Dynamic duo perseveres in bringing ‘Croods’ to big screen
The new DreamWorks Animation film “The Croods” may be set in a highly fictionalized prehistoric caveman era, but for directors Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders their overriding concern during this movie’s long gestation was to tell a very universal tale.
“First of all, we want the audiences who come see the film to immediately relate to these characters and what they’re going through. This is all about family and the dynamics that go along with that,” said DeMicco, sitting down recently in Chicago with Sanders to talk about the film, opening March 22 in local theaters.
Picking up on that theme, Sanders said, “Who can’t relate to a father like Grug [voiced by Nicolas Cage] who is both highly resistant to change and also highly protective of his teenage daughter [the character Eep, voiced by Emma Stone].
“Of course, in the Stone Age world of Grug, there are a lot of deadly dangers constantly lurking outside his family’s cave — making his constant mantra of ‘fear is good, change is bad’ somewhat more understandable.”
DeMicco and Sanders laughed when it was noted the gestation of “The Croods” must have almost seemed like they, too, had to wait for a mini-millennium to get the final film into theaters.
“Yes, it took a long time — considering the film was originally announced by DreamWorks about eight years ago, back when it was called ‘Crood Awakening,’” said DeMicco, noting the unexpected dissolution of the partnership between DreamWorks and Aardman Animations in 2006 forced the various delays and led to a reworking of the original script. (Originally, DeMicco and John Cleese of “Monty Python” fame teamed up to write that screenplay.)
After a number of twists and turns, DeMicco and Sanders got together in May 2009 — charged with directing the new “The Croods” project. For the two men, there was tremendous freedom in creating an animated movie set in a time that “no one today really knows that much about, with the exception of the relatively small group of scholars, archeologists and the like,” said Sanders.
For that reason the two filmmakers and their team of animators and designers “had a pretty free hand to come up some of the fantastical flora and fauna that we did,” added DeMicco.
The duo also were quick to compliment the highprofile voice talent they were able to attract to “The Croods.”
Cage snagged high praise from both men, along with Cloris Leachman, who voiced the hilariously funny, Gran — Grug’s ferociously feisty mother-in-law, the the bane of his existence.
“Cloris is one of a kind one-of-a-kind,” said Sanders. “She did a great job, but we never really knew what would come out of her mouth whenever she showed up.”