Spirit is an American media franchise owned by DreamWorks Animation, which began with the 2002 animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron written by John Fusco from an idea by producer Jeffrey Katzenberg. The franchise follows the adventures of a Kiger Mustang stallion named Spirit and his same named descendants.
| Spirit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | John Fusco Jeffrey Katzenberg |
| Original work | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) |
| Owners | DreamWorks Animation (Universal Pictures) |
| Years | 2002–2023 |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Animated series |
|
| Television special(s) | |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) |
|
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) |
| Original music | "Here I Am" |
| Official website | |
| Spirit | |
The first film, Stallion of the Cimarron, received mostly positive reviews from critics and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.[1]
An animated television series, Spirit Riding Free, premiered on Netflix in 2017 and introduced new characters like Lucky Prescott, who became one of the franchise's main protagonists alongside Spirit. It spawned a short-form series titled Pony Tales, a spin-off series titled Riding Academy, and two television specials.
The television series also served as the basis for the 2021 film Spirit Untamed, which is a re-imagined version of the first episode of Spirit Riding Free.[2]
Films
edit| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | May 24, 2002 | Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook | John Fusco | Mireille Soria and Jeffrey Katzenberg |
| Spirit Untamed | June 4, 2021 | Elaine Bogan Co-Directed by: Ennio Torresan Jr. |
Aury Wallington and Kristin Hahn | Karen Foster |
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
editSpirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 American animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. It was directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook, in their feature directional debuts, from a screenplay by John Fusco.[3]
Set in the Old West in the late 19th century, the film follows Spirit, a Kiger Mustang stallion (voiced by Matt Damon through inner dialogue), who is captured during the American Indian Wars by the United States Cavalry; he is freed by a Native American man named Little Creek who attempts to lead him back into the Lakota village.
The film was released in theaters on May 24, 2002. In July 2014, the film's distribution rights were purchased by DreamWorks Animation from Paramount Pictures (owners of the pre-2005 DreamWorks Pictures catalog) and transferred to 20th Century Fox[4] before reverting to Universal Studios in 2018.
Spirit Untamed (2021)
editSpirit Untamed is a 2021 American animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is directed by Elaine Bogan, in her feature directorial debut, and co-directed by Ennio Torresan Jr.
It is a reboot and kind of a sequel of the traditional animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and based on the characters from its spin-off television series Spirit Riding Free, created by Aury Wallington, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kristin Hahn. The film is a re-imagined version of the series' story that follows a young girl named Fortuna "Lucky" Prescott who moves to the small rural community of Miradero, where she meets the titular wild kiger mustang whom she names "Spirit" and immediately begins to bond with him.[2]
The film was released in the United States on June 4, 2021.[5]
Television series
edit| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally released | Network | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riding Free | 1 | 6 | May 5, 2017 | Netflix | ||
| 2 | 7 | September 8, 2017 | ||||
| 3 | 7 | November 17, 2017 | ||||
| 4 | 6 | March 16, 2018 | ||||
| 5 | 7 | May 11, 2018 | ||||
| 6 | 6 | August 17, 2018 | ||||
| 7 | 7 | November 9, 2018 | ||||
| 8 | 6 | April 5, 2019 | ||||
| Riding Free: Pony Tales | 1 | 6 | August 9, 2019 | |||
| 2 | 4 | October 18, 2019 | ||||
| Riding Free: Riding Academy | 1 | 7 | April 3, 2020 | |||
| 2 | 9 | September 4, 2020 | ||||
| Spirit & Friends | 1 | 20 | February 12, 2022 | March 28, 2023 | YouTube Peacock | |
Spirit Riding Free (2017–2019)
