Sing is an American media franchise created by Garth Jennings and produced by Illumination. It features the voice talents of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Nick Kroll, Taron Egerton, and Tori Kelly among others. The first film, Sing, was released on December 21, 2016, and received positive reviews from critics. The second film, Sing 2, was released on December 22, 2021. The series has grossed $1 billion worldwide.

Sing
Created byGarth Jennings
Original workSing (2016)
OwnersUniversal Pictures
(via Illumination)
Years2016–present
Films and television
Film(s)
Short film(s)
  • Gunter Babysits (2017)
  • Love at First Sight (2017)
  • Eddie's Life Coach (2017)
  • For Gunter's Eyes Only (2022)
  • Animal Attraction (2022)
  • Sing: Thriller (2024)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)

The franchise takes place in a world inhabited by talking, anthropomorphic animals. It follows a koala named Buster Moon who, with the help of other animals, puts on live theater shows that largely encompass singing.

Films

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Film Release date Director Screenwriter Producer(s)
Sing December 21, 2016 (2016-12-21) Garth Jennings Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy
Sing 2 December 22, 2021 (2021-12-22)

Sing (2016)

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In an attempt to save his theater, a koala named Buster Moon decides to hold a singing competition to get it out of debt.

Sing 2 (2021)

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Buster Moon and his gang now have their sights set on debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But without connections, he and his singers must convince the ruthless media mogul Jimmy Crystal and pitch the idea of casting the legendary rock star Clay Calloway in their show. Buster must embark on a quest to find the now-reclusive Clay and persuade him to return to the stage.

Sing 3

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In April 2023, it was announced that a third film was in development.[1]

Short films

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Gunter Babysits (2017)

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Included as a mini-movie on Sing's home media release, the short focuses around Gunter who offers to watch over Rosita and Norman's piglets while they are away, but quickly finds himself way in over his head.

Love at First Sight (2017)

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Included as a mini-movie on Sing's home media release, the short focuses around Miss Crawly who is set up on an online dating website by Johnny in which she attempts to find love.

Eddie's Life Coach (2017)

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Included as a mini-movie on Sing's home media release, the short focuses around Eddie Noodleman, who partakes in a digital life-training seminar on behalf of his mother or else he will be kicked out.

Come Home (2021)

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Come Home is a short film created in association with Comcast and Xfinity (both subsidiaries of Universal) and released as a promo for Sing 2 leading up to its release. It follows a Dog mother named Angie who is struggling to make to make it home to her family during the Holidays.[2][3] A cover of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) sung by Taron Egerton, Scarlet Johannsen, Reese Witherspoon, and Tori Kelly was included in Sing 2's Soundtrack.

For Gunter's Eyes Only (2022)

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Included as a mini-movie on Sing 2's home media release, the short focuses around Johnny and Gunter who attend a hypnotist show in Redshore City where Gunter is hypnotized and believes he is a secret agent.[4]

Animal Attraction (2022)

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Included as a mini-movie on Sing 2's home media release, the short focuses around Darius who is filming a commercial while awaiting confirmation on a role he auditioned for, but is consistently getting things wrong.[5]

Sing: Thriller (2024)

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Sing: Thriller is a short film that was released on Netflix on October 16, 2024. Inspired by a music video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller", the short focuses on Buster Moon and his crew as they are invited by Clay Calloway for a Halloween party, where they soon discover a mysterious ooze has transformed Clay and his guests into dancing zombies.[6]

Theme park attraction

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Sing on Tour is an immersive musical stage show attraction at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Beijing. The attraction stars performers in mascot costumes of all of the major characters of the first film, and features the voice talents of the film's Japanese and Chinese audio dubs.[7]

Construction on the Japan iteration of the attraction, in the new "Illumination Theater," began in September 2018, replacing Universal Studios Japan's long-defunct Monster Make-Up show. The attraction was announced mid-construction on December 5, 2018, and then opened on April 18, 2019. The Beijing iteration was confirmed on October 20, 2020, and opened in the park's Minion Land on September 20, 2021.[8][9]

Cast and crew

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Cast

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List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

