The Book of Life (2014 film)

2014 film by Jorge R. Gutierrez

The Book of Life

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Jorge R. Gutierrez
Screenplay by|

* Jorge R. Gutierrez
* Doug Langdale

Produced by|

* Guillermo del Toro
* Brad Booker
* Aaron D. Berger
* Carina Schulze

Starring|

* Diego Luna
* Zoe Saldana
* Channing Tatum

Edited by| Ahren Shaw[1]
Music by| Gustavo Santaolalla

Production
companies

* 20th Century Fox Animation[2]
* Reel FX Animation Studios[2]
* Chatrone[2]

Distributed by| 20th Century Fox[2]

Release date

* October 17, 2014 (2014-10-17) (United States)

Running time

| 95 minutes[3]
Country| United States[4][5]
Language| English
Budget| $50 million[6]
Box office| $100 million[6]

The Book of Life is a 2014 American animated fantasy adventure comedy film[7][8][9] directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez in his feature directorial debut and written by Gutierrez and Doug Langdale. It was distributed by Reel FX Animation Studios. Guillermo del Toro, Brad Booker, Aaron D. Berger, and Carina Schulze produced the film.[1] It features the voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, and Channing Tatum, with supporting roles from Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, Kate del Castillo, and Christina Applegate. Based on an original idea by Gutierrez,[10] the film tells the story of a bullfighter who embarks on an afterlife adventure to fulfill the expectations of his family and friends on the Day of the Dead.

The Book of Life premiered in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014, and was released theatrically in the United States on October 17, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The film grossed $100 million on a $50 million budget.

## Plot

[edit]

Mary Beth, a museum tour guide, takes a group of school detention students on a secret museum tour, telling them the story of a Mexican town called San Angel from the Book of Life, which holds every story in the world.

On the Day of the Dead, La Muerte, ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, see young boys Manolo Sánchez and Joaquín Mondragon competing for the love of their mutual crush María Posada. The gods strike a wager: if María marries Manolo, Xibalba will no longer interfere in mortal affairs, but if she marries Joaquín, La Muerte and Xibalba will swap realms. However, Xibalba cheats by giving Joaquín his Medal of Everlasting Life, which grants the wearer invincibility and “immeasurable courage”.

María is sent to Spain to become a "lady" after freeing pigs destined for slaughter, feeling bad and sad. Years later, when María returns to San Angel, Joaquín has become a military hero with the Medal's aid, and Manolo's father Carlos has trained him to be a bullfighter in their family tradition, though his real dream is to be a musician. At Manolo's first bullfight, he defeats the bull because he refuses to kill it, angering Carlos and the crowd but impressing María. That night, María is pressured by her father and San Angel's mayor, General Ramiro Posada, to marry Joaquín so he stays in San Angel and therefore protects the town from the Bandit King Chakal, but María is reluctant. She instead professes her mutual love for Manolo before dawn, but they are interrupted when Xibalba sends his dual-headed snake staff, which bites her and sends her into a coma. Devastated by María's apparent death, Manolo allows Xibalba to kill him, believing he will be reunited with María in death.

In the Land of the Remembered, Manolo reunites with his mother and his ancestral family. They travel to La Muerte's castle, discovering Xibalba, now the ruler of the realm, who explains the bet and smugly reveals that María did not die because she was only bitten once and therefore survived. However, Manolo was bitten twice and died. Furious but determined to return to María, Manolo travels to the Cave of Souls to reach La Muerte in the Land of the Forgotten. Inside, he meets the Candle Maker, the overseer of mortal lives and the Book of Life's keeper. The Candle Maker sees that Manolo's story in the Book of Life is blank and can be rewritten by himself, so he takes them to the Land of the Forgotten. They find La Muerte at Xibalba's castle and expose his cheating. Furious, La Muerte lectures Xibalba before offering a new wager at Manolo's request: Manolo's life will be returned if he completes a challenge of Xibalba's choosing, but if he fails, he will be forgotten and Xibalba will keep both realms. Xibalba sets Manolo against a giant bull skeleton made from the skeletons of every bull slain by the Sanchez family, believing that to be his greatest fear.

