The Star ( 2017 film ) - Wikipedia The Star ( 2017 film ) Jump to : navigation , search The Star Theatrical release poster Directed by Timothy Reckart Produced by Jenni Magee Cook Screenplay by Carlos Kotkin Story by Carlos Kotkin Simon Moore Based on The Nativity of Jesus An original idea by Tom Sheridan Starring Steven Yeun Gina Rodriguez Zachary Levi Keegan - Michael Key Kelly Clarkson Patricia Heaton Kristin Chenoweth Tracy Morgan Tyler Perry Oprah Winfrey Music by John Paesano Production company Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Animation The Jim Henson Company Franklin Entertainment Walden Media Affirm Films Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date November 17 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 17 ) Running time 86 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $20 million Box office $61 million The Star is a 2017 American computer - animated Christian adventure comedy film directed by Timothy Reckart . Based on the Nativity of Jesus , and an original idea by Tom Sheridan , the screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore . It is produced by Sony Pictures Animation , with partnership from Walden Media , Affirm Films and The Jim Henson Company . It stars the voices of Steven Yeun , Gina Rodriguez , Zachary Levi , Keegan - Michael Key , Kelly Clarkson , Patricia Heaton , Kristin Chenoweth , Tracy Morgan , Tyler Perry , and Oprah Winfrey . The film was released by Columbia Pictures through its parental label Sony Pictures Entertainment on November 17 , 2017 in the United States . It was met with mixed reviews and has grossed $61 million worldwide . The film received a nomination for Best Original Song ( `` The Star '' ) at the 75th Golden Globe Awards . Contents ( hide ) 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Casting 3.2 Soundtrack 4 Release 4.1 Marketing 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical response 5.3 Accolades 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Plot ( edit ) In `` 9 months B.C. '' , Mary is visited by an angel telling her she will bear the Messiah . A mouse named Abby overhears and tells the other animals as a star begins glowing brightly in the night . Six months later , a young donkey is tired of milling wheat and wishes to join a traveling caravan so that he may feel important . His father helps him escape the miller who owns them and he ends up with an injured ankle at the house of Mary and Joseph who just had their wedding dinner . Mary takes the donkey in and names him Boaz , Bo for short , and reveals to Joseph that she is pregnant , with Joseph accepting Mary 's situation after praying to God . During this time , Bo and his dove friend Dave , plot to escape despite Mary 's kindness , but end up staying three more months . Meanwhile , the three wise men and their camels , Felix , Cyrus and Deborah , arrive at the home of King Herod . The wise men reveal their gifts of gold , frankincense and myrrh , but when they reveal that it is for the `` new King '' , he sends them on their way to meet him , but secretly sends his head soldier and his two dogs , Thaddeus and Rufus , to find and kill the new King . As Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth in order to head to Bethlehem , Bo and Dave try another escape , but are confronted by Thaddeus and Rufus , who knew of the home by interrogating Abby . After learning that Mary and Joseph are not home , the soldier and his dogs leave to look for them . Feeling guilty , Bo decides to warn them with Dave joining him . Along the way they meet a friendly sheep named Ruth who left her flock when she saw the star but the others refused to follow her . They catch up to Mary and Joseph in time to warn them , and hide them in a market place where the soldier ties up his dogs . Bo releases the cart Mary and Joseph were using to roll down and cause a chain reaction that knocks the soldier down a well . However , he creates severe damage to the market in the process , and Joseph instead berates Bo as he was unaware of the danger . Upset with the current outcome , Bo leaves and Dave follows until they arrive at the caravan . While happy to have found it , Bo realizes that he liked being with Mary and tells Dave that he wants to go back . Dave admits that he is n't upset and that he just wants Bo to be happy with his decision , and the two return and make up with Ruth . They convince a frustrated Joseph to talk to Mary , who admits that it has been difficult for her and that she is scared of the importance of the baby . Joseph and Mary make up when the latter begins having contractions . They arrive at Bethlehem where Joseph ca n't find an inn for Mary . The miller , who just so