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Dora and the Lost City of Gold

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Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames Bobin
Screenplay by
Story by
Based onDora the Explorer
by Chris Gifford
Valerie Walsh Valdes
Eric Weiner
Produced byKristin Burr
Starring
CinematographyJavier Aguirresarobe
Edited byMark Everson
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$49 million[1]
Box office$120.6 million[1]

Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a 2019 American adventure comedy film directed by James Bobin and written by Nicholas Stoller and Matthew Robinson, from a story conceived by Stoller and Tom Wheeler. Based on the Nick Jr. animated television series Dora the Explorer, the film was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on August 9, 2019, the same day the final then-unaired episode of Dora the Explorer aired there.

Produced by Paramount Players and Nickelodeon Movies in association with Walden Media, MRC and Burr! Productions, it is a loose live-action adaptation of the aforementioned series and the first such film in the eponymous media franchise as a whole created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner. It stars Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña and Eva Longoria, with Danny Trejo as the voice of Boots. The titular Lost City of Gold is based on the legendary Inca city, Paititi.

A live-action Dora film was announced in 2017,[2] and Moner was cast in the title role in May 2018. Most of the other lead cast members were hired throughout the rest of the year, and filming took place from August to December 2018 in Australia and Peru. John Debney and Germaine Franco were hired to compose the film's score. This film is set after the events of the animated original television series and was also the first film based on a Nick Jr. Channel series.

As a lead–up to the movie, five out of the six unaired episodes of the original series aired on Nick Jr. from July 7 to August 4, 2019. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Moner's performance and the self-aware humor and grossed $120 million worldwide against a budget of $49 million.

Plot

[edit]

In the Peruvian jungle, 6-year-old Dora Márquez, daughter of jungle explorers Cole and Elena, goes on adventures with her monkey friend Boots, her 7-year-old cousin Diego, and imaginary friends Backpack and Map while thwarting Swiper the thieving fox. One day, Diego and his family leave for Los Angeles while Dora and her parents remain searching for the hidden Inca city of gold, Parapata.

Ten years later, Cole and Elena decipher the location of Parapata. They send a now 16-year-old Dora to stay with Diego's family in Los Angeles while they travel to the lost city after she unintentionally prove's she's not ready to face danger while exploring. At Diego's high school, Dora meets fellow students Sammy and Randy. Sammy sees Dora as a rival due to her intelligence, while Randy develops a crush on her. Dora's eccentric behavior culminates in mocking and name-calling by some of her new classmates when she publicly dances to a conga song at the school dance. Embarrassed, Diego tells Dora that she is no longer in the jungle, which leads to a fallout between them.

On a class field trip to a museum, Dora, Diego, Sammy, and Randy are lured to its off-exhibit archives, where mercenaries led by a man named Powell capture them and fly them to Peru. When they land, a man named Alejandro, who claims to be a friend of Dora's parents, helps them escape. The mercenaries, aided by Swiper, steal Dora's map. Alejandro reports that Dora's parents have gone missing and the mercenaries are searching for them in hopes of getting into Parapata to steal its treasures. Dora resolves to find her parents first with Alejandro's help, and the other teens agree.

The group travels through attacks from soldiers who guard Parapata known as the Lost Guardians, quicksand, hallucination-inducing spores that turn them into animated characters in the style of the original cartoon, and an Inca puquio. During the journey, Sammy warms up to Dora, who reconciles with Diego and notices her cousin has a crush on Sammy. Dora and her friends reunite with her parents outside the borders of Parapata. However Alejandro, revealed to be the true leader of the mercenaries, turns on them, telling them he will free them once he claims the gold. Boots helps the teens escape and restores Dora's confidence by communicating with her through imagination. Realizing that the mercenaries plan to kill Cole and Elena once they have served their purpose, she resolves to find the way inside Parapata so they can use its treasure to bargain for Elena and Cole's release.