Meanwhile, María awakens from her coma and is heartbroken after learning of Manolo's death. She reluctantly accepts Joaquín's proposal, but he begins to reconsider after seeing her despair. Their wedding is interrupted by Chakal, who leads his army to San Angel to find the Medal, which was previously his. Carlos sacrifices himself in a fight against Chakal to buy time for San Angel, and he arrives in the Land of the Remembered in time to see Manolo's fight. Manolo, realizing his fear is actually of being himself, refuses to fight and instead sings an apology to the bull, appeasing it and touching the hearts of everyone present (including Xibalba and Carlos). Impressed, the deities resurrect Manolo and send him and his family to San Angel to protect the town. Manolo is knocked unconscious when Chakal destructs himself, but he is protected by the Medal, which Joaquín had slipped him earlier. Joaquín returns it to Xibalba and resolves to be a true hero, while Manolo and María are happily married as Xibalba and La Muerte reconcile.

In the present, Mary Beth finishes the story, and the amazed children leave the museum. Mary Beth and a security guard reveal themselves to be La Muerte and Xibalba in disguise. The Candle Maker appears and encourages the audience to write their own story.

## Voice cast

[edit]

Channing Tatum, Christina Applegate and Ron Perlman at The Book of Life panel at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

* Diego Luna as Manolo Sánchez,[1] a torero with a guitar and two swords, and the youngest in a family of skilled bullfighters.
* Emil-Bastien Bouffard as a young Manolo.
* Joe Matthews as young Manolo's singing voice.
* Zoe Saldana as María Posada, Manolo and Joaquín's best friend and mutual love interest. She is also General Ramiro Posada's daughter.[1]
* Genesis Ochoa as a young María.
* Channing Tatum as Joaquín Mondragon Jr., a young man who is Manolo's closest friend and the town hero of San Angel.[1]
* Elias Garza as a young Joaquín.
* Ice Cube as the Candle Maker, a being who oversees the lives and stories of the living through candles and the Book of Life, which he also oversees[1][11]
* Ron Perlman as Xibalba, the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten and La Muerte's husband.[1]
* Kate del Castillo as La Muerte, the ruler of the Land of the Remembered and Xibalba's wife.[1]
* Christina Applegate as Mary Beth,[12] a museum tour guide, the story's narrator and one of La Muerte's disguises.[1]
* Tonita Castro as La Muerte disguised as an old woman.
* Héctor Elizondo as Carlos Sánchez, Manolo's well-meaning yet extremely harsh father.[13]
* Ana de la Reguera as Carmen Sánchez, Manolo's deceased mother. She was credited as "Skeleton Carmen".[13]
* Danny Trejo as Luis Sánchez, Manolo's deceased grandfather. He was credited as "Skeleton Luis".[13]
* Grey Griffin as Grandma Anita Sanchez, Manolo's short great-grandmother who later dies due to cholesterol problems.
* Carlos Alazraqui as General Ramiro Posada, Maria's father who serves as the mayor of San Angel and the general of its army.
* Alazraqui also voices Dali, a member of San Angel's army.
* Alazraqui also voices Chuy, María's loyal pig pet who thinks that he is a goat.
* Plácido Domingo as Jorge Sánchez, Manolo's deceased granduncle who wears an eyepatch over his left eye and swords on his right arm and left leg and can sing opera songs. He was credited as "Skeleton Jorge".[13]
* Jorge R. Gutierrez as Carmelo Sánchez, Manolo's deceased tall and burly Aztec ancestor who is often called a savage by Jorge. He was credited as "Skeleton Carmelo".
* Gabriel Iglesias as Pepe Rodríguez, the largest of the three musicians.[13]
* Cheech Marin as Pancho Rodríguez, the medium-sized of the three musicians.[13]
* Ricardo Sánchez as Pablo Rodriguez, the shortest of the three musicians.[13]
* Dan Navarro as Chakal, the Bandit King.[1]
* Eugenio Derbez as Chato, a member and second of Chakal's group of bandits.[13]
* Anjelah Johnson as Adelita, one of Manolo's deceased cousins and Scardelita's twin sister. She perished during the Mexican Revolution while protecting Emiliano Zapata.[14]
* Sandra Equihua as Scardelita, one of Manolo's deceased cousins and Adelita's twin sister who wears an eyepatch. She perished during the Mexican Revolution while protecting Emiliano Zapata.[14]
* Miguel Sandoval as the Land of the Remembered Captain, the guide to the Land of the Remembered and the resident that Manolo meets first.
* Angélica María Hartman Ortiz as Sister Ana, a Catholic sister who works in San Angel's church.
* Sandra Echeverría as Claudia, a beautiful woman at San Angel and one of Joaquín's biggest fans.
* Trey Bumpass as Luka Ramirez, a Goth boy and one of the detention students in the present world who listens to Manolo's story from Mary Beth. He was credited as "Goth Kid".
* Bumpass also voices an orphan in San Angel
* Kennedy "KK" Peil as Sasha, a little girl and one of the detention students in the present world who listens to Manolo's story from Mary Beth.
* Ishan Sharma as Sanjay, a boy and one of the detention students in the present world who listens to Manolo's story from Mary Beth.
* Callahan Clark as Jane, a girl and one of the detention students in the present world who listens to Manolo's story from Mary Beth.
* Eric Bauza as Father Domingo, a priest that works in San Angel's church.
* Bauza also voices Cave Guardian, the guardian of the Cave of Souls.
* Aron Warner as Thomas, a museum tour guide.
* Troy Evans as Old Man Hemingway, an old man who lived at San Angel.
* Guillermo del Toro as the Land of the Remembered Captain's Wife, the unnamed wife of the Land of the Remembered Captain who died of a broken heart.
* Brad Booker as a train conductor

