{{short description|2012 stop-motion animated film}} {{for|the soundtrack|ParaNorman (soundtrack){{!}}''ParaNorman''}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}} {{Infobox film | name = ParaNorman | image = ParaNorman poster.jpg | alt = <!-- See WP:ALT --> | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = {{Plainlist| * Sam Fell * Chris Butler }} | producer = {{Plainlist| * Arianne Sutner * Travis Knight }} | writer = Chris Butler | starring = {{Plainlist|<!-- This order is according to the film's end credits. --> * Kodi Smit-McPhee * Tucker Albrizzi * Anna Kendrick * Casey Affleck * Christopher Mintz-Plasse * Leslie Mann * Jeff Garlin * Elaine Stritch * Bernard Hill * Jodelle Ferland * Tempestt Bledsoe * Alex Borstein * John Goodman }} | music = Jon Brion<ref name=collider1>{{cite news | first=Matt | last=Goldberg | url=https://collider.com/paranorman-jon-brion-scoring/ | title=Jon Brion to Score Laika's 3D Stop-Motion Animated Feature PARANORMAN | website=Collider.com | date=June 14, 2011 | access-date=June 15, 2011 | archive-date=June 18, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618055324/http://collider.com/paranorman-jon-brion-scoring/96360/ | url-status=live }}</ref> | cinematography = Tristan Oliver | editing = Christopher Murrie | studio = Laika | distributor = Focus Features (North America)<br>Universal Pictures (International) | released = {{Film date|2012|08|03|Mexico|2012|08|17|United States}} | runtime = 105 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 105:36--><ref>{{cite web | url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/paranorman-film | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828125748/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/paranorman-film | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 28, 2016 | title=''ParaNorman'' (PG) | work=British Board of Film Classification | date=July 11, 2012 | access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> | country = United States | language = English | budget = $60 million<ref name="Boxofficemojo1"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3601&p=.htm | title=2012 Recap (cont.): Losers | website=Box Office Mojo | access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> | gross = $107.1 million<ref name="Boxofficemojo1">{{cite web|title=ParaNorman|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paranorman.htm|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 15, 2013}}</ref> }} '''''ParaNorman''''' is a 2012 American stop-motion animated comedy horror film produced by Laika.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://allmovie.com/movie/paranorman-v551673|work=Allmovie|title=ParaNorman (2012)|access-date=August 30, 2012|author=Buchanan, Jason}}</ref> Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler and written by Butler, the film stars the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jodelle Ferland, Bernard Hill, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Tempestt Bledsoe, Alex Borstein, and John Goodman. It is the first stop-motion film to use a 3-D color printer to create character faces. In the film, Norman Babcock (Smit-McPhee), a young boy who can communicate with ghosts, is given the task of ending a 300-year-old witch's curse on his Massachusetts town.
The idea of ''ParaNorman'' came from Butler, who thought making such a movie for kids could help express the challenges kids face growing up, after realizing that zombie films often contained a degree of social commentary. Production of the stop-motion animation took place at Laika's studio in Hillsboro, Oregon for three years, with the animating stage of production lasting about two years and beginning in late 2009. Instead of using traditional 3-D format cameras, the studio had sixty Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR cameras film the movie. Jon Brion composed the film's musical score.
''ParaNorman'' was released on August 17, 2012, by Focus Features. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its animation and script,<ref name="RT" /> and was a modest box office success, earning $107 million against a budget of $60 million. The film was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Animated Film.
==Plot== In the small town of Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts, Norman Babcock is an 11-year-old outcast who speaks with the dead, including his late paternal grandmother and various ghosts in town. Almost no one believes him and he is isolated emotionally from his family while being looked down upon by his own peers around the school. Neil Downe, an overweight boy who is also bullied, finds in Norman a kindred spirit. After rehearsing a school play commemorating the town's execution of a witch three centuries ago, the boys are confronted by Norman's estranged and seemingly deranged great-uncle, Mr. Prenderghast, who tells Norman that he soon must take up his regular ritual to protect the town. Soon after this encounter, Mr. Prenderghast dies of a heart attack.
