The One and Only Ivan is a 2020 American biographical fantasy drama film directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay written by Mike White based on the 2012 children's novel of the same name by Katherine Applegate.
Inspired by the true story of Ivan the gorilla, the film stars the voices of Sam Rockwell as Ivan alongside Angelina Jolie (who helped Allison Shearmur and Brigham Taylor to produce the film), Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Brooklynn Prince, Chaka Khan, Ron Funches, Phillipa Soo, and Mike White, with the human characters portrayed by Ramón Rodríguez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Bryan Cranston.
He dismisses it, noting that the animals are currently inside the building and persuades her to film the show, where he and the audience are astonished by Ivan's mural of his jungle home.
[12] On February 23, 2018, Rockwell was cast to voice the titular Ivan, Cranston was set to play a circus owner, and Brigham Taylor joined as a producer.
[15] On May 1, 2018, it was announced that DeVito and Mirren would voice characters in the film, while Indira Varma and Eleanor Matsuura were added in live action roles.
[16] Principal photography began on May 1, 2018, in Lakeland, Florida, with locations for the film including the Southgate Shopping Center and Resurrection Catholic Church.
[22][23] In response to backlash surrounding this, it was re-released digitally on multiple platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and Google Play on September 26, 2023.
The website's critics consensus reads, "An uncertain approach to the story's darker themes undermines its emotional stakes, but The One and Only Ivan offers heartwarming entertainment for younger viewers.
[29] Owen Gleiberman of Variety found the visual effects of the movie very impressive and praised the performances of the voice actors, and stated that the story manages to be emotional and sincere despite not providing surprising twists.
[30] Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times applauded the performances of the voice actors and complimented the visual effects, claimed that the film engages with lessons dealing with the suffering experienced from loss, while saying that the story line remains generic.
[31] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times rated the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating, "The One and Only Ivan has its share of snappy (and sometimes sappy) animal banter that might have the grown-ups rolling their eyes while their little ones lap it up, but this is a sweet and lovely story with seamless blending of CGI and live action, fantastically funny and warm voice work from an all-star cast and a cool epilogue.
"[32] Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media rated the movie 4 out of 5 stars, praised the educational value of the film related to the difficulties encountered by gorillas in their natural habitat, and applauded the presence of positive messages and role models, writing, "The story promotes getting circus animals out of cages and into more natural habitats at zoos and preserves.
"[33] Shikha Desai of The Times of India rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, praised the visual effects and the performances of the voice actors, and found it emotional.
[34] Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the movie a "B" rating, applauded the performances of the voice actors and the visual effects, and found the movie emotional, stating, "While the film was originally bound for a theatrical release (and likely would have looked spectacular on the big screen), it’s a smart fit for Disney’s own streaming service, guaranteed to inspire heady questions (and necessary movie-watching pauses) from its most curious viewers.