The One and Only Ivan is a 2020 American fantasy drama film directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay written by Mike White based on the 2012 children's novel of the same name by K. A. Applegate. Inspired by the true story of Ivan the gorilla, the film stars the voices of Sam Rockwell as Ivan alongside Angelina Jolie (who helped Allison Shearmur and Brigham Taylor to produce the film), Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Brooklynn Prince, Chaka Khan, Ron Funches, Phillipa Soo, and Mike White, with the human characters portrayed by Ramón Rodríguez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Bryan Cranston.
The project was first announced in 2014, and went into production two years later. The cast was assembled between October 2017 and May 2018, with filming taking place in Florida in summer 2018. Originally intended to have a theatrical release, The One and Only Ivan was made available to stream on Disney+ from August 21, 2020, and received mixed reviews from critics. The film received nominations from both BAFTA and the Academy Awards for its visual effects, but lost both to Tenet.
The film was dedicated in memory of Allison Shearmur who died of lung cancer on January 19, 2018.
Plot
For 20 years, Ivan the gorilla has been the star attraction at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, a circus inside a Central Florida shopping mall run by ringmaster Mack. Living in captivity with his fellow animal performers — wise elephant Stella, spoiled poodle Snickers, spunky baseball-playing chicken Henrietta, toy fire truck-riding rabbit Murphy, anxious sea lion Frankie, and loquacious parrot Thelma — Ivan befriends a stray mutt who lives in his enclosure. The animals' caretaker George often brings his daughter Julia who bonds with Ivan. Giving Ivan her old crayons, she is able to decipher his drawings and names the stray dog Bob.
Losing business at the mall, Mack acquires a baby elephant named Ruby from a bankrupt circus. She draws in crowds and becomes the new headliner, but a jealous Ivan is hesitant to accept her. When Stella becomes weaker and unable to perform, Ivan encourages a nervous Ruby to embrace the crowd on her own. He later explains how Mack and his wife Helen adopted him as a baby. As Ivan got bigger, his animalistic behavior drove Helen away, and Mack eventually purchased the mall and turned it into a circus. Asking Ivan to ensure Ruby has a free life, Stella passes away.
As Mack trains Ruby for the circus, Ivan decides to free her. Julia shows Ivan's drawings to Mack, who publicizes them as the next big act, but despite the new crowd gathered to see him draw, Ivan refuses to cooperate. That night, Ivan and Bob trick the security guard Castello and free the animals, though Snickers prefers to stay. The others escape across the highway, but discover the nearby "forest" is an intersection surrounded by more city. After being called by Castello, Mack manages to bring the animals back. He later tells George to keep their escape a secret while mentioning that he fired Castello.
Ivan tells Ruby about life in the jungle with other gorillas where he loved to draw with mud and play with his sister Tag until poachers killed his father and captured Ivan. With finger paint from Julia, Ivan paints a mural in his enclosure. TV reporter Candace Taylor arrives to question Mack about the rumored escape and he persuades her to film the show, where he and the audience are astonished by Ivan's mural of his jungle home. Julia believes that Ivan wants to be free. With Candace's help, she rallies public support. Protestors arrive, demanding the animals’ release, and Mack agrees to shut down the circus.
As Henrietta, Murphy, Thelma, and Frankie are taken away, Mack says goodbye to Ivan, thanking him for their time together. Dr. Maya Wilson relocates Ivan to an expansive gorilla habitat at Zoo Atlanta where he is reunited with other gorillas. He discovers that he is situated right next to the elephant enclosure where Ruby now lives with her kind. Ivan assures Stella's spirit that Ruby is free.
During the credits, photos and footage of the real Ivan are shown with a summary of his life. As the credits continue rolling, Ivan is greeted by Bob, now adopted by Julia and George, who have come with Mack to visit the animals.