Inside the hidden city, Dora and the others solve its temple's puzzles and dodge its traps, bringing them to the central shrine. Alejandro, having secretly followed them, arrives as the group reaches its final test. He thinks that the gold is the right answer against Dora's warnings and falls into a trap. The Lost Guardians, having apprehended Dora's parents and the mercenaries, confront the teens. Dora speaks to their queen in Quechua, assuring that the group only came to learn about the ancient civilization. Dora figures out that the answer to the test is water, and the Incas allow her and everyone to have a single glimpse of their greatest treasure until Swiper appears and steals the smaller idol, thus angering the gods. As Alejandro and the mercenaries are taken away, Dora regains the idol and puts it back into place. After the group leaves, Diego and Sammy become a couple. Dora's parents and the teens arrive at her jungle home. Cole and Elena discuss going on another expedition as a family, but Dora decides to return to school in Los Angeles, where she and her friends perform a high school dance to celebrate their victory.

Cast

[edit]
  • Isabela Moner as Dora Márquez, a 16-year-old jungle explorer and the main protagonist from Dora the Explorer. She is Cole and Elena's daughter and Diego's cousin. Moner also voices Dora in the animated scene.
    • Madelyn Miranda as young Dora
  • Eugenio Derbez as Alejandro Gutierrez, a treasure hunter who introduces himself as a professor at the National University of San Marcos. However, he ends up being the boss of the mercenaries. Some of his known treasure heists include the Crown Jewels of the Ivory Coast and the Comtesse de Vendome. Derbez also voices Alejandro in the animated scene.
  • Michael Peña as Cole Márquez, a jungle explorer, Dora's father, and Diego's uncle.
  • Eva Longoria as Elena Márquez, a jungle explorer, Dora's mother, and Diego's aunt.
  • Jeff Wahlberg as Diego, Dora's cousin and the main protagonist of Go, Diego, Go! who becomes Sammy's boyfriend. Wahlberg also voices Diego in the animated scene.
    • Malachi Barton as young Diego
  • Madeleine Madden as Sammy Moore, a teenage girl who is friends with Dora, Diego and Randy and becomes Diego's girlfriend. Madden also voices Sammy in the animated scene.
  • Nicholas Coombe as Randy Warren, a teenage boy who is friends with Dora, Diego and Sammy and has a crush on Dora. Coombe also voices Randy in the animated scene.
  • Temuera Morrison as Powell, a mercenary who serves as Alejandro's second-in-command.
  • Christopher Kirby as Viper, a mercenary who had a history of being "yo-yo'd".
  • Natasa Ristic as Christina X, a female mercenary.
  • Christopher Rawlins as a mercenary.
  • Adriana Barraza as Abuelita Valerie, Dora and Diego's grandmother.
  • Pia Miller as Sabrina, Dora's aunt and Diego's mother.
  • Joey Vieira as Nico, Dora's uncle and Diego's father.
  • Q'orianka Kilcher as Princess Kawillaka, the ruler of Parapata.
    • Isela Vega as the Old Woman, Princess Kawillaka's old form.

Voice cast

[edit]
  • Danny Trejo as Boots, Dora's monkey best friend and partner.
  • Benicio del Toro as Swiper, a sneaky red fox who conspires to steal useful things from Dora and has allied with the mercenaries.
  • Marc Weiner as Map, an imaginary, anthropomorphic version of Dora's map who shows Dora where she needs to go. Weiner reprises his role from the original series.
  • Sasha Toro as Backpack, an imaginary, anthropomorphic version of Dora's backpack who carries any item that Dora may need. Toro reprises her role from Seasons 1–4 of the original series.