happened to be there too , kidnaps Bo with Dave and Ruth leaving to rescue him . The wise men arrive as well , but the camels , who are aware of Herod 's plot , are left tied to a post . Bo ends up in a barn where he meets a horse named Leah , a cow named Edith , and a goat named Zach . They reveal that they have n't been able to sleep because the star 's bright light has been shining through on their manger . Realizing that this is where the baby is supposed to be , the animals help Bo escape and he catches up with Dave and Ruth while spotting the soldier and his dogs . Bo finds Mary and Joseph and gets them back to the manger while Dave runs into Cyrus , Felix and Deborah and helps them escape . Ruth finds her flock and tries to convince them to follow her , but gets unexpected help from the angel who informs the shepherds and the sheep that the Savior is coming . Bo manages to fight off Thaddeus and Rufus , but is outdone by the soldier . Suddenly , Ruth and her flock , the camels and Dave arrive and dispatch with them by having them hang from a cliff . The soldier lets his dogs fall , but they are saved by Bo and the soldier himself falls to his death . All of the animals ( who are now joined by Abby and assume the danger to be ongoing ) , shepherds , and three wise men arrive to see baby Jesus , and Bo realises that he has been carrying the new King the whole time . Deborah predicts that this event will be remembered around the world for years to come . During the credits , it is shown that Joseph buys Bo from the miller , and Bo helps him and Mary raise Jesus . Their flight into Egypt is also shown . It is also revealed that Bo 's father has escaped from the miller and is possibly looking for Bo . Cast ( edit ) Steven Yeun as Bo the donkey Gina Rodriguez as Mary Zachary Levi as Joseph Keegan - Michael Key as Dave the dove Kelly Clarkson as Leah the horse Patricia Heaton as Edith the cow Kristin Chenoweth as Abby the mouse Tracy Morgan as Felix the camel Tyler Perry as Cyrus the camel Oprah Winfrey as Deborah the camel Aidy Bryant as Ruth the sheep Anthony Anderson as Zach the goat Kris Kristofferson as Old Donkey Christopher Plummer as King Herod Ving Rhames as Thaddeus the dog Gabriel Iglesias as Rufus the dog Delilah as Elizabeth Mariah Carey as Rebecca the hen Joel Osteen as Caspar Joel McCrary as Angel , Zachariah Phil Morris as Balthazar , Miller Fred Tatasciore as Melchior , Pottery Vendor , Innkeeper Voice Lex Lang as Hunter Roger Craig Smith as Chamberlain , Innkeeper Voice Joe Whyte as Scribe , Innkeeper Voice William Townsend as Horse , Goat Gregg Berger as Innkeeper Voice Melissa Sturm as Innkeeper Voice Production ( edit ) In September 2014 , it was reported that DeVon Franklin would produce a faith - based film inspired by the Nativity story under his production company , Franklin Entertainment , in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation . In April 2015 , Variety reported that Timothy Reckart would direct the film in his directing debut . On August 5 , 2015 , it was announced that the film , then titled The Lamb , was given an official release date of December 8 , 2017 . On June 20 , 2016 , it was announced that Brian Henson and Lisa Henson from The Jim Henson Company would be executive producers for the film , now titled The Star . In an interview with Animation Magazine , Reckart expressed that he felt encouraged to direct the film , as he felt that there was a lack of Christmas films centering on the Nativity of Jesus : `` It felt like an opportunity to be part of a movie that has not been done before , that 's really going to fill a void . '' The animation was produced by Cinesite Studios . Animation work began on January 2017 . Casting ( edit ) On January 5 , 2017 , it was reported that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry would be in the film . The rest of the cast was announced on January 19 , 2017 . Soundtrack ( edit ) The Star : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ) was released on October 27 , 2017 , including contributions from Jessie James Decker , Jake Owen , Kelsea Ballerini , Zara Larsson , Casting Crowns , Kirk Franklin , Fifth Harmony , Yolanda Adams , Saving Forever and Mariah Carey . Pentatonix also contributes a bonus track to the digital release of the album . The Star : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack No . Title Artist Length 1 . `` The Star '' Mariah Carey 4 : 01 2 . `` Children Go Where I Send You '' Kelsea Ballerini 2 : 40 3 . `` We Three Kings '' Kirk Franklin 4 : 06 4 . `` Can You See '' Fifth Harmony 3 : 57 5 . `` Life Is Good '' A Great Big World 3 : 16 6 . `` Mary , Did You Know '' Zara Larsson 3 : 23 7 . `` O Holy Night '' Yolanda Adams 