Development on a new stop-motion Laika animated film on "Film Five" began in April 2018, with Butler to direct and write the project and the voice cast announced. In May 2018, additional voice cast were announced, with the title being revealed. By June 2018, Laika announced that Missing Link would be released in April 2019. Production was reportedly underway by May 2018 with Laika's artists having constructed over 110 sets with 65 unique locations for the film. Carter Burwell composed the film's musical score. With a budget of $100 million, Missing Link is the most expensive film ever made from Laika and the most expensive stop-motion animated film of all time.
Missing Link premiered in New York City on April 7, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 12, 2019 by Annapurna Pictures through United Artists Releasing. Missing Link is Laika's first film not to be distributed by Focus Features. Although it was a box-office failure, grossing $26.2 million against its $102.3 million production budget, losing $101.3 million,[2] the film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its animation, voice-over performances, humor and light-hearted standards compared to other Laika works, although some drew criticism towards the writing.[3] It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film,[4] making it the first non-CGI animated film to win in the category, and the first non-CGI animated film to win a Golden Globe since Waltz with Bashir (2008).[5] It also received a nomination at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature.
Plot
In 1886, Sir Lionel Frost, a struggling investigator of mythical creatures, continuously searched for different creatures to study and announce their presence in the world, which would allow him to be accepted into the "Society of Great Men", which is led by Sir Lionel's rival, Lord Piggot-Dunceby. Lionel receives a letter acknowledging the presence of a Sasquatch, making a deal with Piggot-Dunceby that would allow him to join the society if he proved that the creature was real.
Lionel travels to the Pacific Northwest, eventually stumbling upon the Sasquatch in a forest. After dubbing him "Mr. Link", Lionel is told by the Sasquatch that he was, in fact, the one who sent the letter. Mr. Link requests Lionel's help in finding his relatives, the Yetis, in the Himalayas. Lionel agrees to help him but is unaware of the fact that Piggot-Dunceby has hired a bounty hunter named Willard Stenk to track Lionel and kill him, ensuring that the pro-imperialist conservative views of the society remain unchallenged.
Lionel's old lover Adelina Fortnight has a map to the Himalayas locked at her house in Santa Ana, California, in a safe that belonged to her late husband, one of Lionel's past partners, so the two visit her mansion to acquire it. However, Adelina harbors resentment for Lionel missing her husband's funeral and kicks him out when he offers to pay her for the map. Lionel and Mr. Link come back later at night and break in, but Mr. Link's noise-making awakens Adelina, who fires at the intruders and instead creates a hole in the safe. Mr. Link pushes the safe out of the top-floor window. Mr. Link and Lionel grab the map and escape but are discovered the next day by Adelina, who allows them to search for the Yetis as long as she is there to accompany them. Stenk arrives, and a shootout ensues, but the trio tricks their pursuer into hopping on the train to search for them.
The trio makes their journey via boat, and Adelina pressures Lionel into reaching out to Mr. Link to prove his sincerity. Lionel enjoys a heartwarming talk with Mr. Link on the boat's deck, where Mr. Link gives himself the name "Susan" after a friendly prospector he once encountered. However, they are once again ambushed by Stenk. After various scuffles across different parts of the ship, the trio eventually locks Stenk in the boat's boarding rooms while they make another escape.
The trio eventually makes their way to the Himalayas and is pointed in the direction of the Yeti temple at Shangri-La, and led to their Queen, who reveals their secluded valley to the group. She then reveals their disdain for mankind extends to Susan, who has interacted closely with them. They throw the trio in a pit for them to stay until they die, where Adelina confronts Lionel on his need for the Society's acceptance being similar to Susan's rejection by the yetis. Susan hoists up Adelina enough to knock down a few Yeti guards, allowing them to stack them and escape. They run across the ice bridge, where an armed Piggot-Dunceby, his assistant Mr. Collick and Stenk are waiting at the center of the bridge. Lionel denounces his rival's pride and defends Susan as more human than Piggot-Dunceby ever will be. As a result, the insane Piggot-Dunceby starts firing his rifle at the ice bridge to kill the trio, until Susan stops Piggot-Dunceby from getting any further, still causing it to crack and break. Piggot-Dunceby and Collick fall to their deaths while the trio and Stenk make a run for it. They are too late and are left hanging on the edge of the destroyed ice bridge. Stenk, who has made it all the way across, decides to finish off Lionel, despite Lionel insisting that it is pointless since Piggot is no longer alive to pay him. This leads to the two engaging in a slapping fight while hanging on the bridge. The trio works together to rid themselves of Stenk, who falls to his death after an icicle breaks and falls on him. Lionel appoints Susan as his new partner in investigations.
