludes with Alex and Sophie adjusting to their new existence. As adults, they have moved to a new place, taken up new careers, and are cherishing their old memories.

Voice cast

• Laura Anderson as Sophie
• Luke Watts as Alex
• Edward Brooks as The Father
• Jacob May as Brandon
• Daniel Jones as Ben
• Zak Lee as Matt
• Leah Ross as John
• Elliot Banks as Davis
• Rose Cook as as Boris
• Landry Ware as Emerson
• Kane Fulton as Hope
• Ishaan Reese as Spencer
• Briley Contreras as Donald
• Darius Contreras as Monster
• Eli Morrison as Easter
• Willow Ward as Donald Trumpblox

Production

Development

Development on Airplane World began in 2021, in response to the critical and financial triumph of the previous year's release of Airplane 4: One Last Flight. Producer Anthony Campbell stated that concepts for a potential Airplane 4 sequel were being submitted online in mid-2020, prior to the animation's completion; it was suggested that while Airplane 4 was in late-production, ideas for a sequel were already being developed. The news that a potential sequel to Airplane was already "in the talks" between the producers and directors was disclosed by voice actor Guillermo Edward.

This was around one week before to One Last Flight's US debut on January 26, 2021. The original announcement of the untitled sequel was made by Ponchokings Animation and Bony Pictures Animation on March 8, 2021. James Cunningham, the director of Airplane (2000), was originally supposed to helm the untitled sequel. He was only involved in the previous movie as a story writer, but having produced the first two, he had intended to return for the fifth. He was compelled, therefore, to abandon the project in order to devote more of his attention to the animated picture that Bony Pictures Animation was doing, which would ultimately turn into The Start (2022). It was reported that between January and August of that year, several directors agreed to write or direct the film, but they were either turned down or chose to concentrate on other projects.

In August 2021, Columbia Pictures publicly announced that Frankie Pearce was going to be helming the picture during their annual press conference. A new story for the movie has just been started by Atticus Bullock, Jayden Chapman, Anthony Reid, and Rory Jones. Originally planned to be a "70 minute film," Airplane World was supposed to be a little spin-off of the series that would not have any "impact of the storytelling and joy" that the other films had with "people." But as the movie moved through the production phases and, ultimately, the screenplay, more plot concepts were incorporated. CEO Leonardo Williams also mentioned taking "new risks" and offering a "different approach" to the property. The original title of only Airplane 5 was replaced with Airplane World when the movie was formally announced, signaling that it would be a sequel as well as a spin-off with a very different direction and style from the previous movies. According to reports, Airplane World "was going to introduce new cast members"

in January 2022, with the possibility of "introducing previous characters" from the franchise being "likely". Director Tobias Montgomery, who also worked on Airplane 4, announced on February 9, 2022, that the picture will debut a brand-new "world" and have "uncommon" aspects that had not been shown at all in the franchise at "this point." This was in response to the re-release of Airplane 2 (2018). Airplane World was announced once again on April 21, 2022 (one year after the initial announcement), with a "more adventure-type film" focus as opposed to the "simple plot" of the prior movies.

Writing

Kayla Saunders, Emma Benjamin, Tyler Gallagher, Kole O'neil, Chloe Goodman, Michaela Jimenez, and Kenya Roman wrote the script. The narrative by Jayden Chapman, Atticus Bullock, Rory Jones, and Anthony Reid served as the basis for it. Although the previous films' writing took at least two months to finish, the writing for the Airplane World film took the longest because the team wanted to "explore more of the world" rather than rewrite the same "exact story, but with better animation, directing, and writing." One of the writers who contributed to the film said that Airplane World took almost a year to write. Columbia Pictures announced in June 2021 that the script was reportedly set to be written by writers Tyler Matthews and Leo Wilson, who worked on the animated comedy The Dogs V.S. The World (2023). The screenwriters, who had produced a script for the film while working for the studio, had originally intended for the characters to be in a "larger city," but after creating a "huge cast of characters," they abandoned the project after just three months.

Kayla Saunders, Emma Benjamin, Tyler Gallagher, Kole O'neil, Chloe Goodman, Michaela Jimenez, and Kenya Roman joined the project and contributed to the writing between December 2021 and May 2022. The gang of writers rewrote the movie's script after the original one was rejected. In an attempt to demonstrate their "love," the cast intended to "give as much respect as the franchise" and "all place together into a single film."

The crew researched numerous ideas as late production came to an end, coming up with "several story ideas," some of which were "uncommon" thoughts that would not be included in the movie. The group created many pitch decks, including "unused ideas" from the previous one, that were never used in the film. The crew chose to employ planes a lot and include them into the narrative in a "way that make sense" in response to complaints over the previous film's "being no planes," as opposed to the standard combat sequence or "ending scenes" that the franchise had been using for "so long." Some of the most illustrious characters from the first film were originally planned to appear in the sequel, but for reasons that remain unknown, the concept was ultimately shelved.

Casting and voice acting

After Airplane World was announced in March 2021, Laura Anderson and Luke Watts were chosen to voice the movie's two main protagonists. Played by twins Leonardo Martinez and Payton Andrews, the characters were initially intended to be masculine. But after some serious role-playing, the characters were made into "friends" and the roles were expanded to include both genders. The characters were also changed in the early phases of creation to "both be brother and sister," which was done to appeal to a wider spectrum of viewers, including both young and elderly and male and female viewers. According to Laura Anderson's statement from May 2021, she was initially interested in playing the female character but was "too scared" to mess up the lines. As a result, she waited until shortly before the casting call ended in February to be "sent" to play the role by members of his family and friends. The following week, he was cast in the role of the female character. Additional voice performers were identified as Edward Brooks, Jacob May, Daniel Jones, Zak Lee, Leah Ross, and Elliot Banks when the teaser picture was released in January 2023. Several unutilized names, including Janessa, Elizabeth, and Sofia, were mentioned early in the film's production for the female role. Ultimately, the team settled on Sophie.