During the official performance of the school play, Norman has a nightmarish vision of the town's past in which he is pursued through the woods by townsfolk on a witch hunt, embarrassing himself and leading to a heated argument with his paranoid father Perry, who later grounds him. His mother Sandra tells him that his father's manner is stern because he is afraid for him. The next day, Norman sees Prenderghast's spirit who tells him that the ritual must be performed with a certain book before sundown that day; then making him "swear" to complete the task, Prenderghast's spirit is set free and crosses over. Norman is at first reluctant to go because he is scared but his grandmother tells him it is all right to be scared as long as he does not let it change who he is. Norman sets off to retrieve the book from Prenderghast's house (having to take it from his corpse).
He then goes to the graves of the five men and two women who were cursed by the witch, but finds that the book is merely a series of fairy tales. Alvin, a school bully who always picks on Norman, arrives and prevents Norman from reading the story before sundown. Norman attempts to continue reading from the book, to no effect. A ghostly storm resembling the witch appears in the air, summoning the cursed dead to arise as zombies, who chase the boys along with Neil, Norman's 17-year-old sister Courtney, and Neil's older brother Mitch, down the hill and into town. Having realized that the witch was not buried in the graveyard, Norman contacts classmate Salma (who tells them to access the Town Hall's archives for the location of the witch's unmarked grave) for help. As the kids make their way to the Town Hall, the zombies are attacked by the citizenry. During the riot, Norman and his companions break into the archives but cannot find the information they need. As the mob moves to attack Town Hall, the witch storm appears over the crowd. Norman climbs the Hall's tower to read the book, in a last-ditch effort to finish the ritual, but the witch strikes the book with lightning, hurling Norman from the tower and deep into the archives.
Unconscious, Norman has a dream where he learns that the witch was Agatha "Aggie" Prenderghast, a little girl of his age and a distant relative, who was also a medium. Norman realizes that Aggie was wrongfully convicted by the town council when they mistook her powers for witchcraft. After awakening, Norman encounters the zombies and recognizes them as the town council who convicted Aggie. The zombies and their leader Judge Hopkins admit that they only wanted to speak with him to ensure that he would take up the ritual, to minimize the damage of the mistake they made so long ago. Norman attempts to help the zombies slip away so they can guide him to Aggie's grave, but is cornered by the mob. Courtney, Mitch, Neil, and Alvin rally to Norman's side and confront the crowd, arguing that their rage, fear, and misunderstanding make them no different from the cursed townsfolk from long ago. Although the mob realizes the error of their ways, the witch unleashes her powers to create greater havoc throughout the town.
Judge Hopkins guides Norman's family to the grave in a forest. Before the grave is reached, Aggie's magical powers separate Norman from the others. Norman finds the grave and interacts with Aggie's vengeful ghost, determined to stop the cataclysmic tantrum she has been having over the years. Though she attempts to push him away, Norman holds his ground, telling her that he understands how she feels as an outcast, that her vengeance has only made her like the ones who wronged her, causing her to remember happier days. Having finally encountered someone who understands her plight and by remembering her caring mother, Aggie is able to find a measure of peace and cross over to the afterlife. The storm dissipates, and she, the zombies and even the Judge all fade away. The town cleans up and regards Norman as a hero.
In the end, Norman watches a horror film with his family and the ghost of his grandmother, who have grown to accept Norman for who he is.
