Robin Robin

{{Short description|2021 stop-motion animated short film by Aardman}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Robin Robin

| image = Robin Robin.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Poster

| director = Dan Ojari
Mikey Please

| producer = Helen Argo
Danny Gallagher

| writer = Dan Ojari
Mikey Please
Sam Morrison

| starring = Bronte Carmichael
Richard E. Grant
Gillian Anderson
Adeel Akhtar

| music = Ben Please
Beth Porter

| cinematography = Dave Alex Riddett

| editing = Chris Morrell

| studio = Aardman Animations

| distributor = Netflix

| released = {{Film date|2021|11|24|df=y}}

| runtime = 32 minutes

| country = United Kingdom
United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Robin Robin is a 2021 stop-motion animated musical short film produced by Aardman Animations, created and directed by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, and written by Ojari, Please, and Sam Morrison.

Premise

When a robin grows up raised by a family of mice,[https://theburgnews.com/culture/arthouse-advisory-this-years-oscar-nominated-animated-films-are-creative-and-compelling-but-also-are-for-adult-eyes Arthouse Advisory: This year’s Oscar-nominated animated films are creative and compelling, but also are for adult eyes - TheBurg] her differences become more apparent every time they try to sneak into a Who-Man's house. Now, she sets off on a daring heist to steal a shiny star and to prove to her family, and a malicious cat, that she can be a really good mouse.

Cast

Bronte Carmichael as Robin
Richard E. Grant as Magpie
Gillian Anderson as Cat
Adeel Akhtar as Dad Mouse
Amira Macey-Michael as Dink
Tom Pegler as Pip
Endeavour Clutterbuck as Flynn
Megan Harris as Flin

Production

= Development =

In November 2019, Aardman Animations and Netflix announced they would co-produce the half-hour stop-motion animated musical special Robin Robin, directed by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please from a script written by Ojari, Please, and Sam Morrison and Sarah Cox producing the special.{{cite web|first=Dalya|last=Alberge|title=A grand way out: Wallace & Gromit makers ditch BBC for Netflix film|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/22/a-grand-way-out-wallace-gromit-makers-ditch-bbc-for-netflix-film|work=The Guardian|date=November 22, 2019|access-date=13 December 2020|archive-date=10 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210175815/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/22/a-grand-way-out-wallace-gromit-makers-ditch-bbc-for-netflix-film|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Mercedes|last=Milligan|title=Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant Lead 'Robin Robin' Cast|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/gillian-anderson-richard-e-grant-lead-robin-robin-cast/|date=December 3, 2020|work=Animation Magazine|access-date=September 21, 2021|archive-date=15 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215000425/https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/gillian-anderson-richard-e-grant-lead-robin-robin-cast/|url-status=live}}

= Casting =

In December 2020, Bronte Carmichael, Richard E Grant, Gillian Anderson, and Adeel Akhtar were cast in the special.

= Filming =

In November 2019, it was announced that filming would start in 2020 and unlike most Aardman stop-motion projects would use needle felting instead of plasticine.

= Music =

In December 2020, The Bookshop Band was revealed as the composers with directors Dan Ojari and Mikey Please doing the lyrics for the songs. The orchestra was composed by the Bristol Ensemble.

Release

On 22 November 2019, the special was expected to be released in 2020. The special premiered on 27 November 2021 in Asia, and on the 24th in North America. On 17 June 2021, the official trailer was released confirming the release date.{{cite tweet|url=https://twitter.com/NetflixUK/status/1334527815950213120|number=1334527815950213120|user=NetflixUK|title=Things you need to know about Robin Robin: – It's a stop-motion, musical, festive special from @aardman (!) – @GillianA and @RichardEGrant lend their voices (!!)– It arrives on Netflix in 2021|date=December 3, 2020}} The short was part of the world touring screening The Animation Showcase 2021.

Reception

It was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 94th Academy Awards.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/movies/2022-oscars-nominees-list.html |title=2022 Oscars Nominees List |last=Cohn |first=Gabe |date=February 8, 2022 |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-date=8 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208132358/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/movies/2022-oscars-nominees-list.html |url-status=live }}[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2022 2022|Oscars.org][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzz0QoplrFA 'The Windshield Wiper' Wins Best Animated Short Film | 94th Oscars] It was also nominated for Animation at the British Academy Children's Awards 2022{{cite web|url=https://www.bafta.org/cyp2022-Winners|title=BAFTA's Children & Young People Awards 2022 - Winners|website=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|date=27 November 2022|accessdate=22 February 2023}} and at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Best Short-Form (Animated).{{Cite web|last=Lewis|first=Hilary|date=January 18, 2022|title=NAACP Image Awards: 'Harder They Fall', 'Insecure' Lead Nominations|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/naacp-image-awards-2022-nominations-nominees-list-1235076593/|url-status=live|access-date=September 1, 2024|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118180703/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/naacp-image-awards-2022-nominations-nominees-list-1235076593/ |archive-date=January 18, 2022}}

Future

In an interview with Variety, Micky quoted “We are currently working on more stories in the world of ‘Robin, Robin,’” Please tells Variety. “I think that’s all we’re allowed to say. But that would certainly be our hopes and dreams. We feel like there are loads more stories to tell in this world, so we’d love to do more.”

Ojari explains. “We would come in some days and be like: What about this idea? And we had a sort of slate on the wall with 10 different ideas in different stages of development.” Of those, three moved forward: a comicbook, “Deadrock,” yet to be published, a TV series pilot, called “Alan the Infinite,” whose trailer can be seen here, and “Robin Robin.” “It started out just as an idea of a bird raised by some mice — a Christmas thing with a few ingredients — and then we just worked it up, mostly in one evening, into a one pager. It was like a treatment at that point”.{{Cite web |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |date=2024-01-21 |title=Aardman Working on More Stories Set in the World of 'Robin Robin,' Netflix's Oscar Nominated Musical Film (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/global/netflix-aardman-robin-robin-dan-ojari-mikey-please-1235880981/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Merchandise

In March 2021, Aardman Animation made a licensing deal with both MacMillan Children's Books and Aurora World for tie-in books and plush toys, respectively.