editSpirit Riding Free is an animated spin-off television series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television based on the traditionally animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Created by Aury Wallington, it premiered on Netflix on May 5, 2017.[6]
The series is set in small frontier town of Miradero and follows Lucky Prescott, a 12-year-old girl who had recently relocated from the city. She encounters a wild kiger mustang named Spirit. Lucky immediately bonds with the stallion and also makes friends with Pru Granger and Abigail Stone. Pru owns a palomino horse called Chica Linda, and Abigail has a pinto horse called Boomerang. The girls call themselves the PALs.[6]
Webisodes (2017–2020)
editA number of webisodes have been released exclusively (except for "Unstoppable Music Video") on the DreamWorks Spirit YouTube-channel during the course of the series.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Magic Show" | Jim Schumann | Robert Taylor | Rick Lacy | August 22, 2017 |
| 2 | "Rainy Day" | Jim Schumann | Robert Taylor | Kennedy Tarrell | November 7, 2017 |
| 3 | "Mustang Mail Part 1" | Jim Schumann | Robert Taylor | Rick Lacy | January 16, 2018 |
| 4 | "Mustang Mail Part 2" | Jim Schumann | Robert Taylor | Rick Lacy | January 23, 2018 |
| 5 | "The Circus Mystery, Pt. 1: Magical New Tricks" | Joshua Taback | Robert Taylor | Jean Kang | July 24, 2018 |
| 6 | "The Circus Mystery, Pt. 2: Kidnapping in Miradero" | Joshua Taback | Robert Taylor | Jean Kang | July 31, 2018 |
| 7 | "The Circus Mystery, Pt. 3: The Bandit Standoff" | Joshua Taback | Robert Taylor | Jean Kang | August 7, 2018 |
| 8 | "Adventure Music Video" | - | - | - | September 23, 2018 |
| 9 | "Joy to the World (Christmas Music Video)" | - | - | - | December 11, 2018 |
| 10 | "The Grooming Wagon, Pt. 1: Horse Cleaning Calamity" | - | - | - | January 15, 2019 |
| 11 | "The Grooming Wagon, Pt. 2: Race Against the Clock" | - | - | - | January 22, 2019 |
| 12 | "The Grooming Wagon, Pt. 3: A Soapy Success" | - | - | - | January 29, 2019 |
| 13 | "Fast Friends: Abigail & Boomerang Meet for the FIRST Time!" | - | - | - | July 16, 2019 |
| 14 | "Fast Friends: Pru & Chica Linda Meet for the FIRST Time!" | - | - | - | July 23, 2019 |
| 15 | "Fast Friends: Lucky & Spirit Meet for the FIRST Time!" | - | - | - | July 30, 2019 |
| 16 | "Unstoppable Music Video" | - | - | - | August 6, 2019 |
| 17 | "A Friendly Race" | Allan Jacobsen | Nicole Belisle | Kat Chan, Laur Uy | June 17, 2020 |
| 18 | "The Vet Is In" | Allan Jacobsen | Nicole Belisle | Kat Chan, Laur Uy | June 24, 2020 |
| 19 | "Dressage Corsage" | Allan Jacobsen | Nicole Belisle | Kat Chan, Laur Uy | July 1, 2020 |
Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales (2019)
editSpirit Riding Free: Pony Tales is an animated short-form television series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and the second spin-off television series of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and the first from the first television series Spirit Riding Free. It premiered on Netflix on August 9, 2019.[7]
Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy (2020)
editSpirit Riding Free: Riding Academy is an animated television series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and the third spin-off television series of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and the second from the television series Spirit Riding Free. It premiered on Netflix on April 3, 2020.[8]
Lucky, Pru and Abigail are preparing to leave Miradero as they move away to boarding school at the Palomino Bluffs Riding Academy. But the girls are faced with fresh responsibilities and experiences. From meeting their new competition, the BUDs, their transition to the academy is anything but easy. Along the way the PALs will make new friends and explore their individual talents as they grow up and discover their new home together.[8]
Spirit & Friends (2022-2023)
editOn February 9, 2022, DreamWorks Animation Television announced a new series titled Spirit & Friends inspired by the characters from Spirit Riding Free, which takes place in the same setting of Spirit Untamed. It was released on YouTube on February 12.[9] The cast trio of Spirit Untamed (Merced, Martin, and Grace) reprised their roles and all shorts were directed by Andrew Wilson with animation provided by Doberman Pictures and Top Draw Animation. The series was also released on Peacock months later after the release.
