Trailer
Plot summary
Z 4195 is a worker ant in a Central Park anthill who feels insignificant in a colony built on conformity. Princess Bala, betrothed to General Mandible, commander of the army, wants to escape her royal life, and the two meet one night at a worker bar. There a drunk scout, Grebs, tells of Insectopia, a legendary insect paradise where food is everywhere. The two dance, and Z becomes smitten with Bala. Mandible declares war on a termite colony pressing on the ants' territory. Wanting to see Bala again, Z persuades Weaver, his soldier friend, to exchange places with him before the army's royal inspection. Z joins the army corps, befriends staff sergeant Barbatus, and is sent out with a platoon against the termites.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Antz (1998)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Sarah Jessica Parker was originally cast as Princess Bala and had already recorded some of her lines before she was fired and replaced by Sharon Stone.
- Woody Allen took the lead voice role of Z as a favor to Jeffrey Katzenberg, then made uncredited rewrites to fit his own comic timing, reusing an altered line from his own earlier film, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask).
- Pixar's John Lasseter accused DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg of stealing the idea for Antz after learning from trade papers that Katzenberg's new studio was making a rival ant film; Katzenberg admitted it was true but insisted the idea came from an old pitch by director Tim Johnson.
- Antz became the first feature-length CGI-animated film released on DVD, arriving on the format on March 23, 1999, shortly after its VHS and DIVX release.
- Antz's opening weekend broke Stargate's record for the highest October opening ever, a record it held for two years until Meet the Parents topped it in 2000.
