View source for Antz

{{Short description|1998 DreamWorks Animation film}}
{{About|the 1998 animated film|the unrelated 1977 television film also known as "Ants"|It Happened at Lakewood Manor{{!}}''It Happened at Lakewood Manor''|the video game|Antz (video game){{!}}''Antz'' (video game)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = Antz-Poster.jpg
| alt            = A trio of anthropomorphic ants pose around the film's logo.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Eric Darnell]]
* [[Tim Johnson (film director)|Tim Johnson]]
}}
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Todd Alcott]]
* [[Chris Weitz]]
* [[Paul Weitz (filmmaker)|Paul Weitz]]
}}
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Brad Lewis]]
* [[Aron Warner]]
* Patty Wooton
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Woody Allen]]
* [[Dan Aykroyd]]
* [[Anne Bancroft]]
* [[Jane Curtin]]
* [[Danny Glover]]
* [[Gene Hackman]]
* [[Jennifer Lopez]]
* [[John Mahoney]]
* [[Paul Mazursky]]
* [[Grant Shaud]]
* [[Sylvester Stallone]]
* [[Sharon Stone]]
* [[Christopher Walken]]
}}
| editing        = Stan Webb
| music          = {{Plainlist|
* [[Harry Gregson-Williams]]
* [[John Powell (film composer)|John Powell]]
}}
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[DreamWorks Pictures]]<ref name="AFIAntz">{{cite web|title=Antz|url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/60633|publisher=American Film Institute|access-date=December 26, 2016|archive-date=October 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020051438/http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/60633|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[DreamWorks Animation]]<ref name="AntzNumbers">{{cite web |title=Antz |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Antz#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=June 14, 2019 |archive-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019185922/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Antz#tab=summary |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Pacific Data Images]]<ref>{{cite web|title=D'Works, PDI trumpet 'Tusker'|date=December 4, 1998|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/d-works-pdi-trumpet-tusker-1117489121/|publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=January 8, 2018|archive-date=January 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108233447/http://variety.com/1998/film/news/d-works-pdi-trumpet-tusker-1117489121/|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
| distributor    = DreamWorks Pictures (through DreamWorks Distribution)<ref name="AFIAntz" /><ref name="BOM"/>
| released       = {{Film date|1998|9|19|[[1998 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|1998|10|2|United States}}
| runtime        = 83 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 83:23--><ref>{{cite web|title=Antz|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/antz-1970-1|publisher=British Board of Film Classification|access-date=August 23, 2015|quote=Approved Running time 83&nbsp;m 7s|archive-date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923232205/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/antz-1970-1|url-status=live}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $42–105 million<ref name=NYTPrinceNoKing /><ref name=LATAfterRushHour /><ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=antz.htm|title=Antz (1998) – Box Office Mojo|website=www.boxofficemojo.com|access-date=February 21, 2019|archive-date=September 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921171106/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=antz.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cinematicfrontier.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/antz-a-bugs-life/|title='Antz' & 'A Bug's Life'|first1=le0pard13|last1=August 23|first2=2013 at 10:03 am|last2=Reply|date=August 23, 2013|access-date=February 21, 2019|archive-date=February 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221112448/https://cinematicfrontier.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/antz-a-bugs-life/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| gross          = $171.8 million<ref>{{Cite web |title=Antz |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120587/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203044253/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120587/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
'''''Antz''''' is a 1998 American animated [[adventure comedy film]] produced by [[DreamWorks Pictures]], [[DreamWorks Animation]], and [[Pacific Data Images]], and distributed by the former via DreamWorks Distribution. It was directed by [[Eric Darnell]] and [[Tim Johnson (film director)|Tim Johnson]] from a screenplay written by [[Todd Alcott]] and the writing team of [[Chris Weitz|Chris]] and [[Paul Weitz (filmmaker)|Paul Weitz]]. The film stars the voices of [[Woody Allen]], [[Sharon Stone]], [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Sylvester Stallone]], [[Christopher Walken]], [[Dan Aykroyd]], [[Anne Bancroft]], [[Danny Glover]] and [[Gene Hackman]]. Some of the main characters share facial similarities with the actors who voice them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dvd.ciao.co.uk/Antz_DVD__Review_5030989 |title=Antz DVD – Review – Just a big kid |work=ciao! |date=January 30, 2001 |access-date=July 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714030815/http://dvd.ciao.co.uk/Antz_DVD__Review_5030989 |archive-date=July 14, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The film involves an anxious worker ant, Z (Allen), who falls in love with Princess Bala (Stone). When the arrogant General Mandible (Hackman) attempts to seize control of the ant colony, Z must combine his desire for purpose with his inner strength to save everyone.