| No. | Title | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Chompy the Baby Mountain Lion" | Jessie Gant | Daniela Fischer | February 12, 2022 | |
|
Lucky, Pru, and Abigail try to save a mountain lion cub, but who will save them when the mama comes back looking for her baby? | |||||
| 2 | "Baby Ducklings" | Laura Sreebny | Renee Howerton | February 19, 2022 | |
|
When the PALs find some duck eggs, they decide to take care of them until they're old enough to be on their own. | |||||
| 3 | "Baby Bunny Breakout!" | Nicole Belisle | Daniela Fischer | February 26, 2022 | |
|
When Lucky falls asleep while watching baby bunnies, it's up to the PALs and a filly to find them before the snake does. | |||||
| 4 | "Lost Lamb on the Range" | Nicole Belisle | Hadas Rosen | March 5, 2022 | |
|
The PALs set off to find a lost lamb. Will they find him before the wolf does? | |||||
| 5 | "Bunny Gets His Bounce Back" | Alex Fernandez | Renee Howerton | April 2, 2022 | |
|
Silver is all grown up and an awesome jumper, but when he is found limping, will the PALs do everything they can to get him jumping again? | |||||
| 6 | "Foal’s First Check Up" | Martín Julio Castillo & Grace Murphy | Daniela Fischer | April 8, 2022 | |
|
It's Checkup day at the ranch, but a little filly is scared of her first one. Will the PALs be able to coax her to get one? | |||||
| 7 | "Keeping Up with a Three-Legged Pup" | Jonathan Hernandez | Hadas Rosen | April 16, 2022 | |
| 8 | "Marshmallow Mishaps" | Denisse De La Cruz | Renee Howerton | April 23, 2022 | |
| 9 | "What a Pigsty!" | - | - | July 30, 2022 | |
| 10 | "Invasion of the Apple Snatchers" | - | - | August 6, 2022 | |
| 11 | "Feista Fiasco" | - | - | August 13, 2022 | |
| 12 | "Kittens, Kittens Everywhere" | - | - | August 20, 2022 | |
| 13 | "Creepy Campfire Story Comes to Life" | - | - | September 24, 2022 | |
| 14 | "Abigail's Fantastic Flea Remedy" | - | - | November 5, 2022 | |
| 15 | "A Christmas Llama Miracle" | - | - | November 12, 2022 | |
| 16 | "The Mystery of the Candy Stealing Ghost" | - | - | November 19, 2022 | |
| 17 | "Lucky vs Donkey: Who's More Stubborn?" | - | - | January 16, 2023 | |
| 18 | "Save the Goats!" | - | - | January 16, 2023 | |
| 19 | "Lost Kitty Finds an Unexpected Home" | - | - | March 14, 2023 | |
| 20 | "Pru's Amazing Rodeo Audition!" | - | - | March 28, 2023 | |
Television specials
editSpirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas (2019)
editSpirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas is a Christmas special which premiered on Netflix on December 6, 2019. The special starred the characters from Spirit Riding Free television series.[10]
Lucky and her friends embark on a Christmas Eve adventure into the city to find the perfect gift, but their return to Miradero for the holiday festivities are ruined when an avalanche derails their plans.[10]
Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure (2020)
editSpirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure is a interactive special which premiered on Netflix on December 8, 2020.[11]
In this special, Lucky and her friends go on a mission to save Maricela's beloved mare, Mystery, from greedy horse thieves who've taken her captive with a wild herd.[11]
Cast and crew
editCast and characters
edit| Characters | Feature films | Television series | Web series | Television special(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron |
Spirit Untamed | ||||||||
| Spirit Riding Free | Pony Tales | Riding Academy | Spirit & Friends | Spirit of Christmas | Ride Along Adventure | ||||
| Spirit | Matt Damon | Silent | |||||||
| Little Creek | Daniel Studi | ||||||||
| Lucky Prescott | Isabela Merced Bridget Hoffman (young) |
Amber Frank | Isabela Merced | Amber Frank | |||||
| Pru Granger | Marsai Martin | Sydney Park | Marsai Martin | Sydney Park | |||||
| Abigail Stone | Mckenna Grace | Bailey Gambertoglio | Mckenna Grace | Bailey Gambertoglio | |||||
| Snips Stone | Lucian Perez | Duncan Joiner | Duncan Joiner | ||||||
| James “Jim” Prescott Jr. | Jake Gyllenhaal | Nolan North | Nolan North | ||||||