==Voice cast== {{castlist| * Kodi Smit-McPhee as Norman Babcock, an 11-year-old<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Karger|first=Dave|title=Comic-Con 2012: 15 Hot Movies - ParaNorman|url=https://ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20610725_21183015,00.html|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=April 5, 2014|date=July 18, 2012|quote=Norman Babcock is an 11-year-old who is dubbed as ''"a freak"'' in his school because he can speak to the dead.|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407072122/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20610725_21183015,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> misfit who can speak to the dead.<ref name=collider1 /><ref name="Yahoo!">{{cite web | title=ParaNorman | url=https://movies.yahoo.com/feature/paranorman.html | work=Yahoo! | access-date=October 25, 2011}}</ref><ref name=THRReview /> * Tucker Albrizzi as Neil Downe, Norman's 12-year-old overweight best friend.<ref name=collider1 /><ref name="USAToday1" /> * Anna Kendrick as Courtney Babcock, Norman's 17-year-old sister and a cheerleader.<ref name="USAToday1" /> * Casey Affleck as Mitch Downe, Neil's 19-year-old brother and a jock who is the target of Courtney's affections. He later reveals that he has a boyfriend.<ref name="USAToday1">{{cite news | last=Truitt | first=Brian | url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/livefrom/post/2011/07/paranorman-brings-together-an-outcast-kid-zombies-and-john-hughes/1 | title='ParaNorman' brings together an outcast kid, zombies and John Hughes | work=USA Today | date=July 24, 2011 | access-date=July 27, 2011}}</ref> * Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Alvin, a 15-year-old school bully.<ref name="USAToday1" /> * Leslie Mann as Sandra Babcock (née Prenderghast), Courtney and Norman's sympathetic mother.<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Jeff Garlin as Perry Babcock, Courtney and Norman's stern father who is concerned about his son's well-being.<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Elaine Stritch as Grandma Babcock, the ghost of Courtney and Norman's grandmother and Perry's mother.<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Bernard Hill as Judge Hopkins, the judge who accused and punished Aggie for witchcraft, and the leader of the cursed zombies.<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Jodelle Ferland as Agatha "Aggie" Prenderghast, the ghost of an 11-year-old Puritan girl from the 1700s who was accused of witchcraft.<ref name=collider1 /><ref>{{cite web|title=Jodelle Ferland|url=http://focusfeatures.com/paranorman/castncrew?member=jodelle_ferland|publisher=Focus Features|access-date=July 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025064510/http://focusfeatures.com/paranorman/castncrew?member=jodelle_ferland|archive-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref> * Tempestt Bledsoe as Sheriff Hooper, the sheriff of Blithe Hollow.<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Alex Borstein as Mrs. Margot Henscher, Norman and Neil's drama teacher. * John Goodman as Mr. Prenderghast, Sandra's uncle, Courtney and Norman's great uncle and the town's local eccentric.<ref name="USAToday1" /> * Hannah Noyes as Salma, a smart girl from Norman's class.<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Ariel Winter as Blithe Hollow Kid<ref name="Yahoo!" /> * Bridget Hoffman as Crystal and Parachutist Ghost * Scott Menville as Deputy Wayne, a deputy who works for Sheriff Hooper. * David Cowgill as Greaser Ghost * Wendy Hoffman as Gucci Lady * Jeremy Shada as Pug * Emily Hahn as Sweet Girl * Jack Blessing as Civil War Ghost }} Blithe Hollow townspeople are voiced by Kirk Baily, Cam Clarke, Lara Cody, Eddie Frierson, Rif Hutton, Edie Mirman and David Zyler.
==Production== thumb|''ParaNorman'' was the first film that used full-color 3-D printers for animation.
The idea of the film came from Chris Butler, who, realizing that zombie films often contained a degree of social commentary, thought making such a movie for kids could help express the challenges kids face growing up.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lambie|first1=Ryan|title=Chris Butler and Sam Fell interview: on writing and directing ParaNorman|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/chris-butler-and-sam-fell-interview-on-writing-and-directing-paranorman/|website=Den of Geek|date=September 10, 2012|access-date=14 April 2017}}</ref>
Production of the stop-motion animation feature took place at Laika's studio in Hillsboro, Oregon.<ref name="think big">{{cite news|last=Rogoway|first=Mike|title=Laika thinks big with 'ParaNorman,' the second feature from Phil Knight's film studio|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/laika_thinks_big_with_paranorm.html|access-date=August 16, 2012|newspaper=The Oregonian|date=August 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Giegerich|first=Andy|title=Laika chases big dreams|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/print-edition/2012/07/13/laika-chases-big-dreams.html?page=all|access-date=August 16, 2012|newspaper=Portland Business Journal|date=July 13, 2012}}</ref> The film was in production for three years, with the animating stage of production lasting about two years and beginning in late 2009. Rather than using traditional 3-D format cameras, the studio had sixty Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR cameras film the movie.