Beethoven's 2nd
Short description
Beethoven's 2nd continues the story of the Newton family and their large St. Bernard, who has settled into their home and won over even the family's reluctant father, George. The dog's life changes when he meets Missy, a female St. Bernard, and the two produce a litter of puppies. Missy's owner, Regina, has her own plans for the animals and wants to separate them from the Newtons, leaving Beethoven and the Newton children to keep the family together.
The film is a Universal Pictures and Northern Lights Entertainment production directed by Rod Daniel, working from a screenplay by Len Blum. It is the sixth feature Daniel directed, arriving between The Super and Genius. Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt return as George and Alice Newton, alongside Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile and Sarah Rose Karr as the children, with Debi Mazar as Regina. It runs 89 minutes and falls into the comedy and family genres.
Released in December 1993, the film had a budget of 15 million dollars and took in about 118 million dollars worldwide, a strong return relative to its cost. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5 out of 10 from roughly 31,000 votes, and on TMDB it sits at 5.6 out of 10 from around a thousand votes, indicating modest audience regard. A critics' rating of 4.5 out of 10 from 13 reviews places professional assessment below the already mixed audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Initially, filming a sequel to 'Beethoven' (Brian Levant, 1991) was not planned, but the film proved to be not only a box office success, which led to the decision to make a continuation.
- Christopher Masterson initially played a minor role, while his older brother, Danny Masterson, played one of the significant roles. They did not play brothers in the film, and no one on the film's creative team even suspected their family connection. Later, producers noticed the resemblance, and all of Christopher's scenes were reshot with another actor.
- The filming period took several months, and it was necessary for the puppies in different scenes to be of a certain age, so a huge number of puppies had to be used. They were found through breeders and returned after filming. Three St. Bernards played Missie, and two played Beethoven. In addition to the real dogs, a mechanical St. Bernard model was used, and in some scenes – even a person in a St. Bernard costume. For close-ups, an artificial model of the muzzle was sometimes used, which could display certain emotions and expressions.
- While Rice decides what to wear to school, she holds a dress in front of the mirror, asks Beethoven's opinion, and turns to him. After that, she is already holding a different dress in her hand.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