## Production

[edit]

Jorge Gutierrez at a panel for the film at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2014

Jorge R. Gutierrez first began developing The Book of Life fourteen years before its release. Several of the film's story ideas originated in Gutierrez's 2000 student film Carmelo.[15][16] The opportunity to have The Book of Life produced as a feature film arrived after Gutierrez and his wife, Sandra Equihua, created the Nickelodeon animated series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.[15]

The Book of Life was originally optioned by DreamWorks Animation in 2007, but never went beyond development because of "creative differences".[10] From there the film went to 20th Century Fox Animation and Reel FX,[17] with 20th Century Fox handling distribution rights. Guillermo del Toro joined as a producer. The film was initially given a release date of October 10, 2014;[18] however, this was eventually moved back by a week.[19] On October 16, 2013, it was announced that Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna and Christina Applegate would star as voice actors in the film.[13]

Gutierrez wanted to make the final animation look like the concept artwork saying: "I saw every single one that comes out and my biggest heartbreak is that I see all this glorious art, and then the movie doesn't look like that! The mandate of this movie was: Our 'Art of' book is going to look exactly like the movie. And every artist poured their heart and soul into that idea."[20] Gutierrez did not permit his animation team to go on any research trips to Mexico, feeling that such trips often only covered very touristy aspects of the culture. Instead he had the team address any questions they had about the region to him. He also stated that research trips would not be necessary to portray the film's "magic version of Mexico".[21] Explaining that the tone of the film as initially conceived was going to be much darker, Gutierrez said, "I always felt, much like the design, I need to push the envelope so that when I pull back, I end up with something I love."[21]

## Release

[edit]

The Book of Life made its world premiere in Los Angeles on October 12, 2014.[22] It was released on October 17, 2014, in North America.[23]

### Home media

[edit]

The Book of Life was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on January 27, 2015, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.[24] The special features included a 3-minute[25] short animated film, titled The Adventures of Chuy.[24] The film currently streams on Disney+ as of February 2021.