<ref>{{cite news|title=Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR Cameras Help Capture the Summer Animated Feature "ParaNorman" in 3D|url=http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e0248061d43c|access-date=August 19, 2012|date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> Advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy created the campaign for the film.<ref name="think big"/> ''ParaNorman'' is the first-ever stop-motion film to use full-color 3-D printers for replacement animation. Laika's previous film ''Coraline'' had pioneered and popularized the use of black and white 3-D printers, which sped up puppet production considerably and allowed the team to make the large number of puppet faces required for the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/08/17/how-3d-printing-changed-the-face-of-paranorman/|title=How 3D printing changed the face of 'ParaNorman'|author=Brian Heater|publisher=AOL|work=Engadget|date=August 17, 2012 }}</ref> "Quite often it's the stop-motion movies that are more out there," co-director Fell told ''The New York Times''. "They're a little quirkier, they're a little harder to pin down."<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryzik|first=Melena|title=Animation Basks in Oscar Spotlight|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/movies/awardsseason/animation-basks-in-oscar-spotlight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|work=The New York Times|date=January 30, 2013|access-date=January 30, 2013}}</ref>
The final fight around the film's third act twist villain, Aggie Prenderghast, was a blend of stop-motion, CGI effects, and hand-drawn animation. While her body is mostly stop-motion animated, her hair and dress are more grounded in VFX as her hair was exampled from studying one of the concept artists of the film by blowing ink to create a Tesla Coil effect around the hand-drawn feel of her rage. Other VFX used in the film from the storm to the angry mob was all done by Laika's in-house VFX department, making storms out of cotton and putting those visuals in the computer to the crowd shots that took over 100 or 200 background characters to produce with some still in stop-motion by hand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/immersed-in-movies-exploring-paranorman-vfx-199850/|title=Immersed in Movies: Exploring ‘ParaNorman’ VFX|first=Bill|last=Desowitz|date=January 25, 2013}}</ref>
==Soundtrack== {{Main|ParaNorman (soundtrack)}} Jon Brion composed the film's score, and an accompanying soundtrack album was released on August 14, 2012.<ref name=PlaylistScore>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Drew|title=Soundtrack Details For Jon Brion's Score For Ghoulish Animated Film ''ParaNorman''|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jon-brion-to-release-soundtrack-for-ghoulish-animated-film-paranorman-20120724|access-date=October 31, 2012|newspaper=The Playlist|date=July 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112030456/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jon-brion-to-release-soundtrack-for-ghoulish-animated-film-paranorman-20120724|archive-date=January 12, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Bits of other music appear in the film, including the theme music from ''Halloween'', the Donovan song "Season of the Witch" (sung by the school play cast) and "Fix Up, Look Sharp" by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. "Little Ghost", a White Stripes song from their 2005 album ''Get Behind Me Satan'', plays at the end, over character cards identifying the main cast. However, one track in the film, an updated version of "Aggie Fights", was not included in the soundtrack.
==Release== ===Home media=== ''ParaNorman'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on November 27, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paranorman Blu-ray and DVD|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/ParaNorman-Blu-ray/54055/|date=September 3, 2012}}</ref> A new edition from Shout! Factory under license from Laika was released on Blu-ray on September 14, 2021, and later on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 13, 2022.
==Other media== ===Video game=== A video game called ''ParaNorman: 2-Bit Bub'' was made for iOS.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mobile Movie Marketing Gets Weird: Behind ParaNorman's Richly Detailed iOS Game, "2-Bit Bub" |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1681294/mobile-movie-marketing-gets-weird-behind-paranormans-richly-detailed-ios-game-2-bit-bub |website=Fast Company |access-date=14 June 2025 |date=2012-07-25}}</ref>
===''ParaNorman: The Thrifting''=== {{Infobox film | name = ParaNorman: The Thrifting | image = | alt = | caption = | director = Thibault LeClercq | producer = Peter McCown | writer = Chris Butler | starring = {{Plainlist| * Brayden Gleave * Beckett Maillard * Anna Kendrick * Finn Wolfhard * Kaden Stoneking * Amanda Sykes }} | based_on = | music = Kevin Lax<br>Robert Lydecker | cinematography = | editing = | studio = Laika<br>Passion Pictures | distributor = Fathom Entertainment | released = {{Film date|fy=no|2025|10|25}} | runtime = 7 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''ParaNorman: The Thrifting''''' is a computer animated horror comedy short film directed by Laika's principal character designer Thibault LeClercq (who designed Mitch's boyfriend Luca in June 2025 after the film's release),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/paranorman-mitch-boyfriend-luca/|title=ParaNorman Finally Reveals Mitch's Missing Boyfriend After 13 Years|first=Nick|last=Valdez|date=June 8, 2025}}</ref> produced by Peter McCown and written by film director Chris Butler who executive produced the short with producer and CEO Travis Knight, based on the characters from the film by Butler and Sam Fell.