4 : 20 8 . `` What Christmas Means to Me '' Saving Forever 3 : 03 9 . `` Breath of Heaven ( Mary 's Song ) '' Jessie James Decker 4 : 51 10 . `` His Eye Is on the Sparrow '' Casting Crowns 4 : 19 11 . `` What Child Is This ? '' Jake Owen 3 : 16 12 . `` Carol of the Bells '' Pentatonix 3 : 13 Total length : 44 : 17 Release ( edit ) In July 2016 , the release date was set for November 10 , 2017 , but it was later pushed back to November 17 , 2017 . Marketing ( edit ) The first trailer was released on July 26 , 2017 . On November 16 , 2017 , the official video for the song The Star , performed by Mariah Carey , was made available on her YouTube channel . Reception ( edit ) Box Office ( edit ) As of January 7 , 2018 , The Star has grossed $40.4 million in the United States and Canada , and $20.5 million in other territories , for a worldwide total of $61 million , against a production budget of $20 million . In the United States and Canada , The Star was released alongside Justice League and Wonder , and was projected to gross around $10 million from 2,800 theaters in its opening weekend . The film made $2.8 million on its first day . It ended up grossing $9.8 million in its opening weekend , finishing 6th at the box office . Critical response ( edit ) On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an average rating of 44 % based on 45 reviews , with an average rating of 4.9 / 10 . The site 's critical consensus reads , `` The Star may not leave audiences singing ' Hallelujah ' , but its offbeat yet sincere approach to the nativity story makes for acceptably diverting holiday viewing . '' On Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating to reviews , the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 , based on 12 critics , indicating `` mixed or average reviews '' . Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of `` A '' on an A+ to F scale . The A.V. Club 's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky criticized The Star as a `` rote cartoon feature '' existing for purely commercial reasons : `` ... even the kid - friendliest , Sunday - school - iest kind of religious art ca n't spring from religion alone ; it needs artistry , too . Otherwise , you end up with a generic product aimed at a market segment who 'll buy anything as long as it seems sufficiently churchy . '' Accolades ( edit ) Award Recipient ( s ) and nominee ( s ) Result Ref . Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song `` The Star '' Nominated Annie Awards Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Louie del Carmen Pending Best Editorial in an Animated Feature Production Pamela Ziegenhagen Pending Heartland Film Festival 2017 Truly Moving Picture Award Timothy Reckart Won See also ( edit ) Christmas in the media The Night the Animals Talked References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : Milligan , Mercedes ( January 18 , 2017 ) . `` Sony Pictures Animation Reveals Slate through 2018 '' . Animation Magazine . Retrieved January 22 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` John Paesano to Score ' The Star ' '' . Film Music Reporter . August 31 , 2017 . Retrieved September 1 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` Film releases '' . Variety Insight . Retrieved November 11 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Watson , Keith ( November 16 , 2017 ) . `` The Star '' . Slant Magazine . Retrieved January 8 , 2018 . Jump up ^ `` THE STAR ( U ) '' . British Board of Film Classification . Retrieved October 22 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` The Star ( 2017 ) '' . Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 9 , 2018 . ^ Jump up to : Flores , Terry ( April 7 , 2015 ) . `` Oscar - Nommed Timothy Reckart to Make Feature Directing Debut on Sony Toon ( EXCLUSIVE ) '' . Variety . Retrieved December 22 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Rubin , Rebecca ( December 11 , 2017 ) . `` Golden Globe Nominations : Complete List '' . Variety . Retrieved January 1 , 2018 . Jump up ^ Milligan , Mercedes ( April 27 , 2017 ) . `` First Look at the Stars of ' The Star ' from Sony Pictures Animation '' . Animation Magazine . Retrieved April 30 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Masters , Kim ( January 5 , 2016 ) . `` Studios ' 2017 Forecast : Big Bets , Franchise Fears and Executive Intrigue '' . