Purple Squirrel 2: Purple Squirrel Returns

Purple Squirrel Returns is a 2002 computer-animated action-adventure comedy film directed by Cal Brunker and Steve Oedekerk, produced by Bob Barlen, Greg Tiernan and Oedekerk and written by Graham Moloy, Lorne Cameron and Oedekerk based on a screenplay by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss, Andrew Millstein and Oedekerk. A direct sequel to Purple Squirrel, it is the second film in the Purple Squirrel film series and reprises the voices of Will Arnett, Kari Wahlgren, Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, and guest stars Hugh Jackman as Jack the Black Widow, the antagonist of the film.

Following the events of the first film, Surly (Arnett) and Hazelnut (Wahlgren), now residing in a home in Burbank, are trying not to get caught by a group of angry spiders, led by Jack the Black Widow (Jackman). An international co-production between the United States and Australia, the film is produced by Paramount Feature Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Village Roadshow Pictures, O Entertainment, Omation Animation Studios and Buddy Entertainment, with DNA Productions, Inc. and Cinesite providing animation services.

Purple Squirrel Returns premiered in Los Angeles on February 6, 2002 and was released on February 14, 2002 in the United States by Paramount Pictures, on February 19, 2002 internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures, and on March 2, 2002 by Roadshow Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand. It received near critical acclaim, praising its animation, voice cast (particularly Arnett, Wahlgren and Hopkins), plot, humor, visuals, character development, and emotional weight. It was a box office success, grossing $989 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2002, overtaking The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. A sequel, Purple Squirrel Three, was released on September 17, 2005.

Plot
TBA

Cast

 * Will Arnett as Surly, a purple squirrel and the main protagonist.
 * Kari Wahlgren as Hazelnut, a female pink squirrel and Surly's girlfriend.
 * Anthony Hopkins as Henry, a golden brown squirrel and Surly's father.
 * Olivia Colman as Victoria, a light brown squirrel and Surly's mother.
 * Sam Rockwell as Robinson, a black and white wolf.
 * Scarlett Johansson as Hemisphere, a red striped spider.
 * Danny McBride as Ginny, a goofy guinea pig.
 * Halsey as Rella, a blue rabbit with long ears.
 * Ryan Reynolds as Brandon, a brave deer.
 * Mila Kunis as Betty, a lovely deer and Brandon's girlfriend.
 * Wanda Sykes as Stella, a short-tempered, sassy striped skunk. Stella also appears as a supporting character for Hammy in 2009.
 * Hugh Jackman as Jack the Black Widow, a black widow from Toronto, Ontario, the leader of a deadly spider colony and the main antagonist.

Development
TBA

Casting
TBA

Animation
The film's animation was handled at Paramount's animation division, with Alias' Maya software providing CGI animation services.

Music
TBA

Soundtrack
TBA

Release
Purple Squirrel Returns premiered in London, England on February 3, 2002 and later had a theatrical release on February 14, 2002 in the United States. It was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for rude humor, some peril, mild violence, and some language.

Marketing
TBA

Home media
TBA

Box office
TBA

Critical response
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 95% based on 192 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. Its critical consensus reads: "Action-packed, hilarious, thrilling, and beautifully animated, Purple Squirrel Returns brings back Surly in this wicked and heart-pounding adventure." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore assigned the film a rare grade of "A+" on its A+ to F scale.

Trivia
TBA