48 Fun Facts About Kids Movies

Who voices Donkey in Shrek?

Eddie Murphy gave Donkey his voice, while his look came from Perry, a real donkey in a Palo Alto park whom animators studied for a $75 fee.

In Home Alone, where is the McCallister family flying for Christmas when they leave Kevin behind?

Paris was the family's destination, and John Candy, who helps Kate get home, filmed his cameo in one 23-hour day for just $414 as a favour.

Which actor made Willy Wonka's first entrance a limp that ends in a somersault?

Gene Wilder took the part only if Wonka could limp out on a cane and then somersault, so that no one would know whether he was lying.

Paddington the bear travels to London from the jungles of which country?

Peru was a late swap: Michael Bond first had Paddington arrive from darkest Africa, until his agent pointed out that no bears live there.

What is the name of Dorothy's dog in The Wizard of Oz?

Toto was sidelined for two weeks after being accidentally stepped on during filming.

In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, what candy does Elliott use to lure the alien into his house?

Reese's Pieces replaced the M&M's in the script after Mars declined to take part, and sales of the candy soared once the film came out.

Which actor plays Doctor Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies?

Jim Carrey plays Robotnik, and the studio redesigned Sonic himself after fans criticized his realistic look in the first trailer.

Who voices Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)?

He also sings Bowser's love ballad 'Peaches', which charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Who is the ordinary construction-worker hero of The Lego Movie?

Emmet Brickowski falls into a pit on a building site, finds the Piece of Resistance and is mistaken for 'the Special', the greatest Master Builder.

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, what is the three-headed dog guarding the trapdoor called?

Fluffy belongs to Hagrid, who loaned him to Dumbledore to guard the Philosopher's Stone hidden below the trapdoor.

In How to Train Your Dragon, what does Hiccup name the Night Fury he befriends?

Toothless is the Night Fury Hiccup himself shoots down, but instead of killing the trapped dragon he frees him, and they become friends.

In Monsters, Inc., what does the city of Monstropolis collect from human children to use as power?

Their screams power Monstropolis, so as children grow harder to scare, the city faces a scream shortage and predicted rolling blackouts.

What is the name of the kingdom that Elsa accidentally freezes in Frozen?

Arendelle was modeled on Norway, and Disney artists made a research trip there to study its fjords and wooden stave churches.

In Elf, where does Buddy travel from the North Pole to find his real father?

New York City is where Buddy finds his father, and where Santa's sleigh, which runs on Christmas spirit, fails because too few people believe.

In Ice Age, what is the sabre-toothed squirrel Scrat forever chasing?

An acorn is what Scrat tries to bury in the opening scene, and forcing it into the ice cracks the glacier and sends ice crashing down.

Lord Farquaad, the tiny tyrant of Shrek, rules over which land?

Duloc's ruler Farquaad banishes fairy-tale creatures to beautify his kingdom, and they end up crowding Shrek's swamp, which sets the plot going.

In Home Alone, Kevin watches a gangster film called Angels with Filthy what?

Souls completes the title, and later Kevin plays the tape's gunfire to frighten off the burglars casing his house.

In Paddington 2, what does Paddington work so hard to buy for Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday?

A pop-up book of London is the gift, but a vain actor steals it to follow the secrets it hides, and Paddington is framed for the theft.

In Minions (2015), which supervillain hires the Minions and plans to steal the Crown Jewels?

Scarlet Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock, wants the Crown Jewels so that she can become Queen of England herself.

In the first Sonic movie, Sonic hides out near the small town of Green Hills in which US state?

Montana is where Sonic hides, and when Robotnik hunts him down, the town's sheriff, James Marsden's Tom, goes on the run with him.

In The Lego Movie, what everyday object is Lord Business's superweapon really?

A tube of Krazy Glue is the Kragle, which Lord Business plans to use to glue the whole Lego world permanently in place.

In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which comedian voices Spider-Ham?

John Mulaney voices Spider-Ham, whose origin flips Spider-Man's: he was a spider who got bitten by a radioactive pig.

In My Neighbor Totoro, what giant grinning creature carries Satsuki to find her lost sister Mei?

Totoro himself is the mascot of Studio Ghibli and appears in its logo.

In Kung Fu Panda, Po's adoptive father Mr. Ping runs a noodle shop and is what kind of animal?

The running joke that Po never questions how a panda came from a goose finally pays off in the sequels.

In Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, what is the optimistic companion who joins Puss called?

Perrito, voiced by Harvey Guillén, is hiding among Mama Luna's cats in disguise when Puss meets him, and later calms Puss through a panic attack.

Which 1995 film was the first ever feature made entirely with computer animation?

