Mars (2024 film)
| Mars | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sevan Najarian |
| Written by | Trevor Moore Zach Cregger Sam Brown |
| Produced by | Kara Welker Sevan Najarian Trevor Moore Zach Cregger Sam Brown |
| Starring | Trevor Moore Zach Cregger Sam Brown Timmy Williams Darren Trumeter |
| Edited by | Sevan Najarian |
| Music by | Jason Akana |
Production companies | Midnight Kids Studios Inc. Whitest Kids Films LLC. |
| Distributed by | Synergetic Films |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $300,000[1] |
Mars is an American animated comedy film written by Trevor Moore, Zach Cregger, and Sam Brown, directed by Sevan Najarian and starring The Whitest Kids U' Know sketch comedy troupe. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2024.[2]
Plot
When a ragtag group of misfits — including a young man who ditches his fiancée on their wedding day — embark on a wild space mission to the red planet, they quickly discover they have been bamboozled by a billionaire with a hidden agenda. As the absurdity of their predicament unfolds, the eclectic crew must navigate a series of hilarious and unexpected twists and turns.[3]
Cast
- Trevor Moore
- Zach Cregger
- Sam Brown
- Timmy Williams
- Darren Trumeter
Production
In July 2012, Moore revealed on his website that a script for a new Whitest Kids U' Know film was being written.[4] On February 11, 2017, Moore announced via Instagram that the film's script had been completed.[5] Cregger stated that although the troupe wrote other films after their first draft of Mars, they continued to revise it over several years, noting it remained their favorite project and one they never lost interest in.[6] As the story continued to develop, Moore enlisted animator Sevan Najarian to help adapt the script into an animated film.[7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the troupe created a shared Twitch account and streamed on a regular basis to crowdfund the film's production budget.[8] At the time of Moore's passing in August 2021, he had recorded all of his dialogue for the film and provided notes on the animatic. In September 2022, Cregger revealed that the film had nearly wrapped production.[1]
Release
In September 2025, it was announced that the film would receive a deluxe Blu-ray release in early 2026, featuring commentary tracks, behind the scenes footage, and deleted scenes.[9][10] In February 2026, it was revealed that select Alamo Drafthouse theaters will screen Mars, with the Whitest Kids U' Know and Najarian attending for exclusive Q&A sessions.[11]
References
- ^ a b Earl, William (2022-09-09). "Whitest Kids U' Know Wrapping Production on Animated Movie 'Mars,' Final WKUK Project After Trevor Moore's Death". Variety. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (April 17, 2024). "The Whitest Kids U' Know's Animated Feature 'Mars' Sets Tribeca World Premiere". Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ "Mars". Tribeca Festival. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ NEW QUESTIONS ROUND 4! Archived 2013-07-11 at the Wayback Machine, TrevorMoore.org, July 11, 2012 ("Yeah, we’re working on a new WKUK movie right now. We’re hoping to have the script done by the end of the summer and then we'd like to shoot it as soon as possible.")
- ^ "Finished the WKUK movie script. It's ok. on Instagram". Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
- ^ Zilko, Christian (2024-06-07). "A Glorious Era of Sketch Comedy Comes to an End with Tragedy and Lots of Doll Licking in 'Mars'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
- ^ "Finding Refuge on 'Mars,' for the Characters and the Writers". 2024-06-02. Archived from the original on 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
- ^ "Episode 408: Trevor Moore, Brian Broome, Steven Hall". WPR. 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "'The Whitest Kids U Know: MARS' Heads to Blu-Ray". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ "Whitest Kids U Know's Mars launches onto Blu-ray in March". Inside Pulse. 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Treese, Tyler (2026-02-06). "Zach Cregger & Whitest Kids U' Know Touring New Movie Mars With Alamo Drafthouse Q&As | Exclusive". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved 2026-02-06.