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 6 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Internet Movie Database Jump up ^ Sneider , Jeff ( September 2 , 2014 ) . `` Sony Pictures Animation Developing Faith - Based Movie About Nativity Story ( Exclusive ) '' . The Wrap . Retrieved December 22 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Kroll , Justin ( August 5 , 2015 ) . `` Sony Dates 16 Films Including Two More ' Bad Boys ' Sequels , ' Jumanji ' Remake '' . Variety . Retrieved December 25 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Pederson , Erik ( June 20 , 2016 ) . `` Sony Animation Dates ' Hotel Transylvania 3 ' , ' Emojimovie ' & More ; ' Ghostbusters ' TV Series Set '' . Deadline . Retrieved December 25 , 2016 . ^ Jump up to : McLean , Tom ( October 31 , 2017 ) . `` The Star : In A Different Light '' . Animation Magazine . Retrieved November 28 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Sony Pictures Animation Teases Upcoming Slate '' . January 18 , 2017 . Retrieved January 20 , 2017 . Jump up ^ http://tasteofcountry.com/animated-christmas-movie-the-star-features-songs-from-kelsea-ballerini-jake-owen-jessie-james-decker/ Jump up ^ `` Release Schedule - New Dates & Changes '' . Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on July 8 , 2016 . Retrieved December 25 , 2016 . Jump up ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/schedule/?view=&release=&date=2017-11-03&showweeks=4&p=.htm Jump up ^ `` The Star - Official Teaser Trailer '' . Sony Pictures Animation 's official YouTube channel . July 26 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Mariah Carey - The Star '' . YouTube . November 16 , 2017 . Retrieved November 17 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Busch , Anita . `` The Tale Of Two Films : Walden Media 's ' The Star ' & ' Wonder ' Bow On Same Day '' . Retrieved November 14 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : D'Alessandro , Anthony ( November 19 , 2017 ) . `` ' Justice League ' Encounters Kryptonite At The B.O. With $93 M+ Opening : Why The DC Movie Weakened '' . Deadline.com . Retrieved November 19 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` The Star ( 2017 ) '' . Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 6 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` The Star reviews '' . Metacritic . Retrieved November 17 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Vishnevetsky , Ignatiy ( November 16 , 2017 ) . `` The animated trifle The Star passes the Nativity through its ass '' . The A.V. Club . Retrieved 16 November 2017 . Jump up ^ Globes nominations : Read the full list Entertainment Weekly , Retrieved December 11 , 2017 Jump up ^ Hipes , Patrick ( December 4 , 2017 ) . `` Annie Awards : Disney / Pixar 's ' Coco ' Tops Nominations '' . Deadline.com . Retrieved December 10 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Truly Moving Picture Award '' . Heartland film . Retrieved December 11 , 2017 . External links ( edit ) Official website Official website at Sony Pictures Animation The Star on IMDb Sony Pictures Animation Feature films Computer - animated Open Season ( 2006 ) Surf 's Up ( 2007 ) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ( 2009 ) Hotel Transylvania ( 2012 ) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 ( 2013 ) Hotel Transylvania 2 ( 2015 ) Smurfs : The Lost Village ( 2017 ) The Emoji Movie ( 2017 ) The Star ( 2017 ) Live - action / animated The Smurfs ( 2011 ) The Smurfs 2 ( 2013 ) Goosebumps ( 2015 ) Produced with Aardman Animations Arthur Christmas ( 2011 ) The Pirates ! In an Adventure with Scientists ! ( 2012 ) Upcoming films Peter Rabbit ( 2018 ) Hotel Transylvania 3 : Summer Vacation ( 2018 ) Goosebumps : Horror Land ( 2018 ) Spider - Man : Into the Spider - Verse ( 2018 ) Direct - to - video Open Season 2 ( 2009 ) Open Season 3 ( 2011 ) Open Season : Scared Silly ( 2016 ) Surf 's Up 2 : WaveMania ( 2017 ) Television series Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ( 2017 -- ) Hotel Transylvania : The Series ( 2017 -- ) Ghostbusters : Ecto Force ( TBA ) Online series Go ! Cartoons ( 2017 -- 18 ) Short films The ChubbChubbs ! ( 2002 ) Early Bloomer ( 2003 ) Boog and Elliot 's Midnight Bun Run ( 2007 ) The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas ( 2007 ) The Smurfs : A Christmas Carol ( 2011 ) So You Want to Be a Pirate ! ( 2012 ) Goodnight Mr. Foot ( 2012 ) The Smurfs : The Legend of Smurfy Hollow ( 2013 ) Super Manny ( 2013 ) Earl Scouts ( 2013 ) Steve 's First Bath ( 2014 ) Attack of the 50 - Foot Gummi Bear ( 2014 ) Puppy ! ( 2017 ) Franchises Open Season ( 2006 -- present ) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ( 2009 -- present ) The Smurfs ( 2011 -- present ) Hotel Transylvania ( 2012 -- present ) See also Sony Pictures Imageworks Cartoon Hangover Screen Gems Cartoons The Jim Henson Company Henson Family Jim Henson Jane Henson Lisa Henson Cheryl Henson Brian Henson John Henson Heather Henson Major works The Muppets † Sesame Street ‡ TV series Fraggle Rock ( 1983 -- 1987 ) Fraggle Rock : The Animated Series ( 1987 -- 1988 ) The Storyteller ( 1988 -- 1991 ) The Jim Henson Hour ( 1989 ) The Ghost of Faffner Hall ( 1989 ) Jim Henson 's Mother Goose Stories ( 1990 -- 1992 ) Dinosaurs ( 1991 -- 1994 ) Dog City ( 1992 -- 1993 ) CityKids ( 1993 -- 1994 ) Secret Life of Toys ( 1994 ) Jim Henson 's Animal Show ( 1994 -- 1997 ) Aliens in the Family ( 1996 ) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss ( 1996 -- 1998 ) Bear in the Big Blue House † ( 1997 -- 2006 ) Brats of the Lost Nebula ( 1998 ) Farscape ( 1998 -- 2002 ) Construction Site ( 1999 ) Family Rules ( 1999 ) Mopatop 's Shop ( 1999 -- 2005 ) The Fearing Mind ( 2000 ) The Hoobs ( 2001 -- 2003 ) Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola ( 2001 ) Animal Jam ( 2003 ) Five Minutes More ( 2006 ) Pajanimals ( 2008 , 2011 -- 2013 ) Sid the Science Kid ( 2008 -- 2013 ) Dinosaur Train ( 2009 -- 2017 ) Me and My Monsters ( 2010 -- 2011 ) That Puppet Game Show ( 2013 -- 2014 ) The Doozers ( 2013 -- 2014 ) Jim Henson 's Creature Shop Challenge ( 2014 ) Hi Opie ! ( 2014 -- 2016 ) Splash and Bubbles ( 2016 -- present ) Julie 's Greenroom ( 2017 -- present ) The Dark Crystal : Age of Resistance ( 2019 ) TV specials The Great Santa Claus Switch ( 1970 ) Emmet Otter 's Jug - Band Christmas ( 1977 ) The Christmas Toy ( 1986 ) Monster Maker ( 1989 ) The Song of the Cloud Forest ( 1989 ) Mr. Willowby 's Christmas Tree ( 1995 ) Theatrical films The Dark Crystal ( 1982 ) Labyrinth ( 1986 ) The Witches ( 1990 ) Buddy ( 1997 ) Rat ( 2000 ) Good Boy ! ( 2003 ) Five Children and It ( 2004 ) MirrorMask ( 2005 ) Alexander and the Terrible , Horrible , No Good , Very Bad Day ( 2014 ) The Star ( 2017 ) Other projects Time Piece ( 1965 , short film ) The Cube ( 1969 , teleplay ) Gulliver 's Travels ( 1996 , miniseries ) Jack and the Beanstalk : The Real Story ( 2001 , miniseries ) Farscape : The Peacekeeper Wars ( 2004 , miniseries ) The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing ! ( 2008 , web series ) Unstable Fables ( 2008 , DTV film ) Oscar 's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures ( 2015 , web series ) Turkey Hollow ( 2015 , TV film ) Henson Alternative Puppet Up ! ( 2006 -- present ) Late Night Liars ( 2010 ) Simian Undercover Detective Squad ( 2011 ) Neil 's Puppet Dreams ( 2012 -- 2013 ) No , You Shut Up ! ( 2013 -- 2016 ) Good Morning Today ( 2013 -- 2014 ) Divisions Jim Henson 's Creature Shop Henson Recording Studios Jim Henson Home Entertainment Jim Henson Pictures Jim Henson Records Jim Henson Television Related Jim Henson Company Lot Jim Henson Foundation HIT Entertainment † Sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2004 , ‡ Muppet characters only ; sold to Sesame Workshop in 2000 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Star_(2017_film)&oldid=819398771 '' Categories : 2017 films English - language films 2017 computer - animated films 2010s American animated films American films American children 's animated comedy films American children 's animated fantasy films American Christmas films Animated Christmas films Animated films about animals Films about donkeys Films about the Nativity of Jesus Films featuring anthropomorphic characters Columbia Pictures animated films Columbia Pictures films Walden Media films Sony Pictures Animation films The Jim Henson Company films Affirm Films films Hidden categories : Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2018 All articles containing potentially dated statements Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Čeština Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano 日本 語 Polski Português Română Edit links This page was last edited on 9 January 2018 , at 04 : 11 . 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when does the movie the star come out
The Star Theatrical release poster Directed by Timothy Reckart Produced by Jenni Magee Cook Screenplay by Carlos Kotkin Story by Carlos Kotkin Simon Moore Based on The Nativity of Jesus An original idea by Tom Sheridan Starring Steven Yeun Gina Rodriguez Zachary Levi Keegan - Michael Key Kelly Clarkson Patricia Heaton Kristin Chenoweth Tracy Morgan Tyler Perry Oprah Winfrey Music by John Paesano Production company Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Animation The Jim Henson Company Franklin Entertainment Walden Media Affirm Films Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date November 17 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 17 ) Running time 86 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $20 million Box office $61 million The Star Theatrical release poster Directed by Timothy Reckart Produced by Jenni Magee Cook Screenplay by Carlos Kotkin Story by Carlos