Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a 2014 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and based on characters from the "Peabody's Improbable History" segments of the animated television series Rocky & Friends. It was directed by Rob Minkoff, written by Craig Wright, and features the voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, and Allison Janney. In the film, Mr. Peabody (Burrell) and his adoptive human son Sherman (Charles) use the WABAC, a time machine, to embark on time travel adventures. When Sherman accidentally rips a hole in the universe by taking the WABAC without permission to impress his classmate Penny Peterson (Winter), they must find themselves to repair history and save the future.
The film was originally planned as a live-action/CG film until it was redeveloped into a fully computer-animated film in 2006 when Minkoff joined DreamWorks Animation to direct an adaptation. Andrew Kurtzman was initially set to write the screenplay, based on a pitch by Minkoff and his longtime producing partner Jason Clark.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman was released theatrically in the United States by 20th Century Fox on March 7, 2014 and received generally positive reviews from critics. Despite grossing $275 million worldwide against a budget of $145 million, the film underperformed by DreamWorks' standards, and was a box-office flop. Along with Penguins of Madagascar later that year, it lost the studio $57 million. It was followed by a television series, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, in 2015.
Plot
Mr. Peabody is a highly intelligent anthropomorphic dog who lives in a New York City penthouse with his adopted human son, Sherman. Peabody uses a time machine called the WABAC to teach Sherman history. On Sherman's first day of school, he corrects classmate Penny Peterson about the historicity of the George Washington cherry tree anecdote, resulting in a fight where Penny calls Sherman a dog and puts him in a chokehold. After Sherman bites Penny in self-defense, Peabody is called in for a meeting with Principal Purdy and Ms. Grunion, a child protective services agent. Grunion plans to investigate Peabody's home and remove Sherman from his custody if she deems Peabody unfit to parent.
The next evening, Peabody invites Penny's family over for a dinner party. Sherman takes Penny on an unauthorized trip to the WABAC, and she stays in Ancient Egypt to marry King Tut. Sherman enlists Peabody's help to retrieve her, and Penny agrees to leave after learning that she will be entombed with Tut when he dies. On the return journey to the present, the WABAC loses power, forcing an unplanned stop at the home of Leonardo da Vinci in Renaissance Florence, where Sherman and Penny test da Vinci's flying machine and crash it into a tree. Afterwards, Sherman learns of Ms. Grunion's intentions from Penny and argues with Peabody as they try to escape away from a black hole.
A further WABAC malfunction lands the trio in the middle of the Trojan War, where Sherman joins Agamemnon's army. Peabody saves Penny and Sherman from falling off a cliff within the Trojan Horse, appearing to die in the process. Seeking help from the past version of Peabody, Sherman and Penny time-travel back to earlier that evening, leading to an encounter with the Sherman from that timeline. Just as Grunion arrives, the original Peabody returns from Troy, having survived the fall. Grunion attempts to collect both Shermans, but they and the Peabodys merge, generating a cosmic shockwave. When Grunion persists in her efforts to take Sherman away, the sight of Grunion hurting Sherman causes Peabody's dog instincts to bite her, and she calls the New York Police Department.
Peabody, Penny, and Sherman race to the WABAC, but cannot initiate time-travel due to a rip in the space-time continuum caused by the merging. A portal opens above New York and unleashes a deluge of historical figures and artifacts onto the streets as Peabody, Penny, and Sherman try to escape. When the WABAC crashes in Grand Army Plaza, Peabody faces arrest, but Sherman, the Petersons, and the historical figures come to his defense. As the rip worsens, Sherman proposes travelling to the future to repair the damage, and they do. The historical figures are taken back to their respective eras and Agamemnon, smitten with Grunion, takes her with him.
Sherman returns to school, having befriended Penny and strengthened his bond with Peabody. Meanwhile, history has incorporated modern culture, while Agamemnon marries Grunion.
Voice cast
Ty Burrell as Hector J. Peabody, a talking intelligent white beagle, business titan, inventor, scientist, Nobel laureate, gourmet chef, and two-time Olympic medalist. Max Charles as Sherman, Peabody's 7-year-old adopted son. Ariel Winter as Penny Peterson, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson's 7-year-old daughter and Sherman's classmate. Stephen Colbert as Paul Peterson, Penny Peterson's father and Patty's husband. Leslie Mann as Patty Peterson, Paul's wife and Penny's mother. Allison Janney as Edwina Grunion, a stocky and corrupt agent from Bureau of Child Safety and Protection and school counselor. Stephen Tobolowsky as Principal Purdy, the principal of Sherman's school. Stanley Tucci as Leonardo da Vinci Adam Alexi-Malle as a French peasant Patrick Warburton as King Agamemnon Zach Callison as King Tut Steve Valentine as Ay, King Tut's Vizier. Dennis Haysbert as a judge who grants Mr. Peabody the custody of Sherman. Leila Birch as the WABAC Karan Brar as Mason, one of Sherman's friends. Joshua Rush as Carl, another one of Sherman's friends who also wears glasses and is seen in a wheelchair. Thomas Lennon as Italian Peasant #2
In addition to Leonardo da Vinci, King Agamemnon, and King Tut, the film features other historical figures including Albert Einstein (Mel Brooks), Mona Lisa (Lake Bell), Marie Antoinette (Lauri Fraser), Maximilien Robespierre (Guillaume Aretos), George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, Isaac Newton (all voiced by Jess Harnell), Odysseus (Tom McGrath), Ajax the Lesser (Al Rodrigo) and Spartacus (Walt Dohrn).