Toy Story almost fell apart in 1993, when Disney halted production over story reels showing a sarcastic, unlikable Woody, forcing a rewrite.

In Up, Carl ties thousands of balloons to his house to fly it to which place in South America?

Paradise Falls is where Carl meets his childhood idol, explorer Charles Muntz, who has spent decades hunting a live bird to prove he was no fake.

In Jumanji (1995), who plays Alan Parrish after he escapes the board game?

Robin Williams plays the grown Alan, who is freed only when two children, Judy and Peter, find the game and start playing it.

Which professional wrestler played the gentle strongman Fezzik in The Princess Bride?

André the Giant was in so much pain after back surgery that when Fezzik carries Buttercup, Robin Wright was really hanging from cables.

Willy, the orca in Free Willy, was played by a real killer whale with what name?

Keiko's fame from the film led to a decade-long effort to return him to the wild, but he died of pneumonia in 2003 in a Norwegian fjord.

Which comedian was originally cast as Shrek and recorded most of the dialogue before his 1997 death?

Chris Farley's successor, Mike Myers, insisted the script be rewritten and ended up giving the ogre a Scottish accent.

In Home Alone, what live creature did Daniel Stern really let crawl across his face as Marv?

A tarantula really walked on Stern's face, whereas a sheet of glass had kept the spider off Sean Connery in a similar scene in Dr. No.

In Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, what does Willy Wonka's father do for a living?

A dentist who hated sugar, Wilbur Wonka forbade young Willy any sweets, the unhappy childhood behind the candy maker.

The Kansas farm scenes of The Wizard of Oz were shot in black and white and coloured how?

Sepia tone gave Kansas its look, and to make the jump to Technicolor Oz pop, Dorothy's silver shoes from the book became ruby slippers.

In WALL-E, what precious find does the little robot keep safe inside an old shoe?

A seedling is proof that Earth can support life again, exactly what EVE was sent to look for, and it ends up aboard the spaceship Axiom.

Which children's author wrote the picture books that became both Jumanji and The Polar Express?

Chris Van Allsburg built Jumanji on a jolt he loves: jungle animals running loose through an ordinary family home, like a python on the mantel.

In Space Jam, what are the small aliens called before they become the Monstars?

Nerdlucks is their name until they steal the talent of NBA stars such as Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, who are left unable to catch a ball.

In Ice Age, which sabre-toothed tiger joins Manny and Sid while hiding a plan to lead them into an ambush?

Diego is secretly working for Soto's pack, but after Manny saves him from certain death, the would-be predator becomes their friend.

Spirited Away was the first hand-drawn, non-English-language film to win which Academy Award?

Best Animated Feature went to Spirited Away, which Disney released in North America with an English dub overseen by Pixar's John Lasseter.

In Minions, the Minions go into hiding in a cave after accidentally firing a cannon at which leader?

Napoleon is the master they fire a cannon at, and years in exile without a boss leave the Minions so gloomy that Kevin, Stuart and Bob set off to find a new one.

In Coco, spirit animals Dante and Pepita are what kind of Mexican folk-art creature?

Alebrijes guide the dead in Coco, and Dante is a Xolo, a breed of dog long believed to guide the dead on their journey to the underworld.

In Minions, the convention 'Villain-Con' is held in which US city?

Orlando hosts Villain-Con, and the Minions hitch a ride there with a friendly family who turn out to be bank robbers.

Which real Northumberland landmark stood in for the Hogwarts grounds in the first Harry Potter film?

Alnwick Castle drew new public interest after playing Hogwarts, and today visitors can stand where Harry first learned to fly a broomstick.

In Spirited Away, what do Chihiro's parents turn into after helping themselves to food in an empty town?

Pigs is what they become, and to save them Chihiro takes a job at the spirits' bathhouse, where the witch Yubaba steals her name.

In Jumanji (1995), which character is played by the same actor as the big-game hunter Van Pelt?

Alan's father, Sam Parrish, is Jonathan Hyde's other role, and once Alan wins the game and returns to 1969, the two finally make peace.

In Monsters, Inc., what nickname does Sulley give the little girl who wanders into Monstropolis?

Boo is what Sulley calls her, even though monsters are taught that a human child is toxic, and she turns out to be harmless.

Which Wizard of Oz actor was originally cast as the Tin Man before swapping to play the Scarecrow?

Ray Bolger talked MGM into swapping roles with Buddy Ebsen, whose aluminium-dust Tin Man make-up made him so ill that Jack Haley took over.

Which Oscar-winning Australian actor narrates the 2015 film Minions?

Geoffrey Rush narrates as the Minions crawl out of the primordial soup and go on to serve history's worst villains, who keep dying in clumsy accidents.