| Cora Prescott | Julianne Moore | Kari Wahlgren | Kari Wahlgren | Kari Wahlgren | |||||
| Al Granger | Andre Braugher | Jonathan Craig Williams | Jonathan Craig Williams | ||||||
| Maricela Gutierrez | Darcy Rose Byrnes | Darcy Rose Byrnes | |||||||
| Turo | Andy Pessoa | Character is Mute | |||||||
| Bianca and Mary Pat | Gabriella Graves | Gabriella Graves | |||||||
| Fannie Granger | Dawnn Lewis | Character is Mute | |||||||
| Kathryn "Kate" Flores | Tiya Sircar | Tiya Sircar | Tiya Sircar | ||||||
| Julian Prescott | Lucas Grabeel | ||||||||
| James Prescott Sr. | Joe Hart | Victor Garber (1st voice) Nolan North (2nd voice) |
Victor Garber (Archive recordings) |
||||||
| Milagro Navarro | Eiza González | Natalie Otano | |||||||
| Tito | Eric Lopez | ||||||||
| Estrella | Marite Mantilla | ||||||||
| Solana | Lilimar Hernandez | ||||||||
| Javier | Andy Aragon | ||||||||
| Mixtli | Bridger Zadina | ||||||||
| Miz McDonnell | Christine Baranaski | ||||||||
| Major Gutierrez | Christian Lanz | ||||||||
| Mrs. Hungerford | Julie Brown | ||||||||
| Bebe Schumann | Julia Lester | ||||||||
| Daphne | Georgia Dolenz | ||||||||
| Ursula Lin Yang | Charlet Chung | ||||||||
| Headmaster Perkins | Rhys Darby | ||||||||
| Lydia Sterling | Kitana Turnbull | ||||||||
| Jack | Paul-Mikél Williams | ||||||||
| Saher Kapoor | Karan Brar | ||||||||
| Priya Kapoor | Roshni Edwards | ||||||||
| Alex Fox | Justin Felbenger | ||||||||
| Beef | Austin Kane | ||||||||
| Dr. Annalisa Cope | Briana León | ||||||||
| Coach Bradley | Jane Lynch | ||||||||
| Major Schumann | Rob Riggle | ||||||||
| Mr. Daniels | Piotr Michael | ||||||||
| Tyler | Benjamin Flores Jr. | ||||||||
| Mr. Gael | Carlos Alazraqui | ||||||||
| Anahí | TBA | ||||||||
| Mrs. Johnson | TBA | ||||||||
| Banks Beller | TBA | ||||||||
| Sally Jessup | Katherine McNamara | ||||||||
| The Colonel | James Cromwell | ||||||||
| Sgt. Adams | Chopper Bernet | ||||||||
| Hendricks | Walton Goggins | ||||||||
| Harlan Grayson | James Patrick Stuart | ||||||||
| Butch LePray | Katey Sagal | Katey Sagal | |||||||
| Rooster | Thomas Lennon | ||||||||
| Frankie LePray | Rachel Kimsey | ||||||||
Crew
edit| Role | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | Spirit Untamed |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2021 | |
| Director(s) | Kelly Asbury Lorna Cook |
Elaine Bogan Co-Directed by: Ennio Torresan Jr. |
| Producer(s) | Mireille Soria Jeffrey Katzenberg |
Karen Foster |
| Screenplay by | John Fusco | Aury Wallington Kristin Hahn |
| Composer(s) | Hans Zimmer | Amie Doherty |
| Editor(s) | Nick Fletcher Clare De Chenu |
R. Orlando Duenas |
| Studio(s) | DreamWorks Animation | |
| Animation producer(s) | DWA Glendale Anvil Studios Bardel Entertainment Stardust Pictures |
Jellyfish Pictures 88 Pictures Minimo VFX |
| Distributor(s) | DreamWorks Pictures | Universal Pictures |
| Running time | 84 minutes | 85 minutes |
Reception
editBox office performance
edit| Film | Release date | Box office gross | Budget | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories |
Worldwide | ||||
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | May 24, 2002 | $73,280,117 | $49,283,422 | $122,563,539 | $80 million | [12] |
| Spirit Untamed | June 4, 2021 | $17,716,215 | $25,001,000 | $42,717,215 | $30 million | [13] |
| Total | $90,996,332 | $74,284,422 | $165,280,754 | $110 million | ||
Critical and public response
edit| Film | Critical | Public | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | PostTrak | |
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | 69% (127 reviews)[14] | 52 (29 reviews)[15] | A[16] | — |
| Spirit Untamed | 47% (116 reviews)[17] | 49 (23 reviews)[18] | A[19] | 75%[19] |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) | Platform(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Forever Free | The Fizz Factor | THQ | Windows | [20][21] |
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Search for Homeland | Hyperspace Cowgirls | Game Boy Advance | |||
| 2019 | Spirit Trick Challenge | Dreamworks Animation | Dreamworks Animation | Android / iOS | [22][23] |
