The Lorax

The Lorax (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax) is a 2012 American animated musical fantasy comedy film directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Kyle Balda (in his feature directorial debut), and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, from a screenplay written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Paul and Daurio also served as executive producers alongside Dr. Seuss' widow Audrey Geisel. The second screen adaptation of Seuss' 1971 children's book of the same name following the 1972 animated television special which came out 40 years before, it was produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The Lorax stars the voices of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, Jenny Slate, and Betty White. It builds on the book by expanding the story of the Lorax and Ted, the previously unnamed boy who visits the Once-ler. The Lorax had its world premiere at Universal Studios in Hollywood on February 19, 2012, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 2, by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its animation, musical score, and voice acting, but criticized its characters and story; it also received backlash for its marketing, noting its contradictions to the book's message. Despite this, it was a commercial success, grossing $349 million worldwide against a $70 million budget. Plot Twelve-year-old Ted Wiggins lives in Thneedville, a walled city where all vegetation is artificial. One day, Ted is infatuated with a teenage girl named Audrey and decides to impress her with a "real tree". His grandmother, Norma, tells him about the Once-ler, who knows what happened to the trees. Ted leaves Thneedville and discovers that the outside world is a barren, contaminated wasteland. He finds the Once-ler, who agrees to tell Ted the story of the trees over multiple visits. The next time he leaves town, Ted encounters Thneedville's greedy mayor, Aloysius O'Hare, whose company sells bottled oxygen. Explaining that trees and the oxygen they produce pose a threat to his business, O'Hare intimidates Ted to stay in town, but Ted continues to visit the Once-ler.