Richard the Stork

{{Infobox film

| name = Richard the Stork

| image = A Stork's Journey poster.jpg

| caption = German theatrical release poster

| director = {{Interlanguage link|Toby Genkel|de}}
Reza Memari

| producer = Kristine Knudsen
Emely Christians

| writer = Reza Memari

| starring = Cooper Kramer

| music = Eric Neveux

| cinematography =

| editing = Reza Memari

| studio = Den Siste Skilling
Knudsen & Streuber Medienmanufaktur
Mélusine Productions
Ulysses Filmproduktion
Walking The Dog

| distributor = Wild Bunch (Germany)
Global Screen (International)

| released = {{Film date|2017|02|12|BIFF|2017|05|05|Norway|2017|05|11|Germany}}

| runtime = 85 minutes

| country = Luxembourg
Belgium
Germany
Norway

| language = German
English

| budget =

| gross = $13.9 million{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2017W12&id=_fRICHARDTHESTORK01|title=Box Ofiice: Richard the Stork|work=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=May 16, 2017|archive-date=January 6, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250106004139/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr1295536645/|url-status=live}}

}}

Richard the Stork (Released in North America as A Stork's Journey, German: Überflieger — Kleine Vögel, großes Geklapper{{cite web|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/programm/berlinale_programm/datenblatt.php?film_id=201711548#tab=filmStills|title=Richard the Stork - Überflieger – Kleine Vögel, großes Geklapper|work=Berlinale.de|accessdate=February 4, 2017|archive-date=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222112519/https://www.berlinale.de/en/programm/berlinale_programm/datenblatt.php?film_id=201711548#tab=filmStills|url-status=live}} and also known as Little Bird's Big Adventure) is a 2017 animated adventure film. It was directed by {{Interlanguage link|Toby Genkel|de}} and Reza Memari.{{cite web|url=http://www.filmfund.lu/film-catalogue/recent-films-in-theaters-coming-soon/richard-the-stork|title=Richard the Stork|work=Film Fund Luxembourg|accessdate=February 12, 2017|archive-date=September 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909213805/http://www.filmfund.lu/film-catalogue/recent-films-in-theaters-coming-soon/richard-the-stork|url-status=live}} Richard the Stork premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany on February 12, 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/features/richard-the-stork-trailer-takes-flight-for-berlinale/|title='Richard the Stork' Trailer Takes Flight for Berlinale|work=Animation Magazine|last=Milligan|first=Mercedes|date=February 9, 2017|accessdate=February 12, 2017|archive-date=May 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528141839/http://www.animationmagazine.net/features/richard-the-stork-trailer-takes-flight-for-berlinale/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/programm/berlinale_programm/programmsuche.php?page=21&film_nums=409&searchText=§ion_id=0&distributor=&cinema_id=&country_id=0&date_id=&time_id=&genre=&documentary=&order_by=1&screenings=efm_festival|title=Programme - Berlinale|work=Berlinale.de|accessdate=February 4, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.globalscreen.de/content/show/155297|title=Richard The Stork (3D)|work=Global Screen|accessdate=February 4, 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205013549/https://www.globalscreen.de/content/show/155297|archivedate=February 5, 2017}} It was released for a short time on Google Play on June 1, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/global/grindstone-entertainment-takes-richard-the-stork-north-america-1202428865/|title=Grindstone Entertainment Takes 'Richard the Stork' for North America|work=Variety.com|last=Mitchell|first=Robert|date=May 17, 2017|accessdate=June 1, 2017|archive-date=June 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611095701/http://variety.com/2017/film/global/grindstone-entertainment-takes-richard-the-stork-north-america-1202428865/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kidzworld.com/article/30651-a-storks-journey-exclusive-clip-richard-and-olga-meet-kiki|title=A Stork's Journey Exclusive Clip - Richard and Olga Meet Kiki|work=Kidzworld.com|date=May 31, 2017|accessdate=June 1, 2017|archive-date=August 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806040935/https://www.kidzworld.com/article/30651-a-storks-journey-exclusive-clip-richard-and-olga-meet-kiki|url-status=live}} The film was later released in theaters in the United States on June 30, 2017.{{cite web|url=http://abccreativelearning.com/a-storks-journey-movie-on-google-play-and-theaters-astorksjourney/|title=A Stork's Journey Movie - On Google Play and Theaters|work=ABC Creative Learning|date=May 22, 2017|accessdate=June 1, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-grindstone-lionsgate-google-take-a-storks-journey-north-america-1005375|title=Cannes: Grindstone, Lionsgate and Google Take 'A Stork's Journey' for North America|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Roxborough|first=Scott|date=May 19, 2017|accessdate=June 1, 2017|archive-date=May 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525051107/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-grindstone-lionsgate-google-take-a-storks-journey-north-america-1005375|url-status=live}}

