The Star

The Star is an animated family film about Bo, a small but determined donkey who spends his days working at a village mill. Longing for something beyond his daily routine, Bo seizes the chance to break free and follow a remarkably bright star across the sky. Along the way he joins forces with Ruth, a sheep separated from her flock, and Dave, a dove with ambitions of his own, and the group is soon joined by three camels and a collection of eccentric farm animals. Their journey draws them into the events surrounding the first Christmas, where these unlikely travellers become the unnoticed heroes of the story.

The film was directed by Timothy Reckart, working from a screenplay by Simon Moore, Tommy Sheridan and Carlos Kotkin, and produced by Jenni Magee-Cook. It was made by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Walden Media and Franklin Entertainment. The voice cast is led by Steven Yeun as Bo, with Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi as Mary and Joseph, Keegan-Michael Key as Dave, Kelly Clarkson as Leah and Anthony Anderson as Zach, among 45 credited cast members.

Released in November 2017, the film runs 86 minutes and mixes adventure, comedy and fantasy within a family animation format. Against a budget of 10 million dollars, it took about 64 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for its cost. Audiences rate it 6.2 out of 10 on IMDb from nearly 8,900 votes, and 6.5 out of 10 on TMDB from several hundred votes, placing it as a modestly received but widely seen holiday release.