Kotkin Simon Moore Carlos Kotkin Simon Moore Based on The Nativity of Jesus An original idea by Tom Sheridan The Nativity of Jesus An original idea by Tom Sheridan The Nativity of Jesus An original idea by Tom Sheridan Starring Steven Yeun Gina Rodriguez Zachary Levi Keegan - Michael Key Kelly Clarkson Patricia Heaton Kristin Chenoweth Tracy Morgan Tyler Perry Oprah Winfrey Steven Yeun Gina Rodriguez Zachary Levi Keegan - Michael Key Kelly Clarkson Patricia Heaton Kristin Chenoweth Tracy Morgan Tyler Perry Oprah Winfrey Keegan - Michael Key Music by John Paesano Production company Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Animation The Jim Henson Company Franklin Entertainment Walden Media Affirm Films Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Animation The Jim Henson Company Franklin Entertainment Walden Media Affirm Films Sony Pictures Animation The Jim Henson Company Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date November 17 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 17 ) November 17 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 17 ) November 17 , 2017 ( 2017 - 11 - 17 ) Running time 86 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $20 million Box office $61 million The Star is a 2017 American computer - animated Christian adventure comedy film directed by Timothy Reckart . Based on the Nativity of Jesus , and an original idea by Tom Sheridan , the screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore . It is produced by Sony Pictures Animation , with partnership from Walden Media , Affirm Films and The Jim Henson Company . It stars the voices of Steven Yeun , Gina Rodriguez , Zachary Levi , Keegan - Michael Key , Kelly Clarkson , Patricia Heaton , Kristin Chenoweth , Tracy Morgan , Tyler Perry , and Oprah Winfrey . The film was released by Columbia Pictures through its parental label Sony Pictures Entertainment on November 17 , 2017 in the United States . It was met with mixed reviews and has grossed $61 million worldwide . The film received a nomination for Best Original Song ( `` The Star '' ) at the 75th Golden Globe Awards . In `` 9 months B.C. '' , Mary is visited by an angel telling her she will bear the Messiah . A mouse named Abby overhears and tells the other animals as a star begins glowing brightly in the night . Six months later , a young donkey is tired of milling wheat and wishes to join a traveling caravan so that he may feel important . His father helps him escape the miller who owns them and he ends up with an injured ankle at the house of Mary and Joseph who just had their wedding dinner . Mary takes the donkey in and names him Boaz , Bo for short , and reveals to Joseph that she is pregnant , with Joseph accepting Mary 's situation after praying to God . During this time , Bo and his dove friend Dave , plot to escape despite Mary 's kindness , but end up staying three more months . Meanwhile , the three wise men and their camels , Felix , Cyrus and Deborah , arrive at the home of King Herod . The wise men reveal their gifts of gold , frankincense and myrrh , but when they reveal that it is for the `` new King '' , he sends them on their way to meet him , but secretly sends his head soldier and his two dogs , Thaddeus and Rufus , to find and kill the new King . As Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth in order to head to Bethlehem , Bo and Dave try another escape , but are confronted by Thaddeus and Rufus , who knew of the home by interrogating Abby . After learning that Mary and Joseph are not home , the soldier and his dogs leave to look for them . Feeling guilty , Bo decides to warn them with Dave joining him . Along the way they meet a friendly sheep named Ruth who left her flock when she saw the star but the others refused to follow her . They catch up to Mary and Joseph in time to warn them , and hide them in a market place where the soldier ties up his dogs . Bo releases the cart Mary and Joseph were using to roll down and cause a chain reaction that knocks the soldier down a well . However , he creates severe damage to the market in the process , and Joseph instead berates Bo as he was unaware of the danger . Upset with the current outcome , Bo leaves and Dave follows until they arrive at the caravan . While happy to have found it , Bo realizes that he liked being with Mary and tells Dave that he wants to go back . Dave admits that he is n't upset and that he just wants Bo to be happy with his decision , and the two return and make up with Ruth . They convince a frustrated Joseph to talk to Mary , who admits that it has been difficult for her and that she is scared of the importance of the baby . Joseph and Mary make up when the latter begins having