Earth to Echo
| Earth to Echo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dave Green |
| Produced by |
Ryan Kavanaugh Andrew Panay |
| Screenplay by | Henry Gayden |
| Story by |
Henry Gayden Andrew Panay |
| Starring |
Teo Halm Brian "Astro" Bradley Reese C. Hartwig Ella Wahlestedt |
| Music by | Joseph Trapanese |
| Cinematography | Maxime Alexandre |
| Edited by |
Carsten Kurpanek Crispin Struthers |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Relativity Media |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 89 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13 million[3] |
| Box office | $45.3 million[4] |
Earth to Echo is a 2014 American science fiction adventure drama film directed by Dave Green, and produced by Robbie Brenner and Andrew Panay. The film was originally developed and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, who eventually sold the distribution rights to Relativity Media, which released the completed film in theaters on July 2, 2014.
Plot
The personalities of three neighborhood teens, Alex, Tuck and Munch, clash as they receive cryptic encoded messages on their cell phones which contain maps to a crashed alien. The friendly alien needs specific parts to repair itself and lures the boys to help it by following maps sent to their cell phones. They are all closely tailed by the usual shadowy government agents who plan to trap the alien for dissection. As the boys (and later, a girl named Emma who joins them) befriend the little E.T., they name him "Echo" due to its ability to echo sounds. After being caught and escaping the government agents, the crew takes a newly repaired Echo to the buried bridge of its ship. They say goodbye and escape to the surface as the rest of the ship assembles itself by pulling parts up from the ground and reassembling itself above their neighborhood.
Cast
- Teo Halm as Alex Nichols
- Brian "Astro" Bradley as Tuck Simms
- Reese Hartwig as Reginald "Munch" Barrett
- Ella Wahlestedt as Emma
- Jason Gray-Stanford as Dr. Lawrence Masden
- Alga Smith as Marcus Simms
- Cassius Willis as Calvin Simms
- Sonya Leslie as Theresa Simms
- Kerry O'Malley as Janice Douglas
- Virginia Louise Smith as Betty Barrett
- Peter Mackenzie as James Hastings
- Valerie Wildman as Christine Hastings
- Mary Pat Gleason as Dusty (Mullet Lady at Bar)
- Chris Wylde as Security Guard
- Brooke Dillman as Diner Waitress
- Myk Watford as Blake Douglas
- Tiffany Espensen as Charlie
- Israel Broussard as Cameron
- Sean Carroll as Podcast Voice (voice)
Production
Earth to Echo was commissioned by Sean Bailey, Walt Disney Studios' President of Production, under the working title, Untitled Wolf Adventure, while the studio shifted leadership between Rich Ross and Alan Horn. After Horn's succession as Chairman and viewing a final cut of the film, he decided to put the film into turnaround. After Producer Andrew Panay met with Relativity President Tucker Tooley, Disney eventually sold the film's distribution rights and copyrights to Relativity Media in 2013.[1]
Distribution
Release
The film was initially scheduled for release on January 10, 2014 and April 25, 2014.[5] After being delayed, Earth to Echo premiered on June 14, 2014 at the Los Angeles Film Festival and opened in theaters across the U.S. on July 2, 2014.
Marketing
The first trailer was released on December 12, 2013.[6]
Home media
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 21, 2014.[7]
Box office
Earth to Echo opened on July 2, 2014 in the United States in 3,179 theaters, ranking at #6, and accumulating $8,364,658 over its 3-day opening weekend (an average of $2,590 per venue) and $13,567,557 since its Wednesday launch. As of 27 December 2014, the film had grossed $38.9 million in the U.S. and $6.4 million overseas, for an total of $45.3 million worldwide, against a $13 million budget, making it a moderate box office success.[4]
Critical reception
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes summarized the critical response: "Earth to Echo doesn't do itself any favors by beggaring comparisons to E.T., but for younger viewers, it should prove a reasonably entertaining diversion". 48% of the reviews collected on the website were positive.[2] The website surveyed 116 critics and, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed 56 as positive and 60 as negative. Of the 116 reviews, it determined a rating average of 5.4 out of 10. The website had assigned the film a score of 48%.[2] Another aggregator Metacritic surveyed 31 critics and assessed 14 reviews as positive, 15 as mixed, and 2 as negative. Based on the reviews, it gave the film a score of 53 out of 100, which indicate "mixed or average reviews".[8]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer Movie | Earth To Echo | Won |
| 2014 | Heartland Film Festival | Truly Moving Picture Award | Earth To Echo | Won |
| 2014 | Hugo Awards | Best Dramatic Presentation | "Earth to Echo" | Won |
References
- 1 2 Ford, Rebecca (June 25, 2014). "Why 'Earth to Echo' Moved From Studio to Studio". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Earth to Echo". rottentomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ↑ Lang, Brent (June 25, 2014). "'Earth to Echo': Shrewd Counter-Programming or Sacrificial Lamb?". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
- 1 2 "Earth to Echo (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Relativity To Premiere 'Earth To Echo' At LA Film Festival".
- ↑ Dimako, Peter (December 12, 2013). "EARTH TO ECHO trailer and poster debut!".
- ↑ "News". Blue-ray.com. 2014.
- ↑ "Earth to Echo". metacritic.com. Metacritic. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
External links
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