Norsk filminstitutt

Life in the tunnel is going well for Tootson, Ludiwood and Badger-oh! A life of singing, eating jam and friendly teasing. But one day they are visited by a stern Train Conductor who wants to evict them. Tunnels are for trains, not people, she says. But Tootson & Ludiwood have an idea: Tootson’s grandfather, the legendary pirate Captain Tootson, can surely save them. But where is he?

Their search for Captain Tootson takes the best friends to the most incredible places, and wherever they travel, they end up in trouble - with hungry polar bears, extreme liquorice candy, aggressive cherubs and expired vintage cod liver oil. But it turns out that help is closer than they think, at home in the tunnel, and it has a hundred heads and more than fourteen legs...  

Life in the tunnel is going well for Tootson, Ludiwood and Badger-oh! A life of singing, eating jam and friendly teasing. But one day they are visited by a Train Conductor. She is very stern and she has an eviction letter! Tunnels are for trains, not people, and they must all get out. Immediately!   But Tootson & Ludiwood have an idea: Tootson’s grandfather can surely save them! The legendary pirate Captain Tootson has a wooden leg, a ruined reputation and knows Chinese Kung Splash! But where is he? 

Tootson and Ludiwood embark on a wild adventure to find Captain Tootson and save their tunnel home. 

Their search for Captain Tootson takes the best friends to the most incredible places, such as the North Pole, the tropical South and the highest of celestial heights. Wherever they travel, they end up in trouble – be it with hungry polar bears, extreme licorice candy, aggressive cherubs or expired vintage cod liver oil. But it turns out that help is closer than they realize. It lives in the tunnel, and has a hundred heads and more than fourteen legs...

"Two Buddies and a Badger 2 - The Great Big Beast" is an extension of the original, classic story about Norway’s family favourite musicians Knutsen & Ludvigsen, which has been told in many different forms over the past five decades including as a radio play, a record album, and in a number of stage versions. 

"Two Buddies and a Badger 2 – The Great Big Beast" will have its domestic cinema premiere on September 25, 2020, 50 years after the duo first debuted on record. In the film we meet several well-known characters from the Tootson & Ludiwood universe who did not appear in the first animated film; The Great Big Beast, the Train Conductor and of course Captain Tootson. Besides, we get to experience many more of the classic songs, including Hello! Hello!, Dumb and Dandy, My Fantastic Gramps, Paper Bag Lunch Song, and Cow In Our Tunnel.

The script was written by Øystein Dolmen, who co-created Tootson and Ludiwood together with Gustav Lorentzen.

Directors about the film
It felt completely unreal to have been given the opportunity to make the second film based on the wild, fun and iconic universe of “Knutsen and Ludvigsen”, as originally created by Øystein Dolmen and Gustav Lorentzen fifty years ago.

With this film, we made up our minds to go beyond the previous film in every way, raising it to the next level. We worked hard to make a film that is entertaining, but at the same time both subtle and challenging. We prioritized the storytelling, so that the scenes and characters reached the standard that a modern animated film demands. Our vision as directors was to create an innovative, colourful and engaging film relevant for all ages. One of the criteria before we made the film was that it should make the audience think: "Wow, this is awesome!” I think we have managed it, and the film has many imaginative sequences and images that are unlike anything else seen in contemporary Nordic films.

The film's theme is family and what happens when you realize that your heroes have flaws and shortcomings too. In the moment, mistakes can feel like betrayals but it is about accepting fallibility and still loving each other despite our imperfections. The film depicts a relationship between grandchildren and grandparents, which in many ways, during the course of the film, goes from being a fantasy to a very recognizable reality.

