The Tale of Despereaux

Also known as Tale of Despereaux

2008 computer-animated film directed by Sam Fell

Key facts

Directed by: Sam Fell Rob Stevenhagen
Screenplay by: Gary Ross
Story by: Will McRobb Chris Viscardi
Based on: The Tale of Despereaux , by Kate DiCamillo
Produced by: Gary Ross Allison Thomas
Starring: Matthew Broderick Robbie Coltrane Dustin Hoffman Richard Jenkins Kevin Kline Frank Langella William H. Macy James Nesbitt Tracey Ullman Sigourney Weaver
Cinematography: Brad Blackbourn
Edited by: Mark Solomon
Music by: William Ross
Production companies: Universal Pictures Relativity Media Larger Than Life Productions Framestore Animation
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release dates

~14 min read

Article

The Tale of Despereaux (/ˈdɛspəroʊ/ DESP-ər-oh) is a 2008 animated fantasy adventure comedy film loosely based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Kate DiCamillo. It was directed by Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen, and written by Gary Ross, based on a story by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. It features the voices of Matthew Broderick, Robbie Coltrane, Dustin Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, William H. Macy, James Nesbitt, and Tracey Ullman, with Sigourney Weaver narrating the film.

The Tale of Despereaux premiered at ArcLight Hollywood on December 7, 2008, before being theatrically released in the United States and the United Kingdom on December 19, by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office disappointment, grossing $90 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million.