Ferdinand (2017)
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The story
In Spain, a calf named Ferdinand lives at the Casa del Toro, where the owner trains bulls for bullfighting. A pacifist who is mocked by his peers, Ferdinand runs away after his father is picked for the ring. He finds refuge at a flower farm owned by a man named Juan, where he is adopted by Juan's daughter, Nina. Years later, Ferdinand has grown into an enormous but gentle bull. When he is accidentally taken away by animal control after a mishap at a festival, he is returned to the Casa del Toro. There, he must find a way to escape the violent tradition of bullfighting and return to his peaceful home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Spain, a calf named Ferdinand lives at the Casa del Toro, where owner Señor Moreno trains bulls for bullfighting. A pacifist mocked by his peers, Ferdinand flees after his father, Raf, is taken to the ring. He finds sanctuary at a flower farm owned by Juan, where he is adopted by Juan's daughter, Nina. Years later, a now-enormous but gentle Ferdinand is accidentally captured by animal control during a festival and returned to the Casa del Toro. He reunites with former friends and new companions, including Lupe, a goat. When the matador El Primero arrives for his final fight, Ferdinand refuses to participate, leading to a plan to escape. After realizing that bulls are destined for death regardless of selection, Ferdinand warns the others to flee. Valiente, who initially refuses to accept this, is chosen by El Primero. Ferdinand rescues Valiente and his friends, and they flee to Madrid. After a series of escapes and sacrifices, Ferdinand is eventually reunited with Nina. During a final confrontation at Las Ventas, Ferdinand refuses to fight and is eventually spared by El Primero after the crowd demands it. Ferdinand becomes the first bull to survive a bullfight and returns to live peacefully at Nina's farm with his friends.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Carlos Saldanha
- Writers
- Robert L. Baird · screenplay; Tim Federle · screenplay; Brad Copeland · screenplay; Ron Burch · story; David Kidd · story; Don Rhymer · story
- Cast and characters
- John Cena · Ferdinand; Kate McKinnon · Lupe; Bobby Cannavale · Valiente; Peyton Manning · Guapo; Anthony Anderson · Bones; David Tennant · Angus; Gina Rodriguez · Una; Daveed Diggs · Dos
- Genres
- comedy; drama; adventure
- Themes
- pacifism; friendship; non-conformity; animal abuse
- Tone and mood
- heartwarming; humorous; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- animated; adventure; comedy; drama; family; bullfighting; friendship
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson (1936)
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but performed well internationally, grossing $307.5 million worldwide. It was praised for its heart and voice work but criticized for its pacing and narrative choices.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Animated Feature · Academy Awards · 90th · nomination; Best Animated Feature Film · Golden Globe Awards · 75th · nomination; Best Original Song ("Home") · Golden Globe Awards · 75th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the last one John Powell composed for Blue Sky Studios before it shut down.; The character Maquina is frequently compared to Frankenstein in the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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