After arriving home, Adelina tells Lionel that she will be adventuring on her own for a while and departs, but not before the pair share a brief mutual acceptance of their feelings for each other. Susan and Lionel arrive back at the latter's work space and begin their next case to find Atlantis. After they leave, the end credits reveal maps and souvenirs of their subsequent adventures.
Voice cast
Zach Galifianakis as Mr. Susan Link, a shy yet good-natured and polite orangutan-like Sasquatch searching for his relatives.
Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost, a rash but well-meaning monsters investigator.
Zoe Saldana as Adelina Fortnight, a fiercely independent and conscientious adventurer and Sir Lionel's former girlfriend.
Stephen Fry as Lord Piggot-Dunceby, the arrogant and self-absorbed head of the "Society of Great Men", a foil to Link/Susan, and Sir Lionel's rival.
Emma Thompson as the Yeti Elder, the paranoid and secretive leader of the Yetis.
Timothy Olyphant as Willard Stenk, a bloodthirsty bounty hunter hired by Lord Piggot-Dunceby to stop Link/Susan and Sir Lionel's quest.
Amrita Acharia as Ama Lahuma, a mountain guide who Link/Susan, Sir Lionel and Adelina meet and leads them to the Yeti temple at Shangri-La.
Matt Lucas as Mr. Collick, Lord Piggot-Dunceby's neurotic assistant and right-hand man.
Ching Valdes-Aran as Gamu, Ama's grandmother and a Yak Herder.
David Walliams as Mr. Lemuel Lint, Sir Lionel's former assistant who resigns after almost getting eaten by the Loch Ness Monster.
On October 9, 2018, Carter Burwell was confirmed to score music for the film.[12] The soundtrack was released on April 12, 2019 by Lakeshore Records, the same day as the theatrical release.[13]
International sales rights to the film were held by AGC International, who pre-sold the movie to distribution companies like Lionsgate for the United Kingdom,[16]Metropolitan Filmexport for France,[17]Elevation Pictures for Canada, Roadshow Films for Australia and New Zealand, Entertainment One for Germany and Spain, Leone Film Group for Italy, Appaluse Entertainment for Taiwan, GAGA for Japan, ISU C&E for South Korea, Selim Ramia for the Middle East, The Searchers for Benelux, Mis. Label for Scandinavia, Vertical Entertainment for Eastern Europe, UFD for Ukraine and Buena Vista International for Latin America, Russia, Malaysia and Singapore.[18][19]
Missing Link grossed $16.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $9.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $26.2 million.[1]Deadline Hollywood calculated the net loss of the film to be $101.3million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[11]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Little, Hellboy, and After, and was projected to gross around $10 million from 3,314 theaters in its opening weekend.[21] However, after grossing $1.6 million on its first day (including $230,000 from Thursday night previews), it went on to debut to $5.9 million, finishing ninth at the box office and marking the 12th-worst opening for a film playing in over 3,000 theaters, the worst opening for a film playing in over 3,150 theaters, and the lowest start for a Laika film ever.[22] In its second weekend the film dropped 27% to $4.4 million, finishing ninth.[23]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 171 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Another beautifully animated triumph for Laika, Missing Link is a visual treat with lots of humor, plenty of heart, and even a little food for thought."[24] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 81% and a "definite recommend" of 63%.[22]
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote: "Sooner or later, Laika was bound to branch out, which makes this funnier, more colorful film the link previously missing between the company's Goth-styled past and whatever comes next."[26]
John Nugent of Empire Magazine praised the film, calling it "a charming family-friendly story about adventure and friendship—told with bar-raising artistic craft and technical skill. We'd expect nothing less from Laika."[27]