contractions . They arrive at Bethlehem where Joseph ca n't find an inn for Mary . The miller , who just so happened to be there too , kidnaps Bo with Dave and Ruth leaving to rescue him . The wise men arrive as well , but the camels , who are aware of Herod 's plot , are left tied to a post . Bo ends up in a barn where he meets a horse named Leah , a cow named Edith , and a goat named Zach . They reveal that they have n't been able to sleep because the star 's bright light has been shining through on their manger . Realizing that this is where the baby is supposed to be , the animals help Bo escape and he catches up with Dave and Ruth while spotting the soldier and his dogs . Bo finds Mary and Joseph and gets them back to the manger while Dave runs into Cyrus , Felix and Deborah and helps them escape . Ruth finds her flock and tries to convince them to follow her , but gets unexpected help from the angel who informs the shepherds and the sheep that the Savior is coming . Bo manages to fight off Thaddeus and Rufus , but is outdone by the soldier . Suddenly , Ruth and her flock , the camels and Dave arrive and dispatch with them by having them hang from a cliff . The soldier lets his dogs fall , but they are saved by Bo and the soldier himself falls to his death . All of the animals ( who are now joined by Abby and assume the danger to be ongoing ) , shepherds , and three wise men arrive to see baby Jesus , and Bo realises that he has been carrying the new King the whole time . Deborah predicts that this event will be remembered around the world for years to come . During the credits , it is shown that Joseph buys Bo from the miller , and Bo helps him and Mary raise Jesus . Their flight into Egypt is also shown . It is also revealed that Bo 's father has escaped from the miller and is possibly looking for Bo . Steven Yeun as Bo the donkey Gina Rodriguez as Mary Zachary Levi as Joseph Keegan - Michael Key as Dave the dove Kelly Clarkson as Leah the horse Patricia Heaton as Edith the cow Kristin Chenoweth as Abby the mouse Tracy Morgan as Felix the camel Tyler Perry as Cyrus the camel Oprah Winfrey as Deborah the camel Aidy Bryant as Ruth the sheep Anthony Anderson as Zach the goat Kris Kristofferson as Old Donkey Christopher Plummer as King Herod Ving Rhames as Thaddeus the dog Gabriel Iglesias as Rufus the dog Delilah as Elizabeth Mariah Carey as Rebecca the hen Joel Osteen as Caspar Joel McCrary as Angel , Zachariah Phil Morris as Balthazar , Miller Fred Tatasciore as Melchior , Pottery Vendor , Innkeeper Voice Lex Lang as Hunter Roger Craig Smith as Chamberlain , Innkeeper Voice Joe Whyte as Scribe , Innkeeper Voice William Townsend as Horse , Goat Gregg Berger as Innkeeper Voice Melissa Sturm as Innkeeper Voice Steven Yeun as Bo the donkey Gina Rodriguez as Mary Zachary Levi as Joseph Keegan - Michael Key as Dave the dove Kelly Clarkson as Leah the horse Patricia Heaton as Edith the cow Kristin Chenoweth as Abby the mouse Tracy Morgan as Felix the camel Tyler Perry as Cyrus the camel Oprah Winfrey as Deborah the camel Aidy Bryant as Ruth the sheep Anthony Anderson as Zach the goat Kris Kristofferson as Old Donkey Christopher Plummer as King Herod Ving Rhames as Thaddeus the dog Gabriel Iglesias as Rufus the dog Delilah as Elizabeth Mariah Carey as Rebecca the hen Joel Osteen as Caspar Joel McCrary as Angel , Zachariah Phil Morris as Balthazar , Miller Fred Tatasciore as Melchior , Pottery Vendor , Innkeeper Voice Lex Lang as Hunter Roger Craig Smith as Chamberlain , Innkeeper Voice Joe Whyte as Scribe , Innkeeper Voice William Townsend as Horse , Goat Gregg Berger as Innkeeper Voice Melissa Sturm as Innkeeper Voice In September 2014 , it was reported that DeVon Franklin would produce a faith - based film inspired by the Nativity story under his production company , Franklin Entertainment , in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation . In April 2015 , Variety reported that Timothy Reckart would direct the film in his directing debut . On August 5 , 2015 , it was announced that the film , then titled The Lamb , was given an official release date of December 8 , 2017 . On June 20 , 2016 , it was announced that Brian Henson and Lisa Henson from The Jim Henson Company would be executive producers for the film , now titled The Star . In an interview with Animation Magazine , Reckart expressed that he felt encouraged to direct the film , as he felt that there was a lack of Christmas films centering on the Nativity of Jesus : `` It felt like an opportunity to be part of a movie that has not been done before , that 's really going to fill a void . '' The animation was produced by Cinesite Studios . Animation work began on January 2017 . On January 5 , 