Development began in 1988 when [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] pitched a film called ''Army Ants'', about a pacifist worker ant teaching lessons of independent thinking to his militaristic colony. Meanwhile, [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] had left the company in a feud with CEO [[Michael Eisner]] over the vacant president position after the death of [[Frank Wells]]. Katzenberg would later go on to help co-found DreamWorks with [[Steven Spielberg]] and [[David Geffen]], and the three planned to rival Disney with the company's new animation division. Production began in May 1996, after production had already commenced on ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' (1998). DreamWorks had contracted Pacific Data Images (PDI) in [[Palo Alto, California]], to begin working on computer-animated films to rival [[Pixar]]'s features. [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] and [[John Powell (film composer)|John Powell]] composed the music for the film, marking their first animated film. During its production, a controversial public feud erupted between Katzenberg of DreamWorks and [[Steve Jobs]] and [[John Lasseter]] of Pixar, due to the production of their similar film ''[[A Bug's Life]]'', which was released a month later. The feud worsened when Disney refused to avoid competition with DreamWorks' intended first animated release, ''The Prince of Egypt''.

''Antz'' premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] on September 19, 1998,<ref name=EOnlinePremiere>{{cite news|last=Neville|first=Ken|title="Antz" Crashing Toronto Film Fest|url=http://uk.eonline.com/news/36935/antz-crashing-toronto-film-fest|access-date=November 19, 2013|newspaper=E! Online UK|date=August 29, 1998}}</ref> and was released theatrically in the United States on October 2, 1998. It grossed $171.8 million worldwide on a budget of $42–105 million and received positive reviews, with critics praising the voice cast, animation, humor, and its appeal towards adults.<ref name=rt />

==Plot==
Z is an anxious worker ant who is suffering an [[existential crisis]] due to the fact that everyone in the colony, including his [[Psychiatry|psychiatrist]], reminds him of his insignificance. While at the local bar one night, Z falls in love with the colony's princess Bala when she visits the bar to escape her suffocating royal life. Meanwhile, the ant colony declares war on an encroaching [[termite]] colony, and soldiers are sent to engage the invaders. To see Bala again, Z exchanges places with his best friend, a soldier ant named Weaver, and joins the army, where he befriends staff sergeant Barbatus. The ants are unaware that General Mandible, the army's leader and Bala's fiancé, is secretly sending the soldiers loyal to the colony's Queen to die so he can stage a [[coup d'état]]. In the battle, everyone except Z is killed by much-larger [[Fontanellar gun|acid-shooting]] termite defenders. Before dying, a decapitated Barbatus tells Z to not make his mistake and think for himself instead of blindly following orders his whole life. Meanwhile, Weaver joins the digging crew and falls in love with Z's co-worker, Azteca.

Z returns home and is mistakenly hailed as a war hero. Secretly dissatisfied, Mandible congratulates him and introduces him to the Queen. There, Z meets Bala, who recognizes him as a worker. Z panics and pretends to take Bala hostage; he flees with Bala, but they end up falling out of the anthill via a garbage chute. Now a fugitive, Z decides to search for Insectopia, a legendary insect paradise. Bala attempts to return to the colony, but quickly rejoins Z after encountering a [[Mantis|praying mantis]].

Z's act of individuality inspires the workers and some soldier ants, halting productivity. To gain control, Mandible publicly portrays Z as a self-centered war criminal, promotes the glory of conformity, and promises the workers rewards for completing a "Mega Tunnel" he designed. However, Mandible's second-in-command, a [[nuptial flight|flying ant]] named Cutter, begins to doubt Mandible's constant reassurances that he is acting for the good of the colony.

