The Croods: A New Age

Lore & Background

The Croods: A New Age was first announced in April 2013, with directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco returning. Development continued through 2014 and 2015 until its cancellation in November 2016 due to doubts following NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. The project was revived in September 2017, with Joel Crawford replacing Sanders and DeMicco as director, though they retain story credit. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the animating process was done from the crew's homes.

The film follows the Croods, Guy, and their pets Belt, Chunky, and Douglas as they discover an idyllic, walled-in paradise. They must learn to live with the Bettermans, a technologically advanced family. The plot involves Grug's fear of losing his daughter Eep to Guy, the Bettermans' condescension, and a conflict with Punch Monkeys over water and bananas. The families eventually reconcile and live as neighbors.

The voice cast includes Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman reprising their roles, with Leslie Mann, Peter Dinklage, and Kelly Marie Tran joining. The film was theatrically released in the United States on November 25, 2020.

Reader's Guide

The Croods: A New Age represents a notable chapter in DreamWorks Animation's history, having been cancelled and then revived after the studio's acquisition by NBCUniversal. Its production during the COVID-19 pandemic, with most animation done remotely, highlights the industry's adaptation to global challenges. The film grossed $215 million against a $65 million budget and received generally positive reviews, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The sequel expands on the original's themes of family and evolution, introducing the Bettermans as a contrast to the Croods. Its development journey—from announcement in 2013, through cancellation in 2016, to revival in 2017—reflects the shifting corporate landscape of animation studios. The film's success at the box office and its nomination underscore its cultural impact as a family-friendly adventure comedy.

Did You Know?

• The film was cancelled in November 2016 due to doubts after NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation, but revived in September 2017.
• Most of the animating process was done from the crew's homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
• Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco retain story credit, though Joel Crawford directed.

Development & Production Turmoil

The sequel to the 2013 hit was first greenlit in April 2013, with original directors Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco slated to return behind the camera. For roughly two years the project moved forward, but uncertainty crept in after NBCUniversal completed its acquisition of DreamWorks Animation in August 2016. By November of that year the film had been officially shelved, a decision rooted in studio-level doubts about the franchise's future under new corporate ownership. The project lay dormant for almost a year before being resurrected in September 2017. When production truly restarted, Joel Crawford stepped in as director, taking over from Sanders and DeMicco, who nonetheless retained story credit for their earlier work. The final stretch of animation was shaped by an entirely different kind of disruption: the 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced the vast majority of the animation team to complete their work from home, a logistical shift that added its own layer of challenge to bringing the film to the screen.

Plot & Story Arc

The Croods, Guy, and their animal companions stumble upon a massive wall that opens onto a lush, self-sufficient paradise. Its residents, the Bettermans—Phil and Hope, modern humans who once knew Guy's late parents—welcome the family but treat them with condescension. Phil isolates Grug in a sauna-like man cave, nudging him to accept that Guy would be better off with them. Hope tries a similar tactic on Ugga but is shut down. Eep learns that Dawn, the Bettermans' daughter, has never ventured beyond the walls, and a reckless joyride on Chunky with Dawn ends in disaster. Guy's scolding drives a wedge between him and Eep. At dinner, Grug accidentally reveals his private conversations with Phil, and the Croods vote to leave while Guy stays. The Punch Monkeys, furious that their daily banana offering was consumed, kidnap Grug, Phil, and Guy. The remaining families are stranded in a frozen wasteland, where Hope sheds her prejudices and the women bond as The Thunder Sisters. In the climax, Guy and Eep reconcile and use a giant skull chandelier to send the Spiny Mandrilla into a chasm. The Bettermans ultimately invite the Croods to live as neighbors, with the Punch Monkeys settling next door.

Voice Cast & Character Dynamics

Nicolas Cage returns as Grug, the family patriarch, while Emma Stone reprises Eep and Ryan Reynolds brings his energy to Guy. Catherine Keener voices Ugga, Cloris Leachman lends her distinctive presence to Gran, and Clark Duke returns as Thunk. The sequel introduces the Betterman family: Peter Dinklage as Phil, Leslie Mann as Hope, and Kelly Marie Tran as their daughter Dawn, who has never been outside the walls and befriends Eep. Chris Sanders, the original director, steps into the voice of Belt, Guy's pet sloth, while Joel Crawford—the new director—voices Guy's late father. Gabriel Jack provides the voice of a younger Guy, and Kailey Crawford takes over Sandy's vocal effects from Randy Thom. The Punch Monkeys are brought to life by Januel Mercado as the Shaman Monkey and Ryan Naylor as the eerie Creepo Monkey. This layered ensemble ensures that every family dynamic, from Grug's paternal worry to Dawn's first taste of the outside world, is given a distinct vocal identity.

Reception & Legacy

Universal Pictures brought The Croods: A New Age to American theaters on November 25, 2020, a release window shaped by the ongoing pandemic. The film proved commercially strong, grossing $215 million against a production budget of $65 million. Critics offered generally positive reviews, and the picture earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. For DreamWorks Animation, the sequel reaffirmed the Croods franchise's staying power seven years after the 2013 original, demonstrating that the world and characters built in the first film still had narrative room to expand. The story's central conflict—two families at different points on the evolutionary ladder learning to respect and coexist with one another—gave the sequel a thematic anchor that set it apart from a straightforward adventure follow-up. The combination of solid box-office returns, favorable critical reception, and a major award nomination underscored the franchise's continued relevance in the animated film landscape.

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