Fixed: Why Sony's Animated Movie Is R-Rated - & Everything Else You Need To Know
When it comes to animated animals on film, dogs abound. Indeed, man's best friend has been a staple of animated works since nearly the advent of the medium, with J. Stuart Blackton's "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces" — a three-minute short from 1906 — featuring a dog jumping into a hoop. For discerning animation hounds, films like "The Lady and the Tramp" and "101 Dalmatians" sit at the top of the dogpile, while newer projects like "DC League of Super-Pets" prove that audiences' affection for cartoon pets has stood the test of time.
For his upcoming adult animated film "Fixed," director Genndy Tartakovsky is paying direct homage to animated pets of yore — especially those that were painstakingly produced via 2D hand-drawn animation. "It has become a lost art," Tartakovsky lamented to Variety. "These days, everything is computer-generated. It was my dream to do this." The director cited Bugs Bunny and Tex Avery as influences, but seeing as "Fixed" follows the tribulations of a dog on the cusp of being neutered, he was just as quick to shout out live-action fare like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" for his uniquely raunchy vision. As such, it's no surprise why this film is rated R.
Here's everything else you need to know about the adult-friendly "Fixed."
When will Fixed be released?
As is often the case for animated features, "Fixed" was a long time coming. So long, in fact, that Genndy Tartakovsky helmed an entire franchise while "Fixed" was still in limbo. He first met with executives at Sony Pictures Animation in 2010. As he put it to Variety, "lightning struck," and the director created a concept on the spot. "I went: 'They find out one of their friends will get neutered!'" he recalled. "Everyone laughed and that was it."
When leadership at Sony changed, they blanched at the idea of an R-rated animated movie, but not before enlisting Tartakovsky to help out with a fledgling project called "Hotel Transylvania." Three "Hotel Transylvania" films later, plus guidance on some other Sony projects, and Tartakovsky was still fixated on "Fixed." "It felt like it was dead," Tartakovsky told The Wrap. "When you think back to 2010/2011 adult animation is in a totally different place than it is now. It's quite different. For us to do an R-rated feature back then was way beyond its days," he said, adding that adult-friendly animation was then reserved for television. "It didn't feel like there was any movement on it."
With the passage of time and changing tastes at Sony, "Fixed" is finally in production and is scheduled to be completed in September, with release set for sometime in 2024. That closure is good enough for Tartakovsky. "I'm beyond excited about it," he said, "It's 12 years in the making."
What is the plot of Fixed?
Dogs are just as susceptible to growing pains as humans, and past animated films have explored what happens when your owner goes to work all day, or when you're suddenly guardian to 101 puppies. "Fixed" is the first film to bravely ask, "What about castration anxiety ... but for dogs?"
Enter Bull (Adam Devine), an average pup whose life is about to change forever. When he learns he'll be neutered the next day, Bull has 24 hours to gather his buds and give his balls a proper sendoff. Bull also contends with his crush on the dog next door, Honey (Kathryn Hahn).
Genndy Tartakovsky understands that his film is potentially a hard sell. "Some people might get uncomfortable," he admitted to Variety. Still, he insists that "Fixed" is a heartfelt tale. "If you can look past the balls and the buttholes, you will find a very sweet, charming, sincere story of friendship and romance."
For Tartakovsky, the joy of the film lies in animation's inventive comedic potential. "Comedy is the hardest thing, always, but in animation, you create it from nothing," he said. "It's why I got into it. I could draw a little stick figure running, my friends would look over my shoulder and laugh. It's such an amazing illusion." To that end, "Fixed" leans into physical and character humor, rather than pop culture references — plus some humping jokes for good measure.
Who is starring in Fixed?
"Fixed" brings together a number of comedy heavy-hitters for its voice cast, led by Adam Devine as Bull. Insofar as a human actor could be appropriately cast as a soon-to-be neutered dog, Devine — with his background in ridiculous comedies like "Workaholics" and "The Righteous Gemstones" — comes pretty damn close. Idris Elba co-stars as his best friend, Rocco. Genndy Tartakovsky assured Variety that Elba's fame, honed in projects like "The Wire" and "Luther," wouldn't distract from the role. "When Idris is doing Rocco, you may recognize him, but then you just settle in."
Kathryn Hahn, who previously collaborated with Tartakovsky on "Hotel Transylvania," stars as Bull's love interest, Honey. Hahn, who cut her teeth in comedies like "Anchorman" and "Step Brothers," was adamant that her character has some edge. Producer Michelle Murdocca recalled, "When Kathryn decided to do it, she told us: 'I want to be just like the guys. I don't want to be the sweet girl in the background who doesn't have any depth to her. Make her a little raunchier.' Hiring her made this character come alive."
The rest of the "Fixed" cast includes Fred Armisen, Michelle Buteau, Beck Bennett, Bobby Moynihan, and River Gallo.
Who is directing Fixed?
Before his involvement with the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise, Genndy Tartakovsky was responsible for some of the best Cartoon Network shows of all time. He created "Dexter's Laboratory," "Samurai Jack," "Star Wars: Clone Wars," and "Sym-Bionic Titan," and is also known for his work on "The Powerpuff Girls." Additionally, Tartakovsky is the chief creative voice behind his two ongoing series, the critically acclaimed "Primal" and "Unicorn: Warriors Eternal," both of which are aimed at adult audiences.
For "Fixed," Tartakovsky is tapping into that adult-friendly sensibility on a larger scale. As a result, he's had to undo some of his more kid-centric thinking. "Doing kids' television for most of my career, I have a boundary. I will hit it, but I will never cross it," he told Variety. "For this movie, everything had to be over that boundary."
Whether or not his work crosses a line, Tartakovsky is primarily interested in being held in high esteem. "I want to be a director that's respected," he told Polygon, "and you know if you're walking into a Genndy show or movie, you would expect a certain thing whether it be comedy or action or drama or whatever, but it's going to be something different." Insofar as Tartakovsky's credits are concerned, "Fixed" is certainly something different.
What will Fixed be rated?
Genndy Tartakovsky's "Fixed" has been stamped with an R-rating, but according to the director, studios initially thought they were dealing with an X-rated venture. "When they were reading it, they're picturing everything," the director explained to Paste. "But when you think about a rated R movie, it's a suggestion of the inappropriate." Tartakovsky found himself having to explain the nitty gritty of "Fixed" vis-a-vis dog genitalia. "They were like, 'Our animators are not going to draw a dog penis, I'll tell you that right now!' And I'm like, 'What are you talking about? Of course, there's not going to be that!'"
"Fixed" may leave things to the imagination, but the jokes are still ribald enough to earn an R-rating. The animation style, however, gives "Fixed" some flexibility. "When it's hand-drawn, it's such a caricature that it's kind of still cute," said Tartakovsky, especially compared to an overly realistic CGI rendering. "There's something very gross about it because you can put in all those extra details."