The short brings back Anna Kendrick, who voiced Courtney in the film, along with new actors such as Finn Wolfhard while Brayden Gleave and Beckett Maillard voices Norman and Neil than the original actors. Produced from Laika in association with Passion Pictures, the short was released in promotion to the re-release of the main film in October 2025.<ref name="announced">{{cite web | title=LAIKA's 'ParaNorman' Returns to Theaters for Halloween in Remastered RealD 3D with New Short Film | date=June 13, 2025 | url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/06/laikas-paranorman-returns-to-theaters-for-halloween-in-remastered-reald-3d-with-new-short-film/ }}</ref>
====Plot==== The short opens up with Norman and Courtney walking to Ye Olde Grimporium to find a Halloween costume this year. While Courtney flirts with a moody shop clerk, Chad, Norman starts searching for a costume before bumping into his friend Neil. Finding a strange mask, the lights went out as a supernatural entity chases them around the shop. However, it turns out the entity is only a spiritual ghost kid named Edward who wants his mask back from Norman, thinking everything in the store is his. Fighting over the mask, Edward's mother, who's also a spiritual ghost, interrupts this and takes Edward away while grounding him even on a school night. The store is restored from Edward's spiritual influence but Norman decides he doesn't want a costume, leaving the mask on a table. Chad kicks the boys and Courtney out and locks the store for tonight. As they leave, Norman takes one last look at Edward above before leaving while Courtney calls Mitch about Chad.
====Voice cast==== * Brayden Gleave as Norman Babcock * Beckett Maillard as Neil Downe * Anna Kendrick as Courtney Babcock * Finn Wolfhard as Chad * Kaden Stoneking as Edward * Amanda Sykes as Edward's mother
====Production==== In June 2025, Laika announced at the Annecy of a re-release of their film ''ParaNorman'' with company Fathom Entertainment along with a CGI-animated short follow-up by as part of their 20th anniversary of the studio. Anna Kendrick reprise her role while Finn Wolfhard was cast as Chad while newcomers, Brayden Gleave and Beckett Maillard, replaces Kodi Smit-McPhee and Tucker Albrizzi as Norman and Neil. On October 9, the trailer was posted from Laika's YouTube channel with a first look at the short being more stylized like the credits of the original film.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://ew.com/paranorman-the-thrifting-trailer-finn-wolfhard-anna-kendrick-exclusive-11826954 | title=ParaNorman is back with Finn Wolfhard and Anna Kendrick in new short film — watch the trailer (exclusive) | website=ew.com}}</ref>
Unlike the original film which was produced in stop-motion, the animation was made by Passion Pictures in Paris, France while assets and production design comes from Laika Studios.<ref name="announced"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.passion-animation.com/project/paranorman-the-thrifting/|title=PASSION PICTURES – ParaNorman: The Thrifting}}</ref> Composers Kevin Lax and Robert Lydecker, who previously worked with producer Peter McCown on DreamWorks Animation's Netflix film ''Orion and the Dark'', were attached to score the short film, replacing Jon Brion.