  • An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  U indicates an uncredited appearance.
  •  Y indicates a younger version of the character.
Character Films Short films
Sing Sing 2 Gunter Babysits Love at First Sight Eddie's Life Coach Come Home For Gunter's Eyes Only Animal Attraction Sing: Thriller
Buster Moon Matthew McConaughey Matthew McConaughey Matthew McConaughey
Rosita Reese Witherspoon Reese Witherspoon
Ash Scarlett Johansson Silent role Scarlett Johansson
Johnny Taron Egerton Taron Egerton Taron Egerton Taron Egerton
Meena Tori Kelly Tori KellyS Tori Kelly
Gunter Nick Kroll Silent role Nick Kroll Nick Kroll
Miss Crawly Garth Jennings Garth Jennings Garth Jennings Garth Jennings
Nana Noodleman Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Saunders Photograph Silent role
Jennifer HudsonY
Norman Nick Offerman Silent cameo
Big Daddy Peter Serafinowicz
Piglets Oscar Jennings
Leo Jennings
Caspar Jennings
Asa Jennings Asa Jennings Asa Jennings
Ayden Soria
Julianna Gamiz
Asher Blinkoff
Remy Edgerly
Jack Stanton
Adeline Krupinski
Vida Alves McConaughey
Mike Seth MacFarlane Photograph Silent role
Eddie Noodleman John C. Reilly Photograph John C. Reilly
Lance Beck Bennett
Nancy Tara Strong Photograph Silent role
Becky
Russian Bears James J. Cummings
Meena's mother Leslie Jones
Meena's grandfather Jay Pharoah Photograph
Meena's grandmother Laraine Newman
Judith Rhea Perlman
Bob Bill Farmer Silent cameo Silent cameo Silent cameo
Baboon Brad Morris Photograph
Jimmy Crystal Bobby Cannavale
Porsha Crystal Halsey Photograph Silent role
Nooshy Letitia Wright Silent role
Clay Calloway Bono
Klaus Kickenklober Adam Buxton
Darius Eric André Eric André Silent cameo Eric André
Suki Lane Chelsea Peretti
Jerry Spike JonzeU
Alfonso Pharrell Williams Photograph
Linda Le Bon Julia Davis
Herman Robert Morse
Garry Wishman Brad Morris
Eddie's mother Photograph Laraine Newman
Angie Keke Palmer
Harry The Hypnotist Kevin Michael Richardson
Benny Garth Jennings
Marcy Gwendoline Yeo

Crew

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Role Main films
Sing Sing 2
2016 2021
Director(s) Garth Jennings
Co-director:
Christophe Lourdelet
Producer(s) Chris Meledandri
Janet Healy
Written by Garth Jennings
Music by Joby Talbot
Edited by Gregory Perler
Production Company Illumination
Distributed by Universal Pictures

Reception

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Box office performance

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Box office performance of Sing
Film Release Date Box Office Gross All Time Ranking Budget Ref.
Domestic Foreign Worldwide Domestic Worldwide
Sing December 21, 2016 $270,578,425 $363,759,959 $634,338,384 TBA TBA $75 million [10]
Sing 2 December 22, 2021 $162,790,990 $245,605,281 $408,396,271 TBA TBA $85 million [11]
Total $433,369,415 $609,365,240 $1,042,734,655 TBA TBA $160 million

Critical and public response

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Critical and public response to Sing
Film Critical Public
Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore PostTrak
Sing 71% (189 reviews)[12] 59 (37 reviews)[13] A[14]
Sing 2 72% (137 reviews)[15] 49 (28 reviews)[16] A+[17] 91%[17]

References

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  1. ^ Lang, Brent (April 4, 2023). "'Shrek 5' With Original Cast, Donkey Spinoff With Eddie Murphy, 'Sing 3' and More Teased by Illumination's Chris Meledandri (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  2. ^ https://deadline.com/2021/11/sing-2-short-film-come-home-keke-palmer-nbc-thanksgiving-1234880287/
  3. ^ https://screenrant.com/sing-2-characters-christmas-short-film-video/
  4. ^ "Clip: 'Sing 2' Comes Home Humming with New Features". March 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  5. ^ "Clip: 'Sing 2' Comes Home Humming with New Features". March 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  6. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (15 October 2024). "Netflix Offers Musical Chills in 'Sing: Thriller' Animated Special". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. ^ "【USJ】内村光良が開幕宣言!新アトラクション「SING ON TOUR」オープニングセレモニー". cinemacafe.net (in Japanese). 17 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  8. ^ "Universal Studios Japan Getting Major New Show in 2019". Park Pass. 2018-09-30. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  9. ^ "New Detail Revealed for Universal Studios Beijing". Theme Park Insider. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  10. ^ "Sing". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "Sing 2". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  12. ^ "Sing". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 12, 2023.  
  13. ^ "Sing". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  14. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 22, 2016). "'Rogue One' Targets $221.7M Opening Week; 'Sing' Raises Voice To $20M Over Two Days – Noon Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  15. ^ "Sing 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 29, 2022.  
  16. ^ "Sing 2". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  17. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 26, 2021). "Spider-Man: No Way Home Third-Best Christmas Ever With $31.7M US; Domestic At $467M+ & $1.05B WW – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.