Meet the “First Family”, The Croods!
A few weeks ago DreamWorks and Fox invited a group of parent bloggers to visit the DreamWorks Animation campus to screen the upcoming animated family movie “The Croods“, which hits theaters on March 22nd. While we were there, I not only got an advanced look at the movie, but also met the directors and the creative teams behind the film, “drew” my very own cave painting (which was so hilariously bad I may just share it to prove I’m a terrible artist), and even had a sneak peek at two more DreamWorks films rolling out in the near future.
I’ll be sharing more on the experience soon, but for now I wanted to introduce you to the characters that make up The Croods. The voice cast is an all-star group of famous names you’ll immediately recognize: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Cloris Leachman and more!
Nicolas Cage voices Grug, the original overprotective dad whose motto is, “never not be afraid”.
Nicolas says he empathizes with his on-screen alter ego because “it’s impossible to be a father and avoid thinking about your child’s first crush, or about keeping up with your kids’ new ways of thinking. We, as parents, go too far sometimes, but that’s where Grug is at.”
Emma Stone voices Eep, the first teen rebel.
When we saw the movie, many of us were impressed that Eep didn’t have that typical “Barbie/princess” figure that doesn’t normally exist in the real world. Directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DiMicco explained, “we always wanted Eep to be athletic and make you feel like she actually could do everything she’s doing, which usually those princesses can’t do. It’s a pretty rugged world, so we wanted characters that looked about as resilient and real as we could.”
Ryan Reynolds gives life to the character of Guy, who brings a new way of thinking that is often too scary for The Croods. Guy adapts to new surroundings easily while the Croods aren’t fond of change.
Gran is voiced by Cloris Leachman. Don’t let Gran’s age fool you. She’s feisty and fast and just as important to the family’s survival.
Catherine Keener brings Ugga to life. Ugga is the typical mom, trying to find balance between supporting her husband and giving her children the tools to stay grounded, yet find their wings.
Thunk is the son with lots of brawn and not too much brain, voiced by Clark Duke (The Office).
Sandy, the original toddler, only much more scrappy and self-sufficient than her modern counterparts.
Belt, also known as Guy’s trusty and helpful sidekick.
Chunky. He’s cute but complicated.
Douglas, the prehistoric alligator who fancies himself a family pet.
Photos courtesy of DreamWorks Animation