The film was directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco,[6] both of whom also wrote the screenplay and were credited with conceiving the story alongside John Cleese.

The film stars the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman.

when Grug, patriarch of the Croods, is threatened by the arrival of a genius named Guy, who comes up with revolutionary new inventions as they trek through a dangerous but exotic land in search of a new home.

One night, Eep sneaks out after seeing a light, and encounters a modern human boy named Guy and his pet sloth Belt, who have made a torch.

He uses tar, fire, a whale ribcage and the piranhakeets to create a makeshift airship in which he, Chunky, and other animals escape the final eruption and fly over the chasm to join the others.

John Cleese and Kirk DeMicco had been working together on a feature based on Roald Dahl's story The Twits,[15] a project that never went into production.

In March 2007, Chris Sanders, writer and director of Disney's Lilo & Stitch, joined DreamWorks to direct the film, with intentions to significantly rewrite the script.

[19] In September 2008, it was reported that Sanders took over How to Train Your Dragon putting Crood Awakening on hold,[20] and thus postponing its original schedule for a year to a then planned March 2012.

[28] It was also released in a 2-movie pack alongside its sequel The Croods: A New Age on DVD and Blu-Ray by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in 2021.

The website's critical consensus reads: "While it may not be as (ahem) evolved as the best modern animated fare, The Croods will prove solidly entertaining for families seeking a fast-paced, funny cartoon adventure.

[40] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "A visually dazzling animated adventure with a well chosen voice cast is hampered by lackluster humor and a meandering story.

"[41] Tom Russo of The Boston Globe gave the film two and a half out of four, saying, "Had the movie figured out a way to stay the less clichéd course, it might have helped the DreamWorks oeuvre take steps toward Pixar's emotional resonance.

"[42] Keith Staskiewicz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C+, and wrote in his review, "A handful of adrenalizing sequences of animated anarchy can't save this story from feeling overly primitive.

"[43] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called the film, "Further back on the evolutionary chain than the Flintstones, and also lagging in the comedy stakes, this sweet Stone Age clan nonetheless will captivate the youngsters.

"[44] Leslie Felperin of Variety found that, "The main problem with the film is that the script simply isn't very funny, and its various subplots never quite mesh satisfyingly together.

"[45] Tirdad Derakhshani of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "The movie is well edited and lean, a fast paced, action filled bit of froth that manages to be diverting and surprisingly fun.

"[47] Laremy Legel of Film.com gave the film a B, saying "How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch are completely indicative of the experience you'll have with The Croods, which is to say a supremely positive one.

"[48] Paul Asay of Plugged In gave the film a positive review, stating "The Croods is, first and foremost, Grug’s story.

The Croods, for all its slapstick violence, is a fun, mostly clean and utterly charming diversion - something made for kids but meant for their parents.

"[49] In August 2021, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison compared the plot of the film to the process of easing COVID-19 restrictions.

[100] On April 17, 2013, DreamWorks Animation had started developing a sequel to the film, with Sanders and DeMicco set to return as directors.

[106] On August 9, 2016, nearing NBCUniversal/Comcast's impending acquisition of DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox removed the film from its release schedule.

[107] On August 23, 2016, it was announced that The Lego Movie and Hotel Transylvania co-writers Kevin and Dan Hageman will rewrite the script.

[109] Following this, DeMicco, the co-director of the first film, left DreamWorks to work as director on Vivo for Sony Pictures Animation.

[116] On October 29, 2019, DreamWorks announced that Kelly Marie Tran had replaced Dennings as Dawn while Mann was still confirmed to be part of the cast.

The voice cast consists of Dan Milano as Grug, Stephanie Lemelin as Eep, Cree Summer as Ugga, A.J.

A second animated series, this time CGI-animated, was announced titled The Croods: Family Tree, which was released simultaneously on Peacock and Hulu on September 23, 2021.