## Music

[edit]

Main article: The Book of Life (soundtrack)

In April 2013, it was announced Gustavo Santaolalla and Paul Williams would be adapting pop songs for the film.[26] The soundtrack was released on September 26, 2014,[27][28] while the score was released on October 24, 2014.

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

The Book of Life grossed $50.2 million in North America and $49.8 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $100 million, against a production budget of $50 million.[6]

The Book of Life was released in the United States and Canada on October 17, 2014.[29][30] The film earned $300,000 from Thursday late night showings from 2,150 theatres[31][32] and $4.9 million on its opening day.[33][34] The film debuted at number three in its opening weekend earning $17 million at an average of $5,537 per theatre behind Fury ($23.5 million) and Gone Girl ($17.8 million).[35][36][37][38] The film played 57% female and 54% under the age of 25 years. It played 59% under 10-years old while 31% of tickets sold were in 3D.[39]

In other territories, The Book of Life earned $8.58 million from 3,654 screens in 19 markets. The highest debuts came from Mexico ($3.84 million) and Brazil ($1.98 million).[37] In Mexico, the film was number two behind the local film Perfect Dictatorship.[40]

### Critical reception

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 127 reviews and an average rating of 6.90/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The Book of Life's gorgeous animation is a treat, but it's a pity that its story lacks the same level of craft and detail that its thrilling visuals provide."[41] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[42] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[33]

Geoff Berkshire of Variety wrote, "Repping a major step forward for Dallas-based Reel FX Animation Studios (after their anemic feature bow on last year's Free Birds), the beautifully rendered CG animation brings an unusually warm and heartfelt quality to the high-tech medium and emerges as the film's true calling card."[43] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The Book of Life is a visually stunning effort that makes up for its formulaic storyline with an enchanting atmosphere that sweeps you into its fantastical world, or in this case, three worlds."[44] Simon Abrams of The Village Voice wrote that the film's "hackneyed stock plot preaches tolerance while lamely reinforcing the status quo".[45] Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A−, saying "Overflowing with hyperactive charm and a spectacular sea of colors, it showcases some of the most breathtaking animation we've seen this decade."[46] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "The dizzying, intricate imagery is so beautiful, and the Latin-inspired songs catchy enough that the overall effect is often enchanting."[47] Sara Stewart of The New York Post gave the film two out of four stars, saying "Just in time for Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday comes this gloriously colorful animated musical, which almost (but not quite) makes up in visuals what it lacks in snappy dialogue."[48] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a B−, saying "Ultimately, what drags The Book Of Life down is its insistence on trying to update an (original) folkloric story for a contemporary audience. In practice, this means adding some pop-cultural touches that only serve to take the viewer out of the fantastic setting."[49]

Michael Ordoña of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of five stars, saying "The vibrant animated feature The Book of Life is a cheeky celebration of Mexican folklore with a solid cast, an irreverent sensibility and gorgeous visuals."[50] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post gave the film three out of five stars, saying "The Book of Life may use state-of-the-art animation, but it derives its strength from the wisdom of antiquity. It only looks new, but it's as old as life (and death) itself.[51] Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film four out of five stars, saying "A visually stunning, funny movie that trusts children to deal with subject matter that many films don't: specifically, death."[52] Frank Lovece of Newsday gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Funny without being frantic, seamlessly switching from dry humor to slapstick, it shows death as a part of life -- and, judging from a preview audience of very young tykes, does so in a gentle, delightful way."[53] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times gave the film a negative review, saying "This often beautiful and too-often moribund, if exhaustingly frenetic, feature tends to be less energetic than the dead people waltzing through it."[7] Conversely, Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "The Book of Life juxtaposes overwrought visual imagery with an undernourished, familiar story - regrettable flaws in one of the few animated films to focus on Latino characters and the rich heritage of Mexican folk culture."[54] Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "Visually arresting but dramatically rote, The Book of Life at least introduces American kids to the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos and should score points with families looking for kid-friendly movies that reflect aspects of their Mexican cultural heritage."[55]

Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "The Book of Life is a flawed but intriguing new chapter in animation."[56] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film three out of four stars, saying "The Book of Life moves breezily from one scene to the next, keeping the pace brisk and rarely skipping a beat."[57] Laura Emerick of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Whether en ingles o en espanol, The Book of Life is a delight. In an animated universe cluttered with kung-fu pandas, ice princesses and video-game heroes, Gutierrez and del Toro have conjured up an original vision."[58] Tasha Robinson of The Dissolve gave the film three and a half stars out of five, saying "It's all flawed, and distracted, and conceptually messy, prioritizing color over common sense and energy over consistency. But as an afternoon's diversion for a handful of misbehaving kids—both within the movie, and within the movie theater—it's authentically winning."[59] Michael Ordona of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "There are no great surprises, no shocking reveals (except to the characters themselves). But there's so much to appreciate along the way that it's a real page-turner."[50] Kenji Fujishima of Slant Magazine gave the film two out of four stars, saying "Jorge R. Gutierrez subsumes the film's darker themes in a relentlessly busy farrago of predictable kids'-movie tropes and annoying attempts at hipness."[60] Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader called it "more imaginative than most" but said it is "undone by a surfeit of glib one-liners and pop culture references".[61]

### Accolades

[edit]

List of Awards and Nominations Award  | Category  | Recipients  | Results  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

42nd Annual Annie Awards | Best Animated Feature | The Book of Life | Nominated  | [62]
Animated Effects in an Animated Production  | Augusto Schillaci, Erich Turner, Bill Konersman, Chris Rasch, Joseph Burnette  | Nominated
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production  | Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez  | Won
Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Jorge R. Gutierrez  | Nominated
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production  | Simon Varela & Paul Sullivan  | Nominated
4th Behind the Voice Actors Awards  | Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Feature Film  | Zoe Saldana | Nominated  | [63]
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role  | Ron Perlman | Nominated
Best Female Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role  | Kate del Castillo | Nominated
15th Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Voice Performance  | Zoe Saldana  | Nominated  | [64]
30th Casting Society of America Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Animation Feature  | Christian Kaplan  | Nominated  | [65]
13th Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards  | Best Animated Film  | The Book of Life | Nominated  | [66]
20th Critics' Choice Awards | Best Animated Feature | Nominated
4th Georgia Film Critics Association Awards  | Best Animated Film  | Nominated
72nd Golden Globe Awards | Best Animated Feature Film | Nominated  | [67]
14th Golden Schmoes Awards | Best Animated Movie of the Year  | Nominated  | [68]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards  | Best Original Score - Animated Film  | Gustavo Santaolalla | Nominated  | [69]
Outstanding Music Supervision - Film  | John Houlihan  | Nominated
8th Houston Film Critics Society Awards | Best Animated Film  | The Book of Life | Nominated  | [66]
6th International 3D & Advanced Imaging Society Awards  | 3D Feature - Animated  | Nominated  | [70]
62nd MPSE Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing - Animated Feature  | Nominated  | [71]
46th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance  | Zoe Saldana  | Nominated  | [72]
26th Producers Guild of America Awards | Best Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures  | Guillermo del Toro and Brad Booker | Nominated  | [73]
19th Satellite Awards | Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature | The Book of Life | Nominated  | [74]
11th St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards | Best Animated Film | Nominated  | [66]
13th Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture  | "Magical Land of the Remembered"
Glo Minaya, Amy Chen, Sean McEwan, Jeff Masters  | Nominated  | [75]
13th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Animated Feature | The Book of Life | Nominated  | [66]

## Cancelled sequels

[edit]

