Harold and the Purple Crayon 2024
The 2024 film Harold and the Purple Crayon is a live-action/animation hybrid directed by Carlos Saldanha that serves as a sequel to the beloved 1955 children's book. The story follows an adult Harold (Zachary Levi), who has lived his entire life inside his book world where he can bring anything to life with his magical purple crayon. When the "old man" narrator (Alfred Molina) suddenly stops speaking, a concerned Harold draws a door and enters the real world—specifically Providence, Rhode Island—to find his creator. He is followed by his animal companions, Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds), who transform into eccentric humans upon entering the physical realm. After a series of mishaps, including accidentally being hit by a car, they are befriended by a struggling single mother named Terry (Zooey Deschanel) and her imaginative son, Mel (Benjamin Bottani). Together, they search for Harold's "father," eventually discovering that he was actually the author Crockett Johnson, who passed away years prior. The conflict intensifies when Harold encounters Gary (Jemaine Clement), a failed fantasy novelist and librarian who is obsessed with his own fictional world. Gary tricks Harold into giving him a piece of the magical crayon, using its power to manifest his dark, medieval fantasy realm and imprison Harold and Mel. In a climactic battle, Mel uses his own imagination—represented by a "spider-fly" he had drawn earlier—to help Harold reclaim the crayon. After defeating Gary and realizing that his creator’s legacy lives on through his books, Harold chooses to return to his world. Before leaving, he leaves Mel a box of multicolored Crayola crayons and says a heartfelt goodbye to Terry. The film ends with Harold, Moose, and Porcupine back in their animated home, now equipped with a full spectrum of colors for their future adventures. The film's cast features Zachary Levi as Harold, Lil Rel Howery as Moose, Tanya Reynolds as Porcupine, Zooey Deschanel as Terry, and Benjamin Bottani as Mel. Jemaine Clement plays the villainous Gary, and Alfred Molina provides the voice of the Narrator (Crockett Johnson). Despite its pedigree and a $40 million production budget, the movie was a box-office disappointment, grossing approximately $32.2 million worldwide ($17.6 million domestically and $14.6 million internationally). Critics largely criticized the film for its departure from the simple charm of the original book, though it received a warmer reception from younger audiences for its visual creativity and Levi's energetic performance.As of early 2026, the film is widely available for streaming. In the United States, it is currently part of the Netflix library due to Sony’s first-window deal, where it premiered on October 31, 2024; it is expected to remain there until April 2026 before likely moving to Disney+ or Hulu. Globally, the film is available on Netflix in several regions including India, Singapore, and South Africa, while in the United Kingdom and Canada, it is available through local providers like Sky Cinema or for digital purchase on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.
- English (Canada)
Recommended
Starring
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Anu
2025-04-01 18:51:58
What a fantastic, unassuming piece of pure entertainment, and so unexpected. HATPC is good, clean-hearted and spirited fun for children and adults alike. It almost makes me think about how people would have received The Wizard Of Oz back in the day, it's that happy and awe-inspiring with its visuals and comedy. I've heard of 'Zooey Deschanel' a few times but never actively seen her in anything, and I have to say what a fantastic, endearing portrayal she does of the mom. Also the boy is incredible. And as Harold, wielding his purple crayon of justice, Zachary Levi is incredible. The imagination in this is beyond what I thought cinema had given up. It's so small-scale cute that I assumed had long been given up to the TV channels. It's an amazing film.