Flushed Away

Flushed Away is a 2006 animated adventure comedy film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell, and written by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan, and Will Davies. Produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG and Aardman Features, the film stars the voices of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Shane Richie, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis, and Jean Reno. In the film, a fancy rat named Roddy St. James (Jackman) is flushed down the toilet in his Kensington apartment and befriends a scavenger named Rita Malone (Winslet) in order to go home. Flushed Away was the third and final of three DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations co-productions following Chicken Run (2000) and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). Director Fell conceived the concept of rats falling in love in the sewers while working on Chicken Run. In 2001, Fell developed a story and pitched it to DreamWorks. The project was first announced in July 2002, followed by comedy writing duo Clement and La Frenais being contracted to write the script, which had the working title Ratropolis. In 2003, Bowers joined Fell as co-director. It was the first Aardman Animations project animated primarily in 3D CGI animation instead of using their usual claymation, because using water on plasticine models could damage them. The film's premiere was held on 22 October 2006 during the Tokyo International Film Festival, followed by a wide release in the United States by Paramount Pictures on 3 November 2006, and in the United Kingdom on 1 December. It received positive reviews from critics, but was a box-office disappointment, grossing $178 million against a $149 million production budget, resulting in an estimated loss of $109 million for the studios. The failure led to Aardman ending its collaboration deal with DreamWorks. The film received nominations...