Arco (film)
| Arco | |
|---|---|
French theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ugo Bienvenu |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Edited by | Nathan Jacquard |
| Music by | Arnaud Toulon |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 89 minutes[2] |
| Countries |
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| Language | French |
| Budget | €9.5 million[3] |
| Box office | $3 million[4] |
Arco is a 2025 animated science fantasy film written and directed by Ugo Bienvenu, and produced by Natalie Portman. It stars Swann Arlaud, Alma Jodorowsky, Margot Ringard Oldra, Oscar Tresanini, Vincent Macaigne, Louis Garrel, William Lebghil and Oxmo Puccino.
The film had its world premiere in the Special Screenings section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May. It was nominated for Best Animated Film at the 31st Critics' Choice Awards and at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. It was released in France on 22 October, 2025, by Diaphana Distribution. Neon gave the film a week-long awards qualifying run in the United States on 14 November, 2025, followed by a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York on January 23, 2026, and a nationwide release on January 30.
Premise
Ten-year-old Arco, who lives in the year 2932, uses a rainbow to accidentally time travel back to the year 2075, where he meets Iris.
Voice cast
| Character | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| French | English | |
| Iris | Margot Ringard Oldra | Romy Fay |
| Arco | Oscar Tresanini | Juliano Krue Valdi |
| Iris' father | Swann Arlaud | Chris Hemsworth |
| Iris' mother | Alma Jodorowsky | Natalie Portman |
| Dougie | Vincent Macaigne | Will Ferrell |
| Stewie | Louis Garrel | Andy Samberg |
| Frankie | William Lebghil | Flea |
| Arco's father | Oxmo Puccino | Jake Gyllenhaal |
| Arco's mother | Sophie Mas | America Ferrera |
| Mikki | N/a | Mark Ruffalo Natalie Portman |
Production
In May 2024, it was revealed that Natalie Portman, who also served as a producer on the film, had joined the cast for the English dub, which was written and directed by Ugo Bienvenu, and starring Oscar Tresanini, Margot Ringard Oldra, Alma Jodorowsky, Swann Arlaud, Vincent Macaigne, Louis Garrel, and Oxmo Puccino.[5]
Release
Arco had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025.[6] A few days later, Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film.[7]
The film opened in the Locarno Kids section at the 78th Locarno Film Festival on 6 August 2025.[8] The film was released in theaters across France on October 22, 2025.[9] The film was given a week-long awards qualifying theatrical run in the United States on November 14, 2025.[10] In December 2025, Neon announced that the film would be given a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York on January 23, 2026, expanding nationwide a week later on January 30.[11][12]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 43 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Blending together different influences that complement each other like the colors of a rainbow, Arco soars with its clever world-building and lovable characters."[13] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 75/100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[14]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 24 May 2025 | Camera d'Or | Ugo Bienvenu | Nominated | [15] |
| Annecy International Animation Film Festival | 14 June 2025 | Cristal Award for Best Feature Film | Arco | Won | [16] |
| SACEM Award for Best Original Music Award in a Feature Film | Arnaud Toulon | Won | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 19 November 2025 | Original Score – Animated Film | Nominated | [17] | |
| National Board of Review Awards | 3 December 2025 | Best Animated Film | Arco | Won | [18] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 4 January 2026 | Best Animated Feature | Pending | [19] | |
| Astra Film Awards | 9 January 2026 | Best Animated Feature | Pending | [20] | |
| Best Voice Over Performance | Natalie Portman | Pending | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | 11 January 2026 | Best Motion Picture – Animated | Arco | Pending | [21] |
| Lumière Awards | 18 January 2026 | Best Animated Film | Pending | [22] | |
| Best Music | Arnaud Toulon | Pending |
References
- ^ "Arco (2025)". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ "Arco [PG]". Australian Classification Board. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ "Arco, le dessin animé parfait de SF - Ugo Bienvenu #262". Ausha. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Arco". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (13 May 2024). "Natalie Portman Joins Voice Cast For Ugo Bienvenu's Rainbow Fantasy 'Arco' As Gebeka In'l Launches Sales In Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ Durand, Manon (16 May 2025). "Arco: Ugo Bienvenu's animated utopian tale". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (24 May 2025). "Neon Taking North American Rights To Natalie Portman Cannes Animation 'Arco'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (2 July 2025). "Marcel Barelli to Get Locarno Kids Award, Annecy Winner 'Arco' to Screen at Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ^ "Arco". AlloCiné. 2 August 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
- ^ McGowan, Andrew (21 August 2025). "'Arco' Trailer: Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, America Ferrera and More Voice Neon's Animated Feature". Variety. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Aguilar, Matthew (6 November 2025). "NEON's Animated Film Arco Delivers Stunning First Trailer (And Could Win An Oscar)". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (17 December 2025). "Neon Sets Theatrical Release Date For Animated Hit 'Arco' Voiced By Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, America Ferrera & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
- ^ "Arco". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media.
- ^ "Arco Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ Gularte, Alejandra (24 May 2025). "It Was Just an Accident Wins Neon's Sixth Palme d'Or". Vulture. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (14 June 2025). "'Arco' Takes Annecy's Top Prize, 'Endless Cookie' Wins Contrechamp and 'The Night Boots' Scoops Best Short as Filmmakers Address Conflict in the Middle East". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (5 November 2025). "The 2025 Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (3 December 2025). "The 2025 National Board Of Review (NBR) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 31ST ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS HOSTED BY CHELSEA HANDLER – Critics Choice Association". Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Alter, Ethan (25 November 2025). "'One Battle After Another' leads Astra Film Awards nominations". GoldDerby. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (8 December 2025). "Golden Globes: 'KPop Demon Hunters' Lands 3 Nominations, Including Best Song for 'Golden' and Animated Feature". Variety. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (12 December 2025). "Lumière Awards: François Ozon's 'The Stranger' Leads Nominations; Jodie Foster Up For Best Actress & Natalie Portman Animation Also In Running". Deadline. Retrieved 12 December 2025.