====Release==== The short was released on October 25, 2025, as part of the re-release anniversary of the original film in 2012.<ref name="announced"/>
====Accolades==== {| class="wikitable" |+ ! Award ! Category ! Recipients ! Result |- | rowspan=2|Annie Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2026-annie-awards-nominations-nominees-list-1236464119/|title=2026 Annie Awards Nominations: ‘Elio,’ ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Lead Film Nods|first=Hilary|last=Lewis|date=January 5, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2026/01/annie-award-nominations-elio-kpop-demon-hunters-lead-the-race-win-or-lose-tops-tv-nods/|title=Annie Award Nominations: 'Elio' & 'KPop Demon Hunters' Lead the Race, 'Win Or Lose' Tops TV Nods|first=Mercedes|last=Milligan|date=January 5, 2026}}</ref> | Best Production Design – TV/Media | Thibault Leclercq, Santiago Montiel, Jung Woonyoung, Stephanie Bray-Lee | {{nom}} |- | Best Storyboarding – TV/Media | Coleton Palmer, Katherine Jay Myong, Heewon Jeong | {{nom}} |- |}
==Reception==
===Critical response=== Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives ''ParaNorman'' an approval rating of 89% based on 189 reviews, and an average score of 7.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Beautifully animated and solidly scripted, ''ParaNorman'' will entertain (and frighten) older children while providing surprisingly thoughtful fare for their parents."<ref name="RT" >{{cite web|title=ParaNorman (2012)|url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/paranorman/|publisher=Fandango Media|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=October 25, 2025}}</ref> Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 33 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|title=ParaNorman Reviews|url=https://metacritic.com/movie/paranorman|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=Metacritic|access-date=March 5, 2018}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title=Cinemascore :: Movie Title Search |access-date=January 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date=December 20, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Justin Chang of ''Variety'' wrote in his review, "Few movies so taken with death have felt so rudely alive as ''ParaNorman'', the latest handcrafted marvel from the stop-motion artists at Laika."<ref>{{cite news|last=Chang|first=Justin|title=ParaNorman|url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117947990|access-date=August 20, 2012|newspaper=Variety|date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> Michael Rechtshaffen of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said, "It has its entertaining moments, but this paranormal stop-motion animated comedy-chiller cries out for more activity."<ref name=THRReview>{{cite news|last=Rechtshaffen|first=Michael|title=ParaNorman: Film Review|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/movie/paranorman/review/355849|access-date=November 25, 2012|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 2, 2012}}</ref>
===Box office=== ''ParaNorman'' earned $56 million in North America, and $51.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $107.1 million.<ref name="Boxofficemojo1" /> The film premiered in Mexico on August 3, 2012, opening in second place with box office receipts of $2.2 million, behind ''The Dark Knight Rises''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mexico Box Office, August 3–5, 2012|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/intl/mexico/?yr=2012&wk=31&p=.htm|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=August 26, 2012}}</ref> For its opening weekend in North America, the film placed third, with receipts of $14 million, behind ''The Expendables 2'' and ''The Bourne Legacy''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Subers|first=Ray|title=Weekend Report: 'Expendables 2' Commandeers Top Spot, Misses Predecessor's Mark|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3504&p=.htm|access-date=August 20, 2012|newspaper=Box Office Mojo|date=August 19, 2012}}</ref> Travis Knight, head of the studio that produced the film, believed the box office total was fine, but did not live up to his expectations.<ref name="Knight">{{cite web | url=https://collider.com/travis-knight-paranorman-laika-interview/ | title=Travis Knight (President & CEO of LAIKA) Talks PARANORMAN, Audience Reactions to the Film, Laika's Future Plans, and More at the VES Awards | date=February 13, 2013 | publisher=Collider | access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref>
===Gay character=== The film has drawn attention for the revelation in its final scenes that supporting character Mitch is gay, making him the first openly gay character in a mainstream animated film.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson-Minshall |first1=Diane |title=Why ParaNorman Featured the First Gay Character in an Animated Film |url=https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/dvds/2012/11/29/why-paranorman-featured-first-gay-character-animated-film |website=Advocate |date=November 29, 2012 |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref> Nancy French of ''National Review Online'' suggested that the film could lead parents "to answer unwanted questions about sex and homosexuality on the way home from the movie theater."<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.nationalreview.com/home-front/314665/iparanormani-has-gay-sub-plot/nancy-french | title=''ParaNorman'' Has Gay Sub-Plot | first= nancy | last= French | work=National Review | date =August 22, 2012}}</ref> Conversely, Mike Ryan of ''The Huffington Post'' cited Mitch's inclusion as one of the reasons why ''ParaNorman'' is "remarkable".