Production

[edit]

On October 24, 2017, a deal was struck for a live-action version of the television series to be made, with James Bobin directing. Nicholas Stoller and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel were hired to pen a script. Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes was announced as producer, though Bay and the company were ultimately not involved.[3]

The film depicts a teenage version of Dora.[4] It was issued an initial release date of August 2, 2019.[5] In May 2018, Isabela Moner was cast to play Dora.[6] Eugenio Derbez began negotiations to join in June,[7] and was confirmed to appear in July. Micke Moreno was originally cast to play Diego, but withdrew and was replaced by Jeff Wahlberg.[8][9] Eva Longoria and Michael Peña were cast as Dora's parents that August.[10][11] Madeleine Madden also joined the cast of the film.[12] In October, Q'orianka Kilcher was added to the cast,[13] and in November, Pia Miller was set to play Dora's aunt Sabrina.[14] In December 2018, Benicio del Toro joined as the voice of Swiper,[15] and in March 2019, Danny Trejo announced that he had been cast as the voice of Boots the Monkey.[16]

In an interview with Forbes, Moner stated that she learned Quechua language for the character. She said that the film would "take audiences to Machu Picchu" to "explore the Incan culture," and commented that "Dora is very cultured and she knows everything about everything," and that she "doesn't have a defined ethnicity."[17] Filming began on August 6, 2018, on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia,[18][19] and concluded on December 7, 2018.[15] On May 3, 2019, it was revealed that Marc Weiner would be reprising his role as the voice of Map from the animated series.[20]

Visual effects were provided by Mill Film, Moving Picture Company and Cheap Shot VFX, under the supervision of Lindy De Quattro, Andy Brown, and Richard Little. Visualization services were provided by Proof Inc., with 2D animation provided by Blink Industries.[citation needed]

Release

[edit]

The film was released on August 9, 2019, the same day that the 2000 animated television series ended.[21] It was previously slated for August 2, 2019.[18]

Home media

[edit]

Dora and the Lost City of Gold was released on Digital HD on November 5, 2019, and later on DVD and Blu-ray on November 19, 2019.[22] The film is also available on Amazon Prime[23] and Paramount+.

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

Dora and the Lost City of Gold grossed $60.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $60.1 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $120.6 million against a production budget of $49 million.[1]

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside The Kitchen, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Brian Banks, and was projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,500 theaters in its opening weekend.[24][25] The film made $6.7 million on its first day, including $1.25 million from Thursday night previews. It went into debut to $17 million, finishing fourth at the box office; 46% of its audience was Latino, while 32% were Caucasian, 11% African-American and 10% Asian.[26] It dropped 51% in its second weekend to $8.5 million, finishing sixth.[27] It then made $5.3 million in its third weekend and $4.1 million in its fourth, and $2.7 million in its fifth.[28][29][30]

Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 155 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Led by a winning performance from Isabela Moner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a family-friendly adventure that retains its source material's youthful spirit."[31] Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[32] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported that adult and children filmgoers gave it an average of 4.5 and 3.5 stars out of 5, respectively.[26]

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "Whereas most of the cast (and especially Derbez) play broad, borderline-slapstick versions of their characters, Moner has the wide eyes and ever-chipper attitude we associate with Dora, but adds a level of charisma the animated character couldn't convey."[33]

Future

[edit]