Director Jorge Gutierrez revealed in an interview that one of the ideas for the next chapter in the story involves Joaquin and his relationship with his father. "I had always imagined the first movie to be about Manolo, the second to be about Joaquín and the third one to be about Maria...I've always conceived it as a trilogy."[76] In June 2017, Gutierrez and Reel FX Animation announced that development on the sequel had begun; however, as of June 2019, Gutierrez clarified on Twitter that there are currently no plans for a sequel.[77][78]

## See also

[edit]

* Coco, a 2017 animated film also featuring a Mexican-style realm of the dead
* List of films set around Halloween

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Scheck, Franck (October 11, 2014). "'The Book of Life': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
2. ^ a b c d "The Book of Life (2014)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
3. ^ "THE BOOK OF LIFE [2D] (U)". British Board of Film Classification. October 22, 2014. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
4. ^ Hazelton, John (October 11, 2014). "The Book Of Life". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
5. ^ "The Book of Life (2014)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
6. ^ a b c "The Book of Life (2014)". Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
7. ^ a b Dargis, Manohla (October 16, 2014). "'The Book of Life,' Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
8. ^ L. Carpenter, Edwin (November 1, 2014). "The Book of Life - Dove.org". Dove.org. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
9. ^ "The Book of Life (2014) - Disney Movie Club". Disney Movie Club. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
10. ^ a b Amidi, Amid (January 24, 2013). ""El Tigre" Creator Jorge Gutierrez Moves Into Features with "Book of Life"". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
11. ^ Foutch, Haleigh (October 17, 2014). "Ice Cube Talks THE BOOK OF LIFE, Voicing His First Animated Character, the Status of FRIDAY 4, RIDE ALONG 2, and More". Collider.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
12. ^ Applegate, Christina (May 29, 2014). "Learn the many truths of @BookOfLifeMovie from my character Mary Beth. Watch the new trailer here: fox.co/BOLtrailer #BookOfLife". Twitter. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana to Star in Animated 'Book of Life' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 17, 2011. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
14. ^ a b Gutierrez, Jorge [@mexopolis] (February 9, 2015). "@flowersableye They saved Zapata!" (Tweet) - via Twitter. (in response to being asked "the adelita twins. can i ask how they died?")
15. ^ a b Siegemund-Broka, Austin (January 27, 2015). "'Book of Life' Director On The Film's 14-Year Odyssey and Why Oscar Isn't Everything". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
16. ^ "Jorge R. Gutierrez Shares His Secret to Success". Television Academy. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
17. ^ "Guillermo Del Toro Joins With Reel Fx To Produce Epic Animated Adventure Day Of The Dead". Reel FX. February 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
18. ^ "Guillermo del Toro, Fox Animation Team for 'Book of Life'". The Hollywood Reporter. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
19. ^ "Fox Sets New Dates for Book of Life, Gone Girl and Frankenstein". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
20. ^ "First-Look: 'Book of Life' Concept Art for Guillermo del Toro Production". The Hollywood Reporter. February 25, 2014. Archived from the original on May 26, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
21. ^ a b Amidi, Amid (January 7, 2015). "Jorge Gutierrez on 'The Book of Life' and Bringing Mexico to Hollywood". Cartoonbrew. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
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23. ^ "The Book of Life". Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
24. ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (January 23, 2015). "Exclusive: Get to Know Joaquin in 'Book of Life' Blu-ray Clip". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
25. ^ "THE ADVENTURES OF CHUY (Additional Material, The Book Of Life)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
26. ^ Dworetzky, Tom (April 24, 2013). "Paul Williams is a 'Loved One' – overcoming substance abuse to hit the high notes". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014. "Gustavo Santaolalla and I are writing songs for an animated film called 'The Book of Life' for Fox."
27. ^ "The Book of Life by Various Artists". iTunes. September 29, 2014. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
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33. ^ a b Busch, Anita (October 18, 2014). "Box Office Weekend: 'Fury' Wins War; 'Book Of Life' Lives; 'Gone Girl' Struts Over $100M; 'Best Of Me' Soft". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
34. ^ Scott Mendelson (October 18, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Shells $8.8M Friday". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
35. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for October 17-19, 2014 - Box Office Mojo". Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
36. ^ Brent Lang (October 19, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Edges Out 'Book of Life,' 'Gone Girl'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
37. ^ a b Pamela McClintock (October 19, 2014). "Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Conquers Competition With $23.5M Weekend". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
38. ^ Anita Busch (October 19, 2014). "Box Office Weekend: 'Fury' Wins War With $23M+; 'Book Of Life,' $16.6M to $17M; 'Gone Girl' $100M; 'Best Of Me' $10M+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
39. ^ Scott Mendelson (October 19, 2014). "Weekend Box Office: Brad Pitt's 'Fury' Tops With $23.5M, 'Birdman' Nabs $415K". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
40. ^ Nancy Tartagloine (October 19, 2014). "Int'l Box Office Update: 'Guardians' Now 3rd Biggest Marvel Movie Ever; 'Dracula Untold', 'Gone Girl', 'Annabelle' Hold Well; Local Action In France, Mexico; More". Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
41. ^ "The Book of Life". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
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44. ^ "'The Book of Life': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. October 11, 2014. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
45. ^ "Day of the Dead Cartoon The Book of Life Offers Speedy Gonzalez-Level Ethnic Humor". October 13, 2014. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
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48. ^ "'The Book of Life' alive with color, if not wit". New York Post. October 15, 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
49. ^ "Review: Guillermo Del Toro presents The Book Of Life, a dull tale told beautifully · Movie Review · The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. October 16, 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
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78. ^ @mexopolis (July 14, 2019). ""I get asked a lot about Book of Life 2 a lot. Especially with Disney now owning Book of Life with the Fox sale. Here's the latest update: for the time being, I currently have no plans for it. I genuinely love the first one and adore the characters. But I can die happy with no part 2."" (Tweet) - via Twitter.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Book of Life.