Z and Bala come upon a human picnic, which they mistake for Insectopia. They are baffled by the wrappings on the food, but Muffy and Chip, a married couple of [[liberalism|liberal]] [[paper wasp|wasps]], condescendingly befriend them and try to help break the wrappers. They are disrupted by a human, who kill Muffy with a [[Fly-killing device|fly swatter]] and attempt to squish the ants with a shoe. Z rescues Bala from the sneaker, and the two ants at last find Insectopia, a trash can overfilled with decaying food.

Meanwhile, after interrogating Weaver, Mandible learns that Z is looking for Insectopia and sends Cutter to find it. That night, while Z is away, Cutter arrives at Insectopia and forcibly flies Bala back to the colony, where Mandible reveals his intention to restart the colony with Bala as his Queen. Seeing Z's desperation at finding Bala gone, a drunken Chip, mourning over Muffy's death, flies Z back to the colony. When Z arrives, Mandible's soldiers forcibly direct him toward the Mega Tunnel. Along the way, he finds Bala held captive in Mandible's office. After he frees her, they both discover that Mandible's Mega Tunnel leads straight to the puddle next to Insectopia, which Mandible will use to drown the Queen and the workers at the opening ceremony. Bala warns the Queen while Z attempts to stop the workers in time, but fails. Z and Bala unify the Queen and workers into building a ladder towards the surface as the water rises.

Meanwhile, Mandible gathers the soldiers on the surface and gloats he has created a new colony, where only the strong survive. When the worker ants break through the surface, Cutter betrays Mandible and rescues them. Enraged, Mandible attempts to tackle Cutter, but Z intervenes and takes the blow. He and Mandible fall back into the flooded tunnel, with Mandible striking a root and dying on impact. Z nearly drowns, but is rescued by Cutter and [[Cardiopulmonary resuscitation|resuscitated]] by Bala. Z is praised for his heroism, and he and Bala become a couple. Together, they rebuild the colony, and Z narrates that he is finally content with his place in the world. The camera then zooms out to show the anthill is in [[Central Park]] in [[New York City]].

== Voice cast ==
<!--PLEASE DO NOT ADD "OTHER FILMS" TO THIS SECTION.-->
{{div col|colwidth=26em}}
* [[Woody Allen]] as Z Marion-4195 "Z", an [[Idealism|idealistic]], but [[Generalized anxiety disorder|anxious]], worker ant.
* [[Gene Hackman]] as General Mandible, the sarcastic, unscrupulous and arrogant [[general officer]] of the ant military.
* [[Sharon Stone]] as Princess Bala, daughter ant.
* [[Sylvester Stallone]] as Corporal Weaver, a brave soldier ant and Z's best friend who becomes Azteca's boyfriend.
* [[Jennifer Lopez]] as Azteca, another friend of Z's and a worker ant who becomes Weaver's girlfriend.
* [[Christopher Walken]] as Colonel Cutter, a [[Nuptial flight|flying ant]] that serves as Mandible's patient and [[Empathy|empathetic]] adviser who becomes disillusioned by the general's actions.
* [[Danny Glover]] as Staff Sergeant Barbatus, a soldier ant who befriends Z during the fight against the termites.
* [[Anne Bancroft]] as the Queen Ant, the royal mother and ruler of the ants.
* [[Dan Aykroyd]] as Chip, a wasp whom Z befriends.
* [[Grant Shaud]] as the Foreman, the head of the worker ants.
* [[John Mahoney]] as Grebs, a drunk ant scout who talked about Insectopia.
* [[Jane Curtin]] as Muffin "Muffy" the Wasp, Chip's wife.
* [[Paul Mazursky]] as Z's Psychiatrist.
* Jerry Sroka as the Bartender, the unnamed bartender of the bar that Z and Weaver frequent.
* [[Jim Cummings]] and [[April Winchell]] as additional voices
{{div col end}}
The cast features several actors from films Allen wrote, starred in and directed, including Stone (''[[Stardust Memories]]''), Stallone (''[[Bananas (film)|Bananas]]''), Hackman (''[[Another Woman (1988 film)|Another Woman]]''), and Walken (''[[Annie Hall]]''). Aykroyd later co-starred in Allen's ''[[The Curse of the Jade Scorpion]]''.