The father of the family, played by Edward Brooks, was "forced" to play the role because his children "wanted to just see him on the big screen." Following the release of the first teaser, Rose Cook, Landry Ware, Kane Fulton, Ishaan Reese, Briley Contreras, Darius Contreras, Eli Morrison, and Willow Ward were all revealed to have joined the cast. One of the two firms that worked on the film, Ponchokings Animation, published a statement on December 7, 2021, stating that voice recording for the film had begun and the performers were "at the studio" recording their lines. Voice acting for Airplane World started in December 2021 and ended in June 2022. For a few sequences in January 2022, Laura Anderson said that her "acting was real as hell" during the recording. Laura Anderson explained in an interview that the reason the directors decided to make it easy for her to understand the purpose of the movie was "because she was way too excited and neverous." The idea was soon extended to the voice actors, which led to the "process of voice acting being not that hard," as she had anticipated.

Music and soundtrack

Three musicians, Cristian Bean, Davis York, and Kade Mcknight, wrote the soundtrack for Airplane World. After Airplane World was announced in March 2021, A picture with the caption, "A new world! New music. New tracks for us! A new me!" was shared by Kade Mcknight on March 9, 2021, indicating that he was poised to compose the song. According to a statement issued by Ponchokings Animation in January 2022, the movie was once intended to be a "big musical" with plenty of songs. They said that, for some reason, the "musical" aspect had been intended from the beginning of the movie's creation, but that it was eventually shelved in favor of a "action-type style."

At least one song—"The Planes"—was intended to be the film's theme song before the plan was put into action. It would have been played at the opening sequence, with the two main characters singing and dancing to the song "simply about planes." Nevertheless, as Cristian Bean and Davis York believed that the song "was lacking any fun" and "was a boring one" during the song's creation, the musical style and the song were eliminated in April 2021. Airplane World (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released on the same day as the film's release on November 1, 2023. On November 4, 2023, Davis York posted a sample of "The Planes" online following the movie's premiere.

Release

Marketing

On January 17, 2023, the movie's teaser poster went up online and at nearby cinemas. On May 1, 2023, the first teaser appeared online on YouTube, announcing November 1, 2023 as the scheduled release date. The second trailer was published and had its theater debut on October 16, 2023, after the official trailer appeared on September 11, 2023.

Theatrical

Airplane World premiered at the Agora Theater on October 18, 2023, before theatrically releasing in the United States on November 1, 2023. Airplane World was originally scheduled to open in theaters on September 9, 2023. However, in February 2022, the film's release date was pushed back to October 24, 2023. Finally, in December 2022, the film's release date was pushed back one week to its present date.

Reception

Box office

Airplane World grossed over $519 million worldwide ($326 million in the United States), becoming the tenth-highest grossing film of that year and the second highest-grossing film in the franchise. It was projected to grossed over $50 million from 4,100 theaters over its four-day weekend. The first day of Airplane World's release brought in over $30 million, breaking the record for highest-grossing day in the franchise (which had stood since Airplane (2000). By the end of the following week, the movie had brought in over $117 million globally, with the majority of its receipts coming from the US and Bloxanada.

The movie surpassed estimates and became the second-highest in the franchise at the end of the four-day period, having made nearly $133 million. With nearly $200 million in revenue, primarily from the US, Airplane World dropped to second place during the second week. The movie dropped to third place by the third weekend, but it still brought in nearly $213 million for the whole month of December. With approximately $349 million in worldwide receipts as of January 1, 2024, Airplane World has surpassed all previous box office records. After being distributed on all streaming platforms and the internet, the movie's theatrical run in the United States came to an end on February 9, 2024.

Critical reception

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an approval rating of 81% based on 254 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thanks to its incredible regard for the franchise and its fans overall, Airplane World is a delightful, colorful, and chaotic experience that is really entertaining for the whole family and may be a treat for a brand-new trip."

Giving the movie an eight out of ten, Aidan Marshall praised its screenplay and stated that "this franchise has a tale that is essentially the same, but this one has a new, distinct plot that is really wonderful! As I like the animation, characters, and atmosphere, this movie makes me want to "go on planes" more than One Last Flight. Deangelo Stanley declared that he had been waiting for a "new story" rather than the same old story that was told "over and over again" and embraced the "story" as a "brand new treat". Declan Washington gave the movie a mostly positive review, noting that the writing was "smooth" and the animation "wonderful and very colorful," giving "new fans a brand new treat to the franchise." However, he didn't like the pacing, saying that it was "too slow" and that certain scenes should have been cut to make "it faster, but easier to understand." "Airplane World was one of the best film in the franchise, since Airplane," said Fabian Sherman, complimenting the movie on its "colorful and crazy ass ride throughout the world."

Accolades

Several accolades were given to Airplane World, including Best Animation Feature, Best Directing, and Best Casting from the Annual Bloxy Awards. The movie was the first animated picture to win the Best Casting award from the show. It also won the coveted Best Screenplay award from the Primetime Bloxy Awards, which hadn't gone to an animated picture in more than a decade and was the first in the franchise to win Best Screenplay since Airplane (2000). It received the same recognition as previous award shows.

Future

Voice actor Zak Lee announced on December 8, 2023, following the release of Airplane World, that plans were on for a sixth entry in the franchise, with the producers and directors of the first film reportedly joining the company to see it through to completion.