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Book of Life (2014 film).

* Official website
* The Book of Life at AllMovie
* The Book of Life at IMDb

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20th Century Studios theatrical animated features

20th Century Animation|

* The Simpsons Movie (2007)
* The Book of Life (2014)

| Upcoming|

* Ice Age 6 (2026)

|

Fox Animation Studios|

* Anastasia (1997)
* Titan A.E. (2000)

Blue Sky Studios|

* Ice Age (2002)
* Robots (2005)
* Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
* Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
* Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
* Rio (2011)
* Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
* Epic (2013)
* Rio 2 (2014)
* The Peanuts Movie (2015)
* Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
* Ferdinand (2017)
* Spies in Disguise (2019)

Live-action/animated hybrid|

* The Pagemaster (1994)
* Monkeybone (2001)
* Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002)
* Garfield: The Movie (2004)
* Fat Albert (2004)
* Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)
* Night at the Museum (2006)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
* Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
* Aliens in the Attic (2009)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)
* Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017)

Co-productions|

* FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
* Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
* Isle of Dogs (2018)
* Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)
* The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)

Distribution only|

* Hugo the Hippo (1976)
* Wizards (1977)
* Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977)
* Fire and Ice (1983)
* Once Upon a Forest (1993)
* Asterix Conquers America (1995)
* The Magic Pudding (2000)
* Digimon: The Movie (2000)
* Waking Life (2001)
* Magos y Gigantes (2003)
* Everyone's Hero (2006)
* Space Chimps (2008)
* The Happy Cricket and the Giant Bugs (2009)
* Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie (2013)
* Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013)
* Worms (2013)
* Walking with Dinosaurs (2013)
* Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' (2015)
* Condorito: The Movie (2017)
* Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2019)

| DreamWorks Animation|

* The Croods (2013)
* Turbo (2013)
* Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
* How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
* Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
* Home (2015)
* Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
* Trolls (2016)
* The Boss Baby (2017)
* Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

|

Franchises|

* Ice Age (since 2002)
* Garfield (2004–2006)
* Night at the Museum (2006–2014)
* The Simpsons (since 2007)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007–2015)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010–2017)
* Rio (since 2011)
* Dragon Ball (2013–2018)
* Bob's Burgers (since 2022)