A sequel, Richard the Stork and the Mystery of the Great Jewel was released in April 2023.{{cite web | url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/11/indie-sales-launches-richard-the-stork-2-at-afm-with-flock-of-pre-sales/ | title=Indie Sales Launches 'Richard the Stork 2' at AFM with Flock of Pre-Sales | date=3 November 2022 | access-date=3 November 2022 | archive-date=3 November 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103182125/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/11/indie-sales-launches-richard-the-stork-2-at-afm-with-flock-of-pre-sales/ | url-status=live }}

Plot

Richard, a baby Sparrow, is orphaned after his parents are killed by a Weasel. He is adopted by a family of Storks who raise him as one of their own. As the flock's annual winter migration nears, Claudius, his adoptive father and the leader of the flock, informs him that, as a sparrow, he is unable to migrate with them, despite the protests of Richard's adoptive brother, Max, and his adoptive mother, Aurora. When the flock leaves for Africa the following morning, Richard attempts to follow but is knocked unconscious by a storm. He then meets Olga, a quirky, oversized, but good-hearted Pygmy Owl, who often talks to her imaginary friend, Oleg. After saving Richard from a group of Bats, he decides to stay with her.

The duo learn from a group of internet obsessed Pigeons that the stork flock is headed to Gibraltar, and decide to head there themselves. They encounter Kiki, a manipulative, disco-loving Budgie being forced to perform in a karaoke bar. Kiki claims to know where Gibraltar is and how to get there, and Olga and Richard help free him from his cage. They then board a train which Kiki says is headed to Gibraltar (though it is really headed to the city of Sanremo, Italy). During the ride, Olga opens up about her past and explains that, like Richard, she is also a misfit. Due to her large size, Olga was constantly bullied by her siblings, and then abandoned by her own family. She eventually “met” Oleg, who became her very first friend. Richard comforts her, and they fall asleep.

The next morning, Kiki abandons the duo and heads to the Sanremo Music Festival for birds, but is denied the chance to perform and is crushed to see another parakeet performing his song. After learning from a group of Godfather-like Crows that they’re actually in Italy, Richard and Olga discover Kiki's deception, and the pair have a falling out after Olga firmly tells Richard that he isn't a stork, and Richard tells her that Oleg isn't real. Richard then vows to fly across the sea to make it to Gibraltar.

Kiki meets up with Olga, who, although still angry over having been tricked, agrees to help stop Richard from attempting to make the dangerous flight. As Richard is about to dive off a cliff, Kiki and Olga arrive and try to persuade him not to jump but are unsuccessful, and jump down after Richard. They narrowly avoid falling into the sea below when they join wings and glide in the air together. However, they are nearly killed in an encounter with a jumbo jet, and fall into the swimming pool of an ocean liner, where Olga is knocked unconscious. However, Kiki helps save her by performing CPR.

The storks arrive in Africa, but discover that the watering hole has dried up. After an argument with his father, Max wanders off, and ends up falling into the cave of a honey badger. When the trio arrives in Africa, they learn of the situation from a pigeon couple. After entering the cave, they are able to fend off the honey badger long enough to get Max to safety. Richard is able to collapse the cave, which kills the honey badger but seemingly buries him as well. His friends and the storks initially begin mourning, but when Richard reveals that he is still alive, the storks are able to dig him out. Aurora and Max are overjoyed, and Claudius apologizes to Richard for not believing in him, and he is finally accepted into the flock, along with his new friends.

Cast

Cooper Kramer (original dub) and Drake Bell (Lionsgate dub) as Richard, an orphan tween house sparrow main protagonist,
Shannon Conley (original dub) and Jane Lynch (Lionsgate dub) as Olga, a pygmy owl that was disliked by her family because of her large size.
Marc Thompson as Kiki, a budgerigar who lives in a karaoke bar
Erica Schroeder as Aurora, a female white stork, the adoptive mother of Richard.
Jonathan Todd Ross as Claudius, a male white stork, Max's father
Jason Griffith as Max, a young white stork, Claudius's son
Michele Knotz (original dub) and Justine Ezarik (Lionsgate dub) as Social Media Pigeons

Production

Studio Rakete in Hamburg, Germany and Studio 352 in Luxembourg created the storyboard. Studio Rakete was also responsible for the design of the main characters; Studio 352 designed the supporting characters. Most of the character animation was done by Bug AS in Norway. Lighting/shading, FX simulations and compositing of the final pictures was done by Walking the Dog from Belgium and Rise FX in Berlin. The movie was animated and rendered using Houdini with over 500 shots to be finished.{{Cite web|url=https://www.risefx.com/rise-visual-effects-studios-work-project-detail.php?id=22|title=RISE | Visual Effects Studios|access-date=2019-04-27|archive-date=2022-05-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528162527/https://risefx.com/rise-visual-effects-studios-work-project-detail.php?id=22|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.digitalproduction.com/2017/12/01/richard-the-stork-making-of/|title = "Richard the Stork" Making-of|date = December 2017|access-date = 2018-04-28|archive-date = 2021-02-25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210225044912/https://www.digitalproduction.com/2017/12/01/richard-the-stork-making-of/|url-status = live}}