<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ryan/paranorman-the-movie-you-should-see_b_1773721.html | title='ParaNorman': The Movie You May Not Be Planning To See, Though You Should | first=Mike |last= Ryan | work= The Huffington Post | date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> Co-director Chris Butler said that the character was explicitly connected with the film's message: "If we're saying to anyone that watches this movie don't judge other people, then we've got to have the strength of our convictions."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Film Strip: ''ParaNorman'' Says You Can be Weird but Bullying is Not Ok.|url=http://www.eurweb.com/2012/08/the-film-strip-paranorman-says-you-can-be-weird-but-bullying-is-not-ok/|publisher=Eurweb.com|access-date=January 7, 2013|archive-date=August 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811185400/http://www.eurweb.com/2012/08/the-film-strip-paranorman-says-you-can-be-weird-but-bullying-is-not-ok/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013, ''ParaNorman'' was the first-ever PG-rated movie nominated by GLAAD in its annual GLAAD Media Awards, but lost to ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/paranorman-named-first-ever-pg-rated-nominee-glaad-193731709.html|title='ParaNorman' Named First Ever PG-Rated Nominee for GLAAD Media Awards|date=January 16, 2013}}</ref>
===Accolades=== {{More citations needed|date=December 2015}} {| class="wikitable" |+List of awards and nominations ! Award ! Category ! Recipients ! Result |- | Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | Sam Fell, Chris Butler | {{nom}} |- | rowspan=1|Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Animated Film | | {{won}} |- | rowspan=9|Annie Awards<ref>{{cite news|title=Annie Award Nominations Unveiled|url=https://deadline.com/2012/12/2012-annie-award-nominations-381176/|access-date=December 3, 2012|newspaper=Deadline|date=December 3, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Beck|first=Jerry|title=Annie Award Winners|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/events/annie-award-winners-77380.html|access-date=February 3, 2013|newspaper=Cartoon Brew|date=February 2, 2013}}</ref> | Best Animated Feature | | {{nom}} |- | Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Sam Fell, Chris Butler | {{nom}} |- | Animated Effects in an Animated Production | Andrew Nawrot, Joe Gorski, Grant Lake | {{nom}} |- | Character Animation in a Feature Production | Travis Knight | {{won}} |- | Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Heidi Smith | {{won}} |- | Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Nelson Lowry, Ross Stewart, Pete Oswald, Ean McNamara, Trevor Dalmer | {{nom}} |- | Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production | Emmanuela Cozzi | {{nom}} |- | Writing in an Animated Feature Production | Chris Butler | {{nom}} |- | Foley Mixing in an Animated Feature Production | Richard Duarte | {{won}} |- | BAFTA Awards<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite news|last=Labrecque|first=Jeff|title='Lincoln' leads BAFTA race with 10 nominations|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/01/09/lincoln-bafta-nominations/|access-date=January 9, 2013|newspaper=Deadline|date=January 9, 2013}}</ref> | Best Animated Film | | {{nom}} |- | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | Critics Choice Awards<ref>{{cite news|last=Hammond|first=Pete|title='Lincoln', 'Les Miserables', 'Silver Linings' Top List Of Nominees For 18th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards|url=https://deadline.com/2012/12/critics-choice-movie-awards-2012-nominations-lincoln-386446/|access-date=December 11, 2012|newspaper=Deadline|date=December 11, 2012}}</ref> | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | Best Animated Film | | {{won}} |- | Denver Film Critics Society | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | GLAAD Media Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.glaad.org/blog/and-nominees-are-glaadawards|title = And the Nominees are... #glaadawards| work=GLAAD |date = January 15, 2013}}</ref> | Outstanding Film - Wide Release | | {{nom}} |- | Houston Film Critics Society | Best Animated Film | | {{nom}} |- | Indiana Film Critics Association | Best Animated Feature | | {{nom}} |- | Las Vegas Film Critics Society | Best Animated Film | | {{won}} |- | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Animated Feature | | {{nom}} |- | rowspan=1|Online Film Critics Society<ref>{{cite news|title=2012 Awards (16th Annual)|url=http://www.ofcs.org/awards/2012-awards-16th-annual/|access-date=December 30, 2012|date=December 2012}}</ref> | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Animated Film | | {{nom}} |- | Producers Guild of America | Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures | Travis Knight, Arianne Sutner | {{nom}} |- | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Animated Film | | {{won}} |- | San Francisco Film Critics Circle | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | Satellite Awards<ref>{{cite news|last=Kilday|first=Gregg|title=Satellite Awards Nominates 10 Films for Best Motion Picture|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/race/satellite-awards-nominates-10-films-396865|access-date=December 4, 2012|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 3, 2012}}</ref> | Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media | | {{nom}} |- | Saturn Awards<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/02/20/the-hobbit-saturn-awards-movie-tv-nominations/1933067/|title='The Hobbit' leads Saturn Awards with nine nomination | work=USA Today | first1=Brian|last1=Truitt|date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> | Best Animated Film | Sam Fell and Chris Butler | {{nom}} |- | Southeastern Film Critics Association | Best Animated Film | | {{won}} |- | St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | Best Animated Film | | {{nom}} |- | Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | Utah Film Critics Association | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |- | rowspan=5|Visual Effects Society<ref>{{cite news|title=Nominations for the 11th Annual VES Awards|url=https://comingsoon.net/news/gamenews.php?id=98578|access-date=January 7, 2013|newspaper=ComingSoon.net|date=January 7, 2013|archive-date=January 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113090012/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/gamenews.php?id=98578|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=VES Awards: 'Life Of Pi' Wins 4 Including Feature, 'Brave', 'Game Of Thrones' Other Big Winners|url=https://deadline.com/2013/02/visual-effects-society-awards-2013-winners-list-422307/|access-date=February 7, 2013|newspaper=Deadline|date=February 5, 2013}}</ref> | Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Chris Butler, Sam Fell, Travis Knight, Brad Schiff | {{nom}} |- | rowspan=2|Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Graveyard: Phil Brotherton, Robert Desue, Oliver Jones, Nick Mariana | {{nom}} |- | Main Street: Alice Bird, Matt Delue, Caitlin Pashalek | {{nom}} |- | rowspan=2|Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Practical Volumetrics: Aidan Fraser, Joe Gorski, Eric Kuehne, Andrew Nawrot | {{nom}} |- | Angry Aggie Ink-Blot Electricity: Michael Cordova, Grant Laker, Susanna Luck, Peter Vickery | {{nom}} |- | Washington D. C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Animated Feature | | {{won}} |}
==Future== ===Proposed television series=== In 2017, animator Ila Solomon posted test footage for a ''ParaNorman'' television spin-off. The series would have used practical sets, but all the characters would have been rendered in CGI made to look like stop-motion. Not much information was given, but it was apparent that the show did not get picked up.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOBFbKKTuQc|title=(Cancelled) ParaNorman TV Series Animation Supercut [READ DESCRIPTION!]|website=YouTube|publisher=Rare LAIKA Reuploads|date=August 14, 2024|access-date=August 14, 2024}}</ref>
==See also== * List of ghost films
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Wikiquote}} * {{Official website|http://www.paranorman.com}} * {{IMDb title|1623288}} * {{Mojo title|paranorman}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|paranorman}} * [http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/paranorman ''ParaNorman'' DVD & Blu-ray] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315054931/http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/paranorman|date=March 15, 2015}} at Universal Studios Home Entertainment * [http://readparanorman.com Official novel website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904182955/http://www.readparanorman.com|date=September 4, 2019}}
{{Navboxes |title = Awards for ''ParaNorman'' |list1 = {{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film}} {{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film}} {{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film}} {{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film}} {{San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Feature}} {{TFCA Award for Best Animated Film}} {{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature}}}} {{Sam Fell}} {{Laika (company)}} {{Universal theatrical animated features}} {{Portal bar|Animation|Film}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paranorman}} Category:2012 films Category:2012 American animated films Category:2012 comedy horror films Category:2010s ghost films Category:2012 3D films Category:American 3D films Category:American animated horror films Category:American ghost films Category:American zombie comedy films Category:Animated films about children Category:Claymation films Category:Children's horror films Category:Films about psychic powers Category:Animated films about witchcraft Category:Films directed by Chris Butler Category:Films directed by Sam Fell Category:Films produced by Arianne Sutner Category:Films produced by Travis Knight Category:Films scored by Jon Brion Category:Films with screenplays by Chris Butler Category:Animated films set in Massachusetts Category:Films set in the 1710s Category:Films shot in Oregon Category:Focus Features animated films Category:Focus Features films Category:Universal Pictures animated films Category:Universal Pictures films Category:Laika (company) animated films Category:Middle school films Category:2010s stop-motion animated films Category:3D animated films Category:American animated films about revenge Category:American supernatural horror films Category:2012 directorial debut films Category:American animated feature films Category:2012 English-language films Category:Animated films set in schools Category:Animated films set in the 18th century Category:English-language comedy horror films Category:Suburban gothic Category:Animated films about zombies Category:2012 children's films