== Production ==

=== Development and writing ===
In 1988, [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] pitched a film called ''Army Ants'', about a pacifist worker ant teaching lessons of independent thinking to his militaristic colony.<ref name=BWAntzVsBugs>{{cite news|last1=Burrows|first1=Peter|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/47/b3605013.htm|title=Antz vs. Bugs: The Inside Story of How Dreamworks Beat Pixar to the Screen |work=[[Business Week]] |date=November 12, 1998 |access-date=September 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991128083348/http://www.businessweek.com/1998/47/b3605013.htm |archive-date=November 28, 1999}}</ref> Years later, [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]], then chairman of Disney's [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|film division]], had left the company in a feud with CEO [[Michael Eisner]] over the vacant president position after the death of [[Frank Wells]]. Katzenberg would later go on to help co-found [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]] with [[Steven Spielberg]] and [[David Geffen]], and the three planned to rival Disney with the company's new [[DreamWorks Animation|animation division]].<ref name="Isaacson307">{{cite book|last=Isaacson|first=Walter|title=[[Steve Jobs (book)|Steve Jobs]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|location=[[New York City|New York]]|year=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/stevejobs00isaa/page/307 307]|isbn=978-1-4516-4853-9}}</ref> Katzenberg at DreamWorks began developing projects he tried to pursue or suggested while at Disney, including ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'', a collaboration with [[Aardman Animations]] which resulted in ''[[Chicken Run]]'', ''[[Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas|Sinbad]]'', and ''Army Ants''. Also many ideas for the film were borrowed from a scrapped PDI film pitch for a computer-animated film from 1991 called ''Bugs: Lights Out'' about microscopic robots that take apart machinery.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsVAht_tLk&t=182s |title=YouTubeInterview with PDI founder Carl Rosendahl Part 1 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=February 24, 2022 |access-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-date=November 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105015435/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsVAht_tLk&t=182s |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsVAht_tLk |title=YouTube Interview with PDI founder Carl Rosendahl Part 2 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=February 24, 2022 |access-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112190633/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgsVAht_tLk |url-status=live }}</ref>

Production began in May 1996, after production had already commenced on ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]''. DreamWorks had contracted [[Pacific Data Images]] (PDI) in [[Palo Alto, California]] to begin working on computer-animated films to rival [[Pixar]]'s features.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/antz/ |title=Antz |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=September 3, 2016 |archive-date=October 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030075116/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/antz/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Woody Allen]] was cast in the lead role of Z, and much of Allen's trademark humor is present within the film. Allen made some uncredited rewrites to the script, to make the dialogue better fit his style of comedic timing.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-23|title=Antz vs. A Bug's Life, 20 Years Later|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/antz-vs-a-bug-s-life-20-years-later/|access-date=2020-08-07|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803204421/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/antz-vs-a-bug-s-life-20-years-later/|url-status=live}}</ref> An altered line from one of his early directed films, ''[[Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)|Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)]]'' was included – "I was going to include you in my most erotic fantasies..."

=== Feud between DreamWorks and Pixar ===
During the production of ''A Bug's Life'', a public feud erupted between [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]]' [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]], and Pixar's [[Steve Jobs]] and John Lasseter. Katzenberg, former chairman of Disney's film division, had left the company in a feud with CEO Michael Eisner. In response, he formed DreamWorks SKG with [[Steven Spielberg]] and [[David Geffen]] and planned to rival Disney in animation.<ref name="Isaacson307" /> After DreamWorks' acquisition of [[Pacific Data Images]] (PDI)—long Pixar's contemporary in computer animation—Lasseter and others at Pixar were dismayed to learn from the trade papers that PDI's first project at DreamWorks would be another ant film, to be called ''Antz''.<ref name="PixarTouch09">Price, p. 170</ref> By this time, Pixar's project was well known within the animation community.<ref name="PixarTouch10">Price, p. 171</ref> Both ''Antz'' and ''A Bug's Life'' center on a young male ant, a drone with oddball tendencies that struggles to win a princess's hand by saving their society. Whereas ''A Bug's Life'' relied chiefly on visual gags, ''Antz'' was more verbal and revolved more around satire. The script of ''Antz'' was also heavy with adult references, whereas Pixar's film was more accessible to children.<ref name="PixarTouch13"/>

