In advance of the Thanksgiving weekend theatrical release of the new DreamWorks Animation comedy The Croods: A New Age (out Wednesday, November 25), Universal Pictures has partnered with the nonprofit organization Feeding America® for a groundbreaking three-tiered campaign to help provide one million meals** for families in need this holiday season.
The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters, from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family
The Croods need a new place to live. So, the first prehistoric family sets off into the world in search of a safer place to call home. When they discover an idyllic walled-in paradise that meets all their needs, they think their problems are solved … except for one thing. Another family already lives there: the Bettermans.
The Bettermans (emphasis on the “better”)—with their elaborate tree house, amazing inventions and irrigated acres of fresh produce—are a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. When they take the Croods in as the world’s first houseguests, it isn’t long before tensions escalate between the cave family and the modern family.
Just when all seems lost, a new threat will propel both families on an epic adventure outside the safety of the wall, one that will force them to embrace their differences, draw strength from each other and forge a future together.
The film is directed by Joel Crawford, who has worked on multiple DreamWorks Animation films, including Trolls and the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and is produced by Mark Swift (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted). Watch the trailer below:
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Feeding One Million Families
Before the Thanksgiving weekend, Universal will launch the #CroodsCare Social Initiative on Twitter. The Croods are all about being good neighbors, so fans can send a tweet using #CroodsCare, tagging their neighbors or loved ones. For every tweet, Universal will make a donation to Feeding America.
Every tweet using #CroodsCare between November 23 and December 31, 2020, will go towards providing up to 500,000 meals for families in need.
Second, Universal will launch a new The More You Know public-service announcement featuring the Croods and encouraging fans to donate directly to Feeding America.
Fans can donate directly to Feeding America on the “Croods Care” landing page on the Feeding America website. For every donation fans make, Universal will make a matching donation up to $40,000 as part of the studio’s larger donation of $100,000 to the organization.
Third, Universal will launch a “Virtual Fruit Drive” on Nintendo’s blockbuster online video game platform, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Fans playing the game can donate a virtual piece of fruit to “Croods Cove” island, which allows players to explore the universe of The Croods: A New Age. (To access the island, players can use Dream Code: DA-1282-8266-2121.) Every virtual piece of fruit donated to the island between Nov. 23 and Dec 31 will translate into real meals that Universal will donate to a family, up to 100,000 meals.
“We’re delighted to join forces with Universal Pictures and The Croods: A New Age to help alleviate hunger for so many families who are in need across our country this winter,” said Lauren Biedron, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding America.
She adds, “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread unemployment, we estimate that more than 50 million people in America may not have enough to eat this holiday season. We’re grateful to Universal, DreamWorks Animation, and the tens of millions of Croods fans out there for helping us help our neighbors in need.”
For Universal and DreamWorks Animation, the partnership between The Croods: A New Age and Feeding America felt like a perfect fit. “The Croods: A New Age is a film that celebrates the strength, power and importance of family, and it reminds us that the word ‘family’ extends far beyond the people we are related to,” said Margie Cohn, President, DreamWorks Animation.
“We are all part of a national family, a human family, and we need to look out for each other. We are happy to be able to join forces with Feeding America to help provide some security and comfort for the most vulnerable members of our American family this holiday season.” **A $1 donation helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.
The Croods: A New Age features the voice talent of returning stars Nicolas Cage as Grug Crood, Catherine Keener as Ugga Crood, Emma Stone as their daughter, Eep; Ryan Reynolds as Eep’s boyfriend, Guy; Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Thunk and Cloris Leachman as Gran. They’re joined by new stars Peter Dinklage (HBO’s Game of Thrones) as Phil Betterman, Leslie Mann (Blockers) as Hope Betterman, and Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: Episode VIII-The Last Jedi) as their daughter, Dawn.
SOURCE: Universal
