The Tale of Despereaux 2008

The Tale of Despereaux ( 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.