Production
Development
Plans for a film starring Mister Peabody and Sherman had existed for several years with director Rob Minkoff. His first attempt to make a feature film dates back to 2003, when it was reported that Minkoff's Sony-based production company Sprocketdyne Entertainment and Bullwinkle Studios would produce a live-action/CG film, with Minkoff as the possible director. The live-action film was not realized, but in 2006, Minkoff joined DreamWorks Animation to direct a computer-animated film adaptation. Andrew Kurtzman was set to write the screenplay, based on the pitch, developed by Minkoff with his longtime producing partner Jason Clark. The final screenplay was written by Craig Wright, with revisions by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon.
Tiffany Ward, daughter of Jay Ward, one of the creators of the original series, served as an executive producer, whose job was to make sure the film stayed "true to the integrity of the characters". When she was approached by Minkoff ten years before the film's release, she was enthused by his intention to respect the legacy: "What better caretaker for the characters could we ask for than Rob?". The process of perfecting their adaptation took a long time, but she was pleased with the result, which stayed "very true to the original cartoon".
Casting In early 2011, Robert Downey Jr. signed on to voice Mr. Peabody, but in March 2012, he was replaced by Ty Burrell. Reportedly, Downey's commitments to The Avengers and other franchises did not allow him to find the time to record his lines. According to Minkoff, Burrell was chosen because his voice "embodied all the different aspects of the character today. Not just the intellect and the suave personality, but the underlying warmth as well." Initially, Tiffany Ward and others at the studio opposed Burrell, who was then relatively unknown, but he managed to convince them with a successful audition. Ward insisted on someone who sounds like Mr. Peabody did in the original series, while Minkoff saw the casting as an opportunity "to modernize the character". He promised her that Burrell would try to "get there and he started watching the show to nail the cadence. He got the underlying connection and he made it his own."
Max Charles, who played young Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, voiced Sherman. Stephen Colbert voiced Paul Peterson, Leslie Mann, who replaced Ellie Kemper, voiced Peterson's wife, Patty, and Ariel Winter, Burrell's co-star on Modern Family, voiced their daughter Penny. Other voices include Stephen Tobolowsky, Allison Janney, Mel Brooks, Stanley Tucci, Patrick Warburton, Lake Bell, Zach Callison, Karan Brar, and Dennis Haysbert.
Animation The visual development process began in 2011 with production designer David James, visual effects supervisor Philippe Denis, and art director Tim Lamb collaborating to establish the film's aesthetic. The team drew inspiration from mid-century modern design, the UPA animation style, and visual trends from the 1950s and 1960s. These influences guided the creation of environments, character poses, and textures, emphasizing clean silhouettes and simple, readable designs to retain the essence of the original show. Translating the minimally designed 2D cartoon characters into 3D posed significant challenges. Early animation tests focused on ensuring expressive clarity for characters like Mr. Peabody and Sherman, particularly regarding their glasses, which obscured facial features. For example, animators developed rules to adjust eyebrow placement above or below the glasses' rims to enhance readability of expressions.
The animation team implemented innovative techniques to reflect the spirit of 2D animation. A system was developed to allow characters to use "multiple limbs", a nod to traditional animation smears and exaggerated movements. This feature enabled animators to add extra limbs to characters during rapid movements, enhancing visual clarity and energy. Another innovation involved incorporating refraction effects in the animation software to simulate the distortion caused by the characters' glasses. This allowed animators to pose characters accurately without relying on time-intensive adjustments during the lighting phase.
The production schedule was organized by sequences, with each sequence lasting two to three minutes. Early sequences, such as the bedroom scene between Mr. Peabody and Sherman, were chosen for their focus on character interactions, providing an opportunity to refine character dynamics. Complex sequences, such as one depicting Sherman growing younger through time, required extended pre-production and weekly review meetings to address unique visual and technical challenges. One notable challenge was the depiction of the antagonist, Ms. Grunion. Her limited screen time necessitated careful animation to establish her motivations and impact as a villain. This process required multiple iterations to ensure her character resonated with the audience.
Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by Danny Elfman. The soundtrack was released by Relativity Music Group and Green Bay Records on March 3, 2014. Peter Andre wrote and performed for the film a song titled "Kid", which is played during the British version of the end credits, instead of Grizfolk's "Way Back When".
Release
Mr. Peabody & Sherman was initially scheduled for November 1, 2013, but was pushed back after Relativity Media positioned Free Birds for that date. It was rescheduled several times, taking its release date from another DreamWorks Animation film, Me and My Shadow. In February 2013, it was announced that Mr. Peabody & Sherman would release on March 7, 2014. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox in the United States. In the United Kingdom, it released a month earlier, on February 7, 2014.