Lasseter and Jobs believed that the idea was stolen by Katzenberg.<ref name="bw">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/47/b3605013.htm |title=Antz vs. Bugs |work=Business Week |date=November 23, 1998 |accessdate=February 10, 2011 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5wO3xwVQF?url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/47/b3605013.htm |archivedate=February 10, 2011 |first=Peter |last=Burrows}}</ref><ref name="Isaacson307" /> Katzenberg had stayed in touch with Lasseter after the acrimonious Disney split, often calling to check up. In October 1995, when Lasseter was overseeing postproduction work on ''[[Toy Story]]'' at the [[Universal Studios Lot]]'s [[Technicolor]] facility in [[Universal City, California|Universal City]], where DreamWorks was also located, he called Katzenberg and dropped by with Stanton.<ref name="Isaacson307" /><ref name="PixarTouch08"/> When Katzenberg asked what they were doing next, Lasseter described what would become ''A Bug's Life'' in detail. Lasseter respected Katzenberg's judgment and felt comfortable using him as a sounding board for creative ideas.<ref name="PixarTouch08">Price, p. 169</ref> Lasseter had high hopes for ''Toy Story'', and he was telling friends throughout the tight-knit computer-animation business to get cracking on their own films. He told various friends, "If this hits, it's going to be like space movies after ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''" for computer animation companies.<ref name="bw"/> Lasseter later recalled, "I should have been wary. Jeffrey kept asking questions about when it would be released."<ref name="Isaacson307" />

When the trades indicated production on ''Antz'', Lasseter, feeling betrayed, called Katzenberg and asked him if it was true, who in turn asked him where he had heard the rumor. Lasseter asked again, and Katzenberg admitted it was true. Lasseter raised his voice and would not believe Katzenberg's story that a development director had pitched him the idea long ago. Katzenberg claimed ''Antz'' came from a 1991 story pitch by [[Tim Johnson (film director)|Tim Johnson]] that was related to Katzenberg in October 1994.<ref name="bw"/> Another source gives [[Nina Jacobson]], one of Katzenberg's executives, as the person responsible for the ''Antz'' pitch.<ref name="PixarTouch10"/> Lasseter, who normally did not use profane language, cursed at Katzenberg and hung up the phone.<ref name="Isaacson308">{{cite book | last = Isaacson | first = Walter | title = [[Steve Jobs (book)|Steve Jobs]] | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | location = New York | year = 2011 | page = [https://archive.org/details/stevejobs00isaa/page/308 308] | isbn = 978-1-4516-4853-9 }}</ref> Lasseter recalled that Katzenberg began explaining that Disney was "out to get him" and Lasseter felt that he was cannon fodder in Katzenberg's fight with Disney.<ref name="bw"/><ref name="PixarTouch10"/> For his part, Katzenberg believed he was the victim of a conspiracy: Eisner had decided not to pay him his contract-required bonus, convincing Disney's board not to give him anything.<ref name="PixarTouch10"/> Katzenberg was further angered by the fact that Eisner scheduled ''Bugs'' to open the same week as ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'', which was then intended to be DreamWorks' first animated release.<ref name="PixarTouch10"/><ref name="Isaacson308"/> Lasseter relayed the news to Pixar employees but kept morale high. Privately, Lasseter told other Pixar executives that he and Stanton felt let down by Katzenberg.<ref name="PixarTouch10"/>