On February 15, 2022, Paramount+ announced development of a live action series, said to be "in the same spirit as the recent live action film for older audiences".[34] In 2024, a new live-action film, Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado, was announced to be in development for release on Paramount+, though it was not clarified on if it was a sequel to Dora and the Lost City of Gold or not.[35] Samantha Lorraine was cast in the role of Dora, replacing Moner, and Alberto Belli is attached to direct.[36]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  2. ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (August 10, 2018). "'Dora the Explorer' First Look at a Grown-Up Dora Reminds You That Yep, This Movie is Happening". /Film. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  3. ^ Kit, Borys (October 23, 2018). "'Dora the Explorer' Movie in the Works With Nick Stoller (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Bay, Michael [@michaelbay] (August 13, 2018). "One more time: Bay or Platinum Dunes has nothing to do with the Dora movie. It is being falsely reported in the press. Bay is set to start directing #6underground this week and Platinum Dunes has started developing #AQuietPlace 2. —webmaster" (Tweet). Retrieved March 24, 2019 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 26, 2018). "'Dora The Explorer' Headed To Theaters Late Summer 2019". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  6. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 2, 2018). "Isabela Moner Lands Title Role In Paramount Players' Live-Action 'Dora The Explorer'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (June 6, 2018). "Eugenio Derbez Circles Paramount's 'Dora the Explorer' Live-Action Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  8. ^ Sneider, Jeff (July 24, 2018). "Exclusive: 'Dora the Explorer' Movie Casts Micke Moreno as Diego". Collider.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  9. ^ Sneider, Jeff (November 14, 2018). "Jeffrey Wahlberg Replaces Original Diego in 'Dora the Explorer' Movie". collider.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 20, 2018). "Eva Longoria Joins Paramount's 'Dora The Explorer'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  11. ^ Kit, Borys (August 21, 2018). "Michael Pena Joins Eva Longoria in 'Dora the Explorer' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  12. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 1, 2018). "'Dora The Explorer' Movie Adds 'Picnic At Hanging Rock' Actress Madeleine Madden". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  13. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 16, 2018). "'The Alienist's Q'orianka Kilcher Cast In Paramount's Live-Action 'Dora the Explorer' Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  14. ^ Back, Grace (November 21, 2018). "Former Home And Away star Pia Miller lands major movie role". New Idea. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Kit, Borys (December 14, 2018). "Benicio del Toro to Play Villain in 'Dora the Explorer' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  16. ^ Trejo, Danny [@officialDannyT] (March 21, 2019). "The rumors are true, I finally can tell you I am a monkey...Boots!!! Don't miss the @DoraMovie trailer this Saturday 3/23, debuting live during the @Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards! #DoraMovie" (Tweet). Retrieved March 24, 2019 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 7, 2019). "Isabela Moner Learned Indigenous Peruvian Language To Play 'Dora The Explorer'". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  18. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 10, 2018). "'Dora The Explorer' First Photo Unveiled; Nicholas Coombe Joins As Production Gets Underway". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  19. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (March 18, 2018). "Paramount's 'Dora The Explorer' Movie Set For Australia Shoot After Tax Break Concession". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  20. ^ "Marc Weiner to Reprise Role of 'The Map' on 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold'". Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 7, 2019). "'Dora And The Lost City Of Gold' Moves Release Date After 'Artemis Fowl' Flees August". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Dora and the Lost City of Gold DVD Release Date November 19, 2019". DVDs Release Dates. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  23. ^ "Paramount Pictures". Paramount.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  24. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (August 6, 2019). "Will 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' Catch the Box Office Crown From 'Hobbs and Shaw'?". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 7, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 7, 2019). "'Hobbs & Shaw' To Swat Away Five Wide Releases Including 'Dora', 'Scary Stories' & More – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  26. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 11, 2019). "'Hobbs' Hauls $25M; 'Scary Stories' Frighten 'Dora'; 'Kitchen' Sinks Melissa McCarthy & Tiffany Haddish To Career B.O. Lows – Sunday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 18, 2019). "How Universal Is Reviving The R-Rated Comedy & Making 'Good Boys' Great At The B.O. With A $21M Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  28. ^ "'Angel Has Fallen' tops box office, ahead of 'Overcomer' - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2019. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  29. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 1, 2019). "'Angel Has Fallen' Still In Flight At Sluggish Labor Day Box Office With $16M+ 4-Day". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  30. ^ "Box Office: 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Tops $300 Million, 'Lion King' Nears $1.6 Billion And 'Hobbs & Shaw' Passes $550 Million Overseas". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  31. ^ "Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  32. ^ "Dora and the Lost City of Gold reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  33. ^ Debruge, Peter (July 28, 2019). "Film Review: 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold '". Variety. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  34. ^ "We're announcing the return of @DoraTheExplorer with a new animated series for preschoolers AND a live-action series in the same spirit as the recent @DoraMovie for older audiences". Twitter. February 15, 2022. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  35. ^ "New Live-Action Dora the Explorer Movie on the Way". TV Shows. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  36. ^ Kit, Borys (May 8, 2024). "New 'Dora the Explorer' Movie to Star 'You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah' Actress Samantha Lorraine (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
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