Another significant element for us, is the relationship between the main characters, Knutsen and Ludvigsen (aka Tootson and Ludiwood). They are two friends who inspire and support each other. And who love each other no matter what happens. We think their positivity and creativity are the most important take aways from the film for children in the audience. With a little humour, and a song and a dance, anything is possible. And you might even make friends with a big pink beast with a hundred heads along the way!   Rune Spaans and Gunhild Enger  

Production and distribution

Production Year:
2020
Production country:
Norway
Release date (national):
2020-09-25
Production company:
Tordenfilm AS
Co production company:
Qvisten Animation AS
Mediefondet Zefyr
Financing company:
Norwegian Film Institute
Filminvest AS
Norsk Filmdistribusjon AS
Mediefondet Zefyr
Creative Europe
Sola Media
Qvisten Animation AS
Storyline Studios
Fond for lyd og bilde
Trondheim Kino
Tordenfilm AS
Producer:
Ingunn Sundelin
Eric Vogel
Line producer:
Arnfinn Moseng
Co producer:
Ove Heiborg
Fredrik Kiøsterud
Olav Mellgren
Jan Aksel Angeltvedt
Sales agent:
Sola Media GmbH

Director

  • Rune Spaans

    3D artist, animator and director Rune Spaans has more than 20 years of experience in design, animation and visual effects. He has contributed to films such as MONSTER THURSDAY (2004), THE BOTHERSOME MAN (2006) and TROLLHUNTER (2010). His short film THE ABSENCE OF EDDY TABLE (2016) screened at more than 70 festivals, winning numerous awards including Best Animated Short at Guanajuato, Strasbourg, Interfilm Berlin and Fantaspoa. Rune has also directed the feature animation films PLODDY THE POLICE CAR ON THE CASE (2013) and the award winning TWO BUDDIES AND A BADGER (2015) together with Rasmus A. Sivertsen, and most recently TWO BUDDIES AND A BADGER –  THE GREAT BIG BEAST (2020) alongside Gunhild Enger.

    Rune Spaans
  • Gunhild Enger

    Director Gunhild   Enger is a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art, and has a Master of Film  Directing degree from the School of Film Directing in Gothenburg. She received a BAFTA nomination for her graduation film BARGAIN (2005), and has since screened her films and received awards at festivals all over the world. Her films PREMATURE (2012) and A SIMPLER LIFE  (2013) were both nominated for Norwegian Amanda awards. In 2016 she co-directed the short film THE COMMITTEE, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and in 2020 her short film PLAY SCHENGEN was nominated for 5 international festival awards including Chicago, Locarno, Valladolid, El Gouna and Bergen. She also worked with casting on Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or-winning film The Square (2017). TWO BUDDIES AND A BADGER – THE GREAT BIG BEAST (2020) is Gunhild’s first feature film as director, alongside Rune Spaans.       

    Gunhild Enger

Cast

Knutsen:
John Brungot
Ludvigsen:
Hermann Sabado
Kaptein Knutsen:
Per Inge Torkelsen
Konduktøren:
Heidi Goldmann
Gudrun:
Anne Grete Preus
St. Peter:
Bartek Kaminski
Bartender:
Mimmi Tamba
Det Store Dyret:
Kristin Grue
Det Store Dyret:
Hasse Hope
Det Store Dyret:
David Skaufjord

Awards

2021:
Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Best Animated Feature

Festivals

2021:
Chicago International Children's Film Festival

Crew

Director:
Rune Spaans
Gunhild Enger
Screenplay:
Øystein Dolmen
Cinematographer:
Rune Spaans
Editor:
Simen Gengenbach
Rune Spaans
Composer:
Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim
Øystein Dolmen
Gustav Lorentzen
ProductionDesigner:
Olve Askim
Sound Design:
Gisle Tveito
Sound engineer:
Gisle Tveito
Animator:
Qvisten Animation
Morten Christian Øverlie
VFX supervisor:
Henrik Thorsrud Dyrkorn
Casting:
Yngvill Kolset Haga

Technical information

Genre:
Animation
Family
Format:
DCP 2k
Screen ratio:
1:2,35
Colour:
Colour
Sound format:
Stereo 5.1
Length in min's:
78'
Language:
Norwegian
Subtitles:
English

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