| 2021 | Spirit: Lucky's Big Adventure | aheartfulofgames | Outright Games LTD. | Windows / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch | [24] |
Book series
editShortly after the movie, a book series called “Spirit of the West” was released by writer Kathleen Duey; telling the story of Spirit's family lineage and herd.[25]
Music
editSoundtracks
edit| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron - Music from the Original Motion Picture | May 4, 2002 | 59:55 | A&M Records |
| Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas - EP | December 6, 2019 | 10:42 | Back Lot Music |
| Spirit Untamed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[26] | May 28, 2021 | 68:06 |
Singles
edit| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Artist(s) | Label | Film/Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Here I Am" | June 11, 2002 | 4:06 | Bryan Adams | A&M Records | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron |
| "Riding Free" | May 25, 2017 | 3:07 | Maisy Stella | Back Lot Music | Spirit Riding Free |
| "Friends Forever" | November 7, 2017 | 1:56 | Amber Frank, Sydney Park and Bailey Gambertoglio | ||
| "Unstoppable" | May 3, 2019 | 2:40 | Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales | ||
| "Fearless (Valiente Duet)" | May 6, 2021 | 4:14 | Isabela Merced and Eiza González | Spirit Untamed | |
| "You Belong" | May 20, 2021 | 3:16 | Becky G |
References
edit- ^ "The 75th Academy Awards | 2003". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-10-07). "DreamWorks Animation & Universal To Release 'Spirit Riding Free' & 'The Bad Guys' In 2021". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ^ Chney, Alexandra (July 29, 2014). "DreamWorks Animation Q2 Earnings Fall Short of Estimates, SEC Investigation Revealed". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (10 November 2020). "Jennifer Lopez Romantic Comedy 'Marry Me' Heads To Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (April 18, 2017). "Trailer: DreamWorks' 'Spirit Riding Free' Races to Netflix". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- ^ "SPIRIT RIDING FREE - Pony Tales Trailer - Netflix". YouTube. July 26, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "First Look at 'Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy' Part 1 on Netflix". What's on Netflix. March 20, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ @DreamWorksTV (9 February 2022). "Saddle up for an all-new adventure! Spirit & Friends is coming to YouTube on February 12!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas' on Netflix, an Animated Adventure About Some Frontier Girls (and Maybe a Horse?)". Decider. December 9, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure". What's on Netflix. December 8, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Untamed (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Cinemascore :: Movie Title Search". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ^ "Spirit Untamed". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Spirit Untamed". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 5, 2021). "'Conjuring 3' Out-Scaring 'A Quiet Place Part II' At Weekend B.O." Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)". GameSpot. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ THQ (October 28, 2002). "THQ Ships Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – Search for Homeland for Game Boy Advance and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – Forever Free for PC" (Press release). THQ. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ "Spirit Trick Challenge". App Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit Riding Free Trick Challenge - App Review". Common Sense Media. January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ "DREAMWORKS SPIRIT LUCKY´S BIG ADVENTURE". Outright Games LTD. 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Kathleen Duey's Spirit of the Cimarron books in order". www.fantasticfiction.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ "'Spirit Untamed' Soundtrack Album Details | Film Music Reporter".