Katzenberg moved the opening of ''Antz'' from spring 1999 to October 1998 to compete with Pixar's release.<ref name="PixarTouch10"/><ref name="ap" /> David Price writes in his 2008 book ''The Pixar Touch'' that a rumor, "never confirmed", was that Katzenberg had given PDI "rich financial incentives to induce them to whatever it would take to have ''Antz'' ready first, despite Pixar's head start".<ref name="PixarTouch10"/><ref name="Isaacson308"/> Jobs was furious and called Katzenberg and began yelling. Katzenberg made an offer: He would delay production of ''Antz'' if Jobs and Disney would move ''A Bug's Life'' so that it did not compete with ''The Prince of Egypt''. Jobs believed it "a blatant [[Extortion|extortion attempt]]" and would not go for it, explaining that there was nothing he could do to convince Disney to change the date.<ref name="bw"/><ref name="Isaacson308"/> Katzenberg responded that Jobs had taught him how to conduct similar business long ago, explaining that Jobs had come to Pixar's rescue by making the deal for ''Toy Story'', as Pixar was near bankruptcy at that time.<ref name="PixarTouch07"/> Katzenberg said, "I was the one guy there for you back then, and now you're allowing them to use you to screw me."<ref name="Isaacson308"/> He suggested that if Jobs wanted to, he could slow down production on ''A Bug's Life'' without telling Disney. If he did, Katzenberg said, he would put ''Antz'' on hold.<ref name="bw"/> Lasseter also claimed Katzenberg had phoned him with the proposition, but Katzenberg denied these charges later.<ref name="PixarTouch11">Price, p. 172</ref>

As the release dates for both films approached, Disney executives concluded that Pixar should keep silent on the DreamWorks battle. Regardless, Lasseter publicly dismissed ''Antz'' as a "schlock version" of ''A Bug's Life''.<ref name="PixarTouch12"/> Lasseter, who claimed to have never seen ''Antz'', told others that if DreamWorks and PDI had made the film about anything other than insects, he would have closed Pixar for the day so the entire company could go see it.<ref name="bw"/><ref name="PixarTouch13">Price, p. 174</ref> Jobs and Katzenberg would not back down and the rivaling ant films provoked a press frenzy. "The bad guys rarely win," Jobs told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. In response, DreamWorks' head of marketing Terry Press stated, "Steve Jobs should take a pill."<ref name="Isaacson308"/> Despite the successful box office performances of both films, tensions would remain high between Jobs and Katzenberg for many years. According to Jobs, Katzenberg came to Jobs after the success of ''[[Shrek]]'' (2001) and insisted he had never heard the pitch for ''A Bug's Life'', reasoning that his settlement with Disney would have given him a share of the profits if that were so.<ref name="Isaacson309" /> Although the contention left all parties estranged, Pixar and PDI employees kept up the old friendships that had arisen from spending a long time together in computer animation.<ref name="PixarTouch11"/>

=== Competition with Disney ===
At the time, the current Disney studio executives were starting a bitter competitive rivalry with Jeffrey Katzenberg and his new DreamWorks films. In 1995, Katzenberg announced ''The Prince of Egypt'' to debut in November 1998 as DreamWorks' first animated release.<ref name=BWAntzVsBugs /> A year later, Disney scheduled ''Bugs'' to open on the same weekend, which infuriated Katzenberg. Katzenberg invited Disney executives to DreamWorks to negotiate a release date change for ''Bugs'', but the company refused to budge. DreamWorks pushed ''Prince of Egypt'' to the Christmas season and the studio had decided not to begin full marketing for ''Antz'' until after ''Prince of Egypt'' was released.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/704|title=Tons of ANIMATION news!!!|publisher=[[Ain't it Cool News]]|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-date=August 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806185121/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/704|url-status=live}}</ref> Disney afterward announced release dates for films that were going to compete with ''The Prince of Egypt'', and both studios had to compete with [[Paramount Pictures]], which was releasing ''[[The Rugrats Movie]]'' in November, based on [[Nickelodeon]]'s animated series ''[[Rugrats]]''. Katzenberg suddenly moved the opening of ''Antz'' from March 1999 to October 1998, in order to successfully beat ''A Bug's Life'' into cinemas.<ref name="PixarTouch10" /><ref name="Isaacson308" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/1150|title=Antz (and Schedule History)|publisher=[[Ain't it Cool News]]|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-date=August 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806195639/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/1150|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ap">{{cite news|url=http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/october02/ants.htm|title=Of Ants, Bugs, and Rug Rats: The Story of Dueling Bug Movies|agency=AP|date=October 2, 1998|access-date=March 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172821/http://laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/october02/ants.htm|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

