Will Bo the little, brave donkey, the hero of the new animated movie The Star, join the ranks of beloved classic Christmas characters like Charlie Brown, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? You’ll find the answers in new ‘The Star’ animated family film.
“The Star brilliantly tells the story of the first Christmas from the perspective of the adventurous animals who contributed to the journey and bore witness to the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. The entire family will laugh and be inspired as they experience the power of faith, friends, and courage through the eyes of these brave, heroic animals,” said President & CEO of Franklin Entertainment and Executive Produce of Sony Pictures new film The Star, DeVon Franklin.
While honoring Biblical text… In the new film The Star, a small but brave donkey named Bo longs for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free and heads out on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock, and Dave, a gentle dove with lofty dreams. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star to become unexpected heroes in the greatest story ever told of the first Christmas.
‘The Star’ movie comes to theaters nationwide November 17th. Photo Courtesy Sony Pictures
Making good on its commitment to increase output while continuing to offer its distinctive mix of family and faith films, Sony Pictures Animation presents The Star as a new faith and family movie. It features the voices of notable actors such as Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music), Kristin Chenoweth (Glee), Tyler Perry (The Paynes, Love They Neighbor), and many more. Executive Producer DeVon Franklin is known for popular faith films such as Heaven is for Real and Miracles from Heaven. The Star is directed by Academy Award® nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart (Head Over Heels) and produced by Lisa Henson and Brian Henson (The Jim Henson Company, the Muppet movie franchise).
Coming to theaters November 17th, The Star is a delightful movie for all ages! With excellent animation, the voices are entertaining and engaging. As it tells the story of the birth of our Savior, it conveys valuable lessons of persistence, friendship, and true purpose. It conveys the truth that Good overcomes Evil, even through underdogs. It is a charming movie that conveys the story of the greatest Christmas gift of all!
Animals friends celebrating Bo in Sony Pictures Animations’ THE STAR. Photo Courtesy Sony Pictures
The Star is produced with AFFIRM Films, who have released numerous popular redemptive movies: Miracles from Heaven, War Room, Heaven is for Real, Soul Surfer, Facing the Giants, When the Game Stands Tall, Risen, and All Saints.
Bo (Steven Yuen) and Dave (Keegan-Michael Key) in Sony Pictures Animation’s THE STAR. Photo Courtesy Sony Pictures
Sonoma Christian Home presents an inspiring, in-depth interview with director Timothy Reckart. SCH Editor At Large Dr. Diane Howard reports.
SCH: How is this movie unique?
TR: This is the first animated movie (studio level quality) of the Christmas story. It is unique as it is from the perspective of the animals.
SCH: How do you hope this movie will affect viewers?
TR: We want it to have an inspiring and warm effect. We want viewers to see that great things can come from humble circumstances.
SCH: How do you think this movie will affect our culture?
TR: I think many of us have forgotten why we celebrate Christmas and need to be reminded.
SCH: Tell us about some major themes of the film that can have a positive impact on our youth.
TR: Great things coming from humble appearance, the value of friendship, and the importance of working together are important themes.
SCH: Why do you think this movie is especially timely?
TR: This movie focuses on the importance of togetherness and unity.
SCH: Why do you believe it is important to produce quality movies for all ages to watch together?
TR: It is important for people who love each other to be involved in the same activities together.
SCH: Was there a special journey or story of faith in the making of this movie?
TR: Working on this movie challenged us to dive deep in the scriptures to study the Biblical characters in our movie. We read the Gospels closely to prepare for this film.
SCH: Did you experience God’s presence and provision in the making of this film?
TR: Everything fell into place in bigger and better ways than we anticipated.
SCH: In the midst of the seismic changes in Hollywood today, do you think our Lord is blessing the work of Christian moviemakers?
TR: As truth is coming out, the industry will be better. Studios have new interest in the work of Christians. There is a lot of hope for Christians in the industry. The old stigmas about faith movies are falling by the wayside as they improve in quality.
SCH: Why is it important for people of faith to produce good movies that speak to today’s world?
TR: We can’t surrender our light. We are in the world but not of it.
President & CEO of Franklin Entertainment and Executive Produce of Sony Pictures new film The Star, DeVon Franklin. Photo Courtesy Sony Pictures
The Star is an inspirational, entertaining faith film that will appeal widely to audiences with the universal themes of hope, joy, and Christmas cheer.
“There are so many people that celebrate Christmas that aren’t necessarily church-going Christians, and I think to the extent that Christmas means anything to them, then the film will also be meaningful to them,” Reckart says.
“What better way to get your children to understand a story that really is the bedrock of your faith than to go to a shared experience like this, where [parents] can watch it with their child, they can fill in the gaps, they can open up dialogue,” DeVon Franklin says.
Ruth (Aidy Bryant), Dave (Keegan-Michael Key), Bo (Steven Yeun), Joseph (Zachary Levi) and Mary (Gina Rodriguez) in Sony Pictures Animation’s THE STAR. Photo Courtesy Sony Pictures
“It’s divisive times that we’re living in right now, and stressful too, all the violence that we read about all the time. The power of this story is that you have so many people from all different walks of life [involved],” Reckart comments.
The young director pointed to the “three kings,” calling them upper-class foreigners from another land, and the local shepherds “at the bottom of the working class,” making note that Jesus brought people from all walks of life together.
The Star opens in theaters nationwide on November 17th. To learn more about this film and follow updates, visit The Star movie and follow The Star on Facebook!
UPDATE: The Star is now on digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD!
To learn more about this author, please visit Dr. Diane Howard
Leave a Reply