Good news! One of the year's best animated films is now coming home to Vudu. The Mitchells Vs. the Machines will be available to watch at home beginning December 14, and we have all the details on its upcoming home release, as well as an exclusive chat with the film's director. The hit animated movie, about a family road trip disrupted by the robot apocalypse, has had a unique journey. It was first intended to be a Sony theatrical release, but then was sold to Netflix, where the film has been available to watch since the spring. However, it is now arriving on digital to buy or rent, and it will come stuffed with all kinds of special features, including 40 minutes of deleted scenes and an epic commentary track... but more on that below.
We spoke with Michael Rianda, director and writer (both with Jeff Rowe) of the hit film, and asked him why he thinks the film resonated with so many people around the world.
“The great thing about this movie is that we had—even though we were working with a big studio—we had a ton of freedom. Basically, we all kind of agreed that the audience would be our boss, instead of our bosses being our boss. Bosses? You know, ultimately, we all had the same goal: How do we make people love this movie as much as humanly possible?”
People really love this movie.
“Hey, if no one liked the movie, I would be very sad,” he confessed with a sincere chuckle.
The Mitchells Vs. the Machines is Rianda’s feature directorial debut. He also performs the voice of Aaron Mitchell, dinosaur enthusiast. Lately, his enthusiasm is focused on digital bonus material, specifically the kind included in the home release of The Mitchells Vs. the Machines.
“The nice thing about the home video release, which I'm really excited about . . . the whole movie was made in a manic frenzy of 18 hours a day work. The [home release] was no exception. Throughout the whole movie, we had this real ethos of we need to give people as much as we can possibly give. It was like every frame needs to be a gift to the audience. And we tried to do that with the [home release]. Like, every single feature needs to be good, and if it's not, it's a betrayal. You know, because I've seen so many DVDs where it's like . . . I learned nothing. We're trying to make everything good. It's hard to make things good.”
With the award-winning film already available on Netflix, the team wanted to make sure the bonus materials brought the wow, giving the audience a whole new experience.
“We had to give a real, you know, explosion of new stuff, fun stuff. And the great news about the movie is that we've been working on it for six years, so we have almost three completely different versions of the movie that . . . have scenes that I really love, but they needed to be cut from the movie. I'm so happy that they now get this second life. There's literally 40 minutes of deleted scenes. And I will say, I love all of the deleted scenes.”
There’s a lot more to love. Rianda added that one of his favorite things about the bonus material is that it pulls back the curtain and shows how the film, which he lovingly calls “an ode to creativity and weirdos” is made, while also shining a light on the amazing people — a hardworking collection of creative weirdos — who did it.
“I mean, if it wasn't for them, the movie would be a half-written script on a table, and no one would care.
“I could not be more delighted.”
As he should be. The Mitchells, proud, self-proclaimed weirdos themselves, are based on Rianda’s own family.
“My dad looks exactly like Rick. He loves nature more than any human should. All he does is hunt and fish. He would take me out and I was like, I need to go home and watch ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’. So I was like Katie. I was this little cartoonist, and my dad was like, I don't know, buddy, maybe you should have a backup plan. And I was like, oh, there will be no backup plan.
“In my adult life, I've really grown to appreciate my parents . . . for all the things that they gave up. For me, it's so easy to miss that when you're a teenager, you've just got tunnel vision. And you're just, you know, you got your hormones and you're freaked out. You're like, that's unfair! So the arc of the movie is sort of me appreciating my parents. And then also on the other side, the feeling that I had when a teenager was just, I wanted my parents to see me, you know, and Katie wants her parents to see her as an individual.”
In terms of special features you cannot miss on the new home release, there's a pretty massive audio commentary that may be record-breaking...
“For any film nerds out there, we did an audio commentary, which has more people than an audio commentary has ever had. They were like, we can't do it! We can't get eight microphones in a room! And I was like, I believe in you.”
Will there be a sequel to The Mitchells Vs. the Machines?
“You know, I'd say we've got a lot of good ideas on the board, at least. I've been talking to people about it . . . some folks who are excited about that idea.”
If you’re curious what that idea might be, watch the attached video, which debuts the first 10 minutes of “The Mitchells Vs. the Machines.” Pause during the title and you can see up to 25 sequel ideas, including the Mitchells versus the concept of death, the Mitchells versus the aliens and the Mitchells enter the Furby-verse.
Why would someone build that?
Because it’s weird.
The Mitchells Vs. the Machines will be released on Vudu on December 14.
DIGITAL BONUS MATERIALS
- Katie's Cabinet of Forgotten Wonders: Take a rare look inside Katie Mitchell’s filmmaking process as she gives you an exclusive look into how the movie was made.
- Katie-Vision!
- Dumb Robots Trailer
- The Original “Mitchells” Story Pitch
- The Furby Scene - How? Why?
- PAL's World
- The Mitchells Vs. The Machines: Or How a Group of Passionate Weirdos Made a Big Animated Movie: Go inside the story of The Mitchells vs the Machines and meet a group of first-time filmmakers & talented cast who banded together to take a collective risk on making a unique, original, and totally off-the-wall film about an everyday, epic, world-saving family!
- How To Make Sock Puppets: Katie Mitchell opens the door to her film school. Learn how to make sock puppets who could be extras in your next short film!
- How To Make Katie Face Cupcakes: Enjoy making cupcakes only a mother could love.
EXCLUSIVE BLU-RAY BONUS MATERIALS
- Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter: Katie Mitchell is back and creating the most hilarious film of her young career – check out an all-new mini-movie, Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter. In a world where the holidays are being haunted by the Candy Cane Kidnapper, there is only one Dog with the skills to solve the case.
- Katie’s Extended Cinematic Bonanza Cut! Prepare to witness Katie's director’s cut, an extended version of the original film with over 40 minutes of deleted scenes.
- 8 Bonus Scenes: Get more Mitchells with over 20 minutes of Deleted & Extended Scenes.
- Filmmakers’ commentary