David Price writes in his 2008 book ''The Pixar Touch'' that a rumor, "never confirmed", was that Katzenberg had given PDI "rich financial incentives to induce them to whatever it would take to have ''Antz'' ready first, despite Pixar's head start".<ref name="PixarTouch10" /><ref name="Isaacson308" /> Jobs furiously called Katzenberg to explain that there was nothing he could do to convince Disney to change the date.<ref name=BWAntzVsBugs /><ref name="Isaacson308" /> Katzenberg said to him that Jobs himself had taught him how to conduct similar business long ago, explaining that Jobs had come to Pixar's rescue from near bankruptcy by making the deal for ''Toy Story'' with Disney.<ref name="Isaacson308" /><ref name="PixarTouch07">Price, p. 163</ref> He told Jobs that he had enough power with Disney to convince them to change specific plans on their films.<ref name=BWAntzVsBugs /> Lasseter also claimed Katzenberg had phoned him with a final proposition to delay ''Antz'' if Disney and Pixar changed the date of ''A Bug's Life'', but Katzenberg denied this.<ref name="PixarTouch11">Price, p. 172</ref> Jobs believed it was "a blatant [[extortion]] attempt".<ref>{{cite book|last=Isaacson|first=Walter|title=[[Steve Jobs (book)|Steve Jobs]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|location=[[New York City|New York]]|year=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/stevejobs00isaa/page/428 428]|isbn=978-1-4516-4853-9}}</ref>

=== Release fallout and comparisons ===
As the release dates for both films approached, Disney executives concluded that Pixar should keep quiet on ''Antz'' and the feud concerning DreamWorks. Regardless, Lasseter publicly dismissed ''Antz'' as a "schlock version" of ''A Bug's Life'';<ref name="PixarTouch12">Price, p. 173</ref> however, Lasseter later admitted that he never saw the film. Lasseter claimed that if DreamWorks and PDI had made the film about anything other than insects, he would have closed Pixar for the day so the entire company could go see it.<ref name=BWAntzVsBugs /><ref name="PixarTouch13">Price, p. 174</ref> Jobs and Katzenberg would not back down and the rivaling ant films provoked a press frenzy. "The bad guys rarely win," Jobs told the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. In response, DreamWorks' head of marketing Terry Press suggested, "Steve Jobs should take a pill."<ref name="Isaacson308" /> Tensions would remain high between Jobs and Katzenberg for many years after the release of both films. According to Jobs, years later, Katzenberg approached him after the opening of ''[[Shrek]]'', and insisted that he had never heard the pitch for ''A Bug's Life'', reasoning that his settlement with Disney would have given him a share of the profits if that were so.<ref name="Isaacson309">{{cite book|last=Isaacson|first=Walter|title=[[Steve Jobs (book)|Steve Jobs]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|location=[[New York City|New York]]|year=2011|page=[https://archive.org/details/stevejobs00isaa/page/309 309]|isbn=978-1-4516-4853-9}}</ref> In the end, Pixar and PDI employees kept up the old friendships that had arisen from working in computer animation for years before feature films.<ref name="PixarTouch11" />

The final product of both films are generally perceived to contrast one another in tone and certain plot points. ''Antz'' in the end seemed to be more geared towards older audiences, featuring moderate violence, mild sexual innuendoes, and profanity, as well as social and political satire. ''A Bug's Life'' was more family-friendly and lighthearted in tone and story. The two films especially differ in their artistic look: ''Antz'' played off more realistic aspects of ants and how they relate to other bugs, like termites and wasps, while ''A Bug's Life'' offered a more fanciful look at insects to better suit its story. ''[[PopMatters]]'' journalist J.C. Maçek III compared the two films and wrote, "The feud deepened with both teams making accusations and excuses and a release date war ensued. While ''Antz'' beat ''A Bug's Life'' to the big screen by two months, the latter film significantly out grossed its predecessor. Rip off or not, ''Antz'''s critical response has proven to be almost exactly as positive as what ''A Bug's Life'' has enjoyed."<ref name=PM>{{cite web|work=[[PopMatters]]|title=Instantly Familiar: Hollywood's Great Duopolies|date=February 14, 2014|first=J.C.|last=Maçek III|url=https://www.popmatters.com/column/177531-instantly-familiar-hollywoods-great-duopolies/|access-date=February 21, 2020|archive-date=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531120239/http://www.popmatters.com/column/177531-instantly-familiar-hollywoods-great-duopolies/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Music ==

