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What if the giant yetis of legend are real and the stories we tell about them are like the tall tales they tell about us…but with a twist.
"For a storyteller, premise is everything," states director Karey Kirkpatrick, who also shares screenplay credit with Clare Sera on Smallfoot , an animated adventure for all ages that turns a myth upside down when a bright young yeti finds something he thought didn't exist—a human.
News of this "smallfoot" throws the simple yeti community into an uproar over what else might be out there in the big world beyond their snowy village, in an all new story about friendship, courage and the joy of discovery.
Directed by Kirkpatrick, Annie Award-winning director of Over the Hedge and Annie nominee for the screenplays for Chicken Run and James and the Giant Peach, the screenplay was written by Kirkpatrick and Clare Sera, screen story by John Requa & Glenn Ficarra and Kirkpatrick, based on the book Yeti Tracks, by Sergio Pablos.
What if something you think doesn't exist, thinks you don't exist?
What if the giant yetis of legend are real and the stories we tell about them—with their thick wild hair, booming roars and enormous feet—are like the tall tales they tell about us…but with a twist. To them, we're strangely hairless little beasts with screechy voices and freakishly small feet. And entirely imaginary. That is, until one yeti sees a human with his own eyes and becomes a believer.
That's the big idea behind "Smallfoot," a joyful, laugh-out-loud, family-sized adventure set in a dazzling snowbound world above the clouds, that starts when a man named Percy comes face to face—or face-to-knee—with a yeti named Migo. This astonishing encounter sends them both on an unexpected journey of discovery that will open their hearts, challenge old ways of thinking and show them there's more to life than they ever thought possible.
Shocked at first, even frightened, Migo and Percy are soon delighted to have found each other. For Migo, capturing a "smallfoot" will be the greatest and most important thing he's ever done, and he can hardly wait to tell everyone in his village about it. If only he can get his tiny prize home in one piece. For Percy, a down-on-his-luck animal TV show host, evidence of an actual yeti could put him one viral video away from the fame and glory he craves, and he's determined to capitalize on this good fortune. Even if it's the last thing he ever does.
Once a pretty good guy, Percy has lately been making some questionable choices. Maybe what he really needs is a walk on the yeti side to reset his priorities. As for Migo, a yeti who now believes in the smallfoot despite everything he's been told, it's time for him to start thinking for himself.
But first, these two accidental trailblazers must navigate the rough terrain of the Himalayas and their own fears. Finding ways to communicate despite a colossal, and hilarious, language barrier, they need to truly understand the gifts of friendship and loyalty, and the importance of being true to yourself.
"Smallfoot" follows Migo and Percy through a realm rich with imagination, heart, humor and high spirits.
Unique characters are brought to life through leading-edge animation that finds warmth in the coldest climates, and a diverse cast from the ranks of film, television, sports and music: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, Yara Shahidi, Ely Henry, and Jimmy Tatro.
The action, meanwhile, is packed with flights of hilarity inspired by the iconic Looney Tunes shorts. From gravity-busting boulders to freefalls from impossible heights, Kirkpatrick and his colleagues paid homage to these timeless comic tropes throughout the film.
To that point, younger moviegoers will be quick to embrace one of the story's central themes that celebrates what they're already hard-wired to do: be curious and ask questions. But "Smallfoot" takes it to a new level, as exemplified in the character Meechee: a real searcher and one of the very few yetis who harbors the secret hope that smallfoot might really exist.
Stonekeeper's aversion to change makes things especially hard for Migo, Meechee and Percy. His counsel will test Migo's courage and commitment in ways he never imagined. The question is, will he ultimately stand in the way of what this young yeti needs to do? Because "Smallfoot," at its core, is an adventure.
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