Open Season (live-action remake)

Open Season is an upcoming 2022 live-action/computer-animated action comedy film. Directed by Gary Rydstrom and produced by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation and Buddy Animation, it is based on Open Season by Steve Moore and John B. Carls. The film is produced by Michelle Murdocca, executive-produced by Roger Allers, Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi and written by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman and Nat Mauldin.

The film stars the voices of Samuel L. Jackson as Boog, followed by Ashton Kutcher, Gary Sinise, Debra Messing, Billy Connolly, Jon Favreau, and more.

Open Season debuted out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and premiered on June 17, 2022 at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. It is scheduled for release on December 23, 2022 by Sony Pictures Releasing, through Columbia Pictures.

Plot
TBA

Cast

 * Samuel L. Jackson as Boog, a 900 pound pampered grizzly bear.
 * Ashton Kutcher as Elliot, a hyperactive and cheerful mule deer who got his antler broken off and has temporary amnesia after being hit by Shaw's truck.
 * Gary Sinise as Shaw, the nastiest hunter in Timberline and Beth's arch-rival.
 * Debra Messing as Beth, a park ranger who had raised Boog since he was a cub.
 * Billy Connolly as McSquizzy, a grumpy elderly eastern gray squirrel with a Scottish accent.
 * Jon Favreau as Reilly, a diligent North American beaver.
 * Georgia Engel as Bobbie, a friendly but dim-witted hippie woman who is Mr. Weenie's owner.
 * Bobbie's husband, Bob, is unvoiced.
 * Jane Krakowski as Giselle, a beautiful mule deer doe, a victim of Ian's stalking and Elliot's love interest.
 * Gordon Tootoosis as Gordy, Timberline's sheriff and Beth's friend.
 * Chris Hemsworth as Ian, a large, intimidating mule deer stag and the alpha of his herd.
 * Cody Cameron as Mr. Weenie, Bob and Bobbie's domesticated German-accented dachshund.
 * Danny Mann as Serge, a French-accented mallard duck.
 * Maddie Taylor as Deni, a mute and insane but brave mallard duck and Serge's brother
 * Taylor reprises her role as Buddy, a blue North American porcupine who searches for friends.
 * Nika Futterman as Rosie, a striped skunk with a Mexican accent.
 * Michelle Murdocca as Maria, a striped skunk who is Rosie's identical twin.
 * Fergal Reilly as O'Toole, a beaver and one of Reilly's men.

Development
Development on a live-action adaption to Open Season was conceived in 2007, a year after the 2006 film was released. Directors Jill Culton and Roger Allers said that they "planned to make a live-action adaption," and said it was to be "released in the near future". However, in 2008, the planning was cancelled, on the release of Open Season 2. During the production of Open Season 3, Culton and Allens sent the idea to Sony in 2009. After multiple reviewing, Sony came to an agreement in 2013. Production began 5 years later, in 2018. The film was filmed in San Francisco, California.

Rendering services used were Hewlett-Packard, Inc. and Autodesk Maya.

Animation
Animation was produced at Sony Pictures Animation and overseas in South Australia at Buddy Animation. Animated at the multinational animation studio Moving Picture Company, the animation was produced to be hyperrealistic. Additional animation was produced overseas in the United Kingdom at DNEG, a British-Indian visual effects and computer animation studio, and Wētā FX, a New Zealand digital visual effects company, known for producing Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip. CGI production wrapped up in July 2022.

Casting
To choose the voice cast, directer Gary Rydstrom listened to audio files, and chose Samuel L. Jackson and Alison Kutcher as leading roles. Jackson and Kutcher met during casting sessions in 2020, but had to keep distance from each other, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pushing through 2020 and entering 2021, Rydstrom said that Jackson and Kutcher "became notable voices for the characters".

Music and soundtrack
Michael Giacchino served as the composer for Open Season. He began the planning in May 2020, before concluding that November. While in the scoring session, director Rydstrom felt its score was "uplifting" and "adventurous". Giacchino, in the beginning of the scoring session for Open Season, wanted to create something adventurous and uplifting, and make it more exciting for Open Season's score, compared to other films he did with Disney and Paramount Pictures, including films such as Ratatouille, Up and Inside Out for Disney, and Mission: Impossible and Star Trek for Paramount Pictures. Director Rydstrom and producer Michelle Murdocca met with Giacchino to discuss the film's concept and screen it for him. In response to music composition, he composed a six-minute suite of music, unconnected to the film itself, based on his enthusiasm viewing the film. The score was released on music platforms on July 31, 2022.

Production wrapped up in June 2022, and its production budget was around $150 million.

Marketing and release
Marketing was advertised worldwide by Sony Corporation and Columbia Pictures. Theatrical posters were seen in theatres around the world, and fast food chains, including McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King and Taco Bell promoted the film, with the McDonald's Happy Meal coming with limited edition Open Season toys and accessories.

The 101-minute Open Season debuted out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2022, followed by a premiere on June 17, 2022 at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. Originally scheduled for a release in May 2021, the film was slated back to a December release, but was then slated back again to the year after, on December 23, 2022, with it to be released in Dolby Cinema's Dolby Vision, as well as in 3D.

Box office
Open Season is scheduled for release worldwide on December 23, 2022 by Sony Pictures Releasing, with estimated projections being around $30-45 million.