Related lists|

* 20th Century Studios
* 20th Century Animation
* 20th Century Family
* 20th Television Animation
* Fox Animation Studios
* Blue Sky Studios (films)
* Walt Disney Animation Studios
* Pixar
* Disney Television Animation
* DisneyToon Studios
* Marvel Animation
* Lucasfilm Animation
* Industrial Light & Magic
* Unproduced projects

* v
* t
* e

Jorge R. Gutierrez

Films|

* The Book of Life (2014)
* Guardians of Oz (2015)

Television|

* El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2007–2008)
* Maya and the Three (2021)

Related|

* Sandra Equihua
* Mexopolis

* v
* t
* e

20th Century Animation

A subsidiary of 20th Century Studios.

Feature films|

| Released|

* The Simpsons Movie (2007)
* The Book of Life (2014)
* Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)

| Fox Animation
Studios|

* Anastasia (1997)
* Bartok the Magnificent (1999)
* Titan A.E. (2000)

|

Blue Sky
Studios|

* Ice Age (2002)
* Robots (2005)
* Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
* Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
* Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
* Rio (2011)
* Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
* Epic (2013)
* Rio 2 (2014)
* The Peanuts Movie (2015)
* Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
* Ferdinand (2017)
* Spies in Disguise (2019)

Walt Disney
Pictures[a]|

* Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021)
* The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022)
* Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023)

Upcoming|

Ice Age 6 (2026)

Short films|

* Gone Nutty (2002)
* No Time for Nuts (2006)
* Surviving Sid (2008)
* The Longest Daycare (2012)
* The Predator Holiday Special (2018)
* Playdate with Destiny (2020)
* The Force Awakens from Its Nap (2021)
* The Good, the Bart, and the Loki (2021)
* The Simpsons | Balenciaga (2021)
* Plusaversary (2021)
* Te Deseo Lo Mejor (2021)
* Ice Age: Scrat Tales (2022, TV series)
* When Billie Met Lisa (2022)
* Welcome to the Club (2022)
* The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in "Feliz Navidad" (2022)
* Rogue Not Quite One (2023)
* May the 12th Be with You (2024)
* The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2024)

Television specials|

* Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
* Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)
* Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016)

Associated
productions|

* FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
* Once Upon a Forest (1993)
* The Pagemaster (1994)
* FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue (1998)
* Monkeybone (2001)
* Garfield: The Movie (2004)
* Fat Albert (2004)
* Everyone's Hero (2006)
* Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties (2006)
* Night at the Museum (2006)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
* Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
* Aliens in the Attic (2009)
* Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)
* The Croods (2013)
* Turbo (2013)
* Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
* How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
* Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
* Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
* Home (2015)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
* Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
* Trolls (2016)
* The Boss Baby (2017)
* Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
* Isle of Dogs (2018)
* The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)

Franchises|

* Anastasia (since 1997)
* Ice Age (since 2002)
* Garfield (2004–2006)
* Night at the Museum (since 2006)
* The Simpsons (since 2007)
* Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007–2015)
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid (since 2010)
* Rio (since 2011)
* Dragon Ball (2013–2018)
* Bob's Burgers (since 2022)

People|

* Chris Wedge
* Carlos Saldanha
* Don Bluth
* Steve Martino

Related|

* 20th Television
* 20th Television Animation
* Terrytoons
* Fox Animation Studios
* Blue Sky Studios
* Animation on Fox
* Animation Domination
* Walt Disney Animation Studios
* List of 20th Century Studios theatrical animated feature films
* unproduced projects

1. ^ Originally in-production at 20th Century Studios, but were switched over to Walt Disney Pictures before completion.

Portals:

* United States
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* Music
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