2017 , it was reported that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry would be in the film . The rest of the cast was announced on January 19 , 2017 . The Star : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ) was released on October 27 , 2017 , including contributions from Jessie James Decker , Jake Owen , Kelsea Ballerini , Zara Larsson , Casting Crowns , Kirk Franklin , Fifth Harmony , Yolanda Adams , Saving Forever and Mariah Carey . Pentatonix also contributes a bonus track to the digital release of the album . The Star : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack No . Title Artist Length 1 . `` The Star '' Mariah Carey 4 : 01 2 . `` Children Go Where I Send You '' Kelsea Ballerini 2 : 40 3 . `` We Three Kings '' Kirk Franklin 4 : 06 4 . `` Can You See '' Fifth Harmony 3 : 57 5 . `` Life Is Good '' A Great Big World 3 : 16 6 . `` Mary , Did You Know '' Zara Larsson 3 : 23 7 . `` O Holy Night '' Yolanda Adams 4 : 20 8 . `` What Christmas Means to Me '' Saving Forever 3 : 03 9 . `` Breath of Heaven ( Mary 's Song ) '' Jessie James Decker 4 : 51 10 . `` His Eye Is on the Sparrow '' Casting Crowns 4 : 19 11 . `` What Child Is This ? '' Jake Owen 3 : 16 12 . `` Carol of the Bells '' Pentatonix 3 : 13 Total length : 44 : 17 The Star : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack No . Title Artist Length 1 . `` The Star '' Mariah Carey 4 : 01 2 . `` Children Go Where I Send You '' Kelsea Ballerini 2 : 40 3 . `` We Three Kings '' Kirk Franklin 4 : 06 4 . `` Can You See '' Fifth Harmony 3 : 57 5 . `` Life Is Good '' A Great Big World 3 : 16 6 . `` Mary , Did You Know '' Zara Larsson 3 : 23 7 . `` O Holy Night '' Yolanda Adams 4 : 20 8 . `` What Christmas Means to Me '' Saving Forever 3 : 03 9 . `` Breath of Heaven ( Mary 's Song ) '' Jessie James Decker 4 : 51 10 . `` His Eye Is on the Sparrow '' Casting Crowns 4 : 19 11 . `` What Child Is This ? '' Jake Owen 3 : 16 12 . `` Carol of the Bells '' Pentatonix 3 : 13 Total length : 44 : 17 In July 2016 , the release date was set for November 10 , 2017 , but it was later pushed back to November 17 , 2017 . The first trailer was released on July 26 , 2017 . On November 16 , 2017 , the official video for the song The Star , performed by Mariah Carey , was made available on her YouTube channel . As of January 7 , 2018 , The Star has grossed $40.4 million in the United States and Canada , and $20.5 million in other territories , for a worldwide total of $61 million , against a production budget of $20 million . In the United States and Canada , The Star was released alongside Justice League and Wonder , and was projected to gross around $10 million from 2,800 theaters in its opening weekend . The film made $2.8 million on its first day . It ended up grossing $9.8 million in its opening weekend , finishing 6th at the box office . On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an average rating of 44 % based on 45 reviews , with an average rating of 4.9 / 10 . The site 's critical consensus reads , `` The Star may not leave audiences singing ' Hallelujah ' , but its offbeat yet sincere approach to the nativity story makes for acceptably diverting holiday viewing . '' On Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating to reviews , the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 , based on 12 critics , indicating `` mixed or average reviews '' . Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of `` A '' on an A+ to F scale . The A.V. Club 's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky criticized The Star as a `` rote cartoon feature '' existing for purely commercial reasons : `` ... even the kid - friendliest , Sunday - school - iest kind of religious art ca n't spring from religion alone ; it needs artistry , too . Otherwise , you end up with a generic product aimed at a market segment who 'll buy anything as long as it seems sufficiently churchy . '' Award Recipient ( s ) and nominee ( s ) Result Ref . Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song `` The Star '' Nominated Annie Awards Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Louie del Carmen Pending Best Editorial in an Animated Feature Production Pamela Ziegenhagen Pending Heartland Film Festival 2017 Truly Moving Picture Award Timothy Reckart Won Award Recipient ( s ) and nominee ( s ) Result Ref . Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song `` The Star '' Nominated Annie Awards Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Louie del Carmen Pending Best Editorial in an Animated Feature Production Pamela Ziegenhagen Pending Heartland Film Festival 2017 Truly Moving Picture Award Timothy Reckart Won
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