{{Infobox album
| name       = Antz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
| type       = film
| artist     = [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] and [[John Powell (composer)|John Powell]]
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = November 3, 1998
| recorded   = 1998
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Film score]]
| length     = 49:02
| label      = [[Angel Records]]<ref name=AlMusicAntz>{{cite web|title=Antz|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/antz-mr0001379250/credits|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-date=October 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030151644/http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/antz-mr0001379250/credits|url-status=live}}</ref>
| producer   = [[Hans Zimmer]]<ref name=AlMusicAntz />
| chronology = [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] film scores
| prev_title = [[The Replacement Killers]]
| prev_year  = 1998
| next_title = [[Enemy of the State (film)|Enemy of the State]]
| next_year  = 1998
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[John Powell (film composer)|John Powell]]
 | type       = soundtrack
 | prev_title = [[With Friends Like These...]]
 | prev_year  = 1998
 | title      = Antz
 | year       = 1998
 | next_title = [[Endurance (film)|Endurance]]
 | next_year  = 1999
}}
}}

The original music for the film was composed by [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] and [[John Powell (composer)|John Powell]]. The soundtrack was released on November 3, 1998 by [[Angel Records]].<ref name=AlMusicAntz /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Jeffries|first1=Neil|title=Antz Soundtrack Review|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?SID=3802|access-date=September 13, 2015|work=Empire|date=1998|archive-date=March 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327015736/https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?SID=3802|url-status=live}}</ref>

Initially, Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted [[Hans Zimmer]] to compose the music, but he was too busy with ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' among other projects. Instead, Zimmer suggested two composers from his studio — either Harry Gregson-Williams or John Powell — both of whom had already collaborated on ''Egypt''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Freer|first1=Ian|title=Empire Meets John Powell|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/john-powell-career|access-date=September 13, 2015|work=Empire|date=April 22, 2014|archive-date=October 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018204235/http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/john-powell-career/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ciafardini|first1=Marc|title=Exclusive: Interview (Part II)…Film Composer Harry Gregson-Williams Talks Tony Scott, Hans Zimmer and His Career|url=http://goseetalk.com/exclusive-interview-film-composer-harry-gregson-williams-part-ii/|publisher=GoseeTalk|access-date=September 13, 2015|date=June 7, 2013|archive-date=April 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405161522/http://goseetalk.com/exclusive-interview-film-composer-harry-gregson-williams-part-ii/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Release ==
=== Theatrical ===
On December 23, 1997, a teaser trailer for ''Antz'', depicting the opening scene with Z in an ant psychiatrist office, first played in theaters in front of select prints of ''[[As Good as It Gets]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/403|title=Is the ANTZ trailer playing at a theater near you' Read here to find out!!!|publisher=[[Ain't it Cool News]]|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-date=September 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916045945/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/403|url-status=live}}</ref> Anticipation was generally high with adults rather than families and children. ''Antz'' premiered at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival on September 19, 1998, and entered wide release on October 2, 1998.

=== Home media ===
''Antz'' was released on VHS and [[DIVX]] on February 9, 1999,<ref name=AWNSoonVCR /><ref name=TDBTwoCents289912099 /> and on DVD on March 23,<ref name=TDBTwoCents289912099 /><ref name=TDBStudioNewsDW /> becoming the first feature-length CGI-animated film to be available on DVD.<ref name=LATDVDPopularity /> The original release used a 35mm print of the film, rather than an encoded version from the original files.<ref name=TDBAntzReview /><ref name=EWBugsLifeReview /> A special edition version was released on February 14, 2003.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}} The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] on October 16, 2018 for the film's 20th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Antz-Blu-ray/26239/|title=Antz Blu-ray|work=Blu-ray.com|date=August 26, 2018|access-date=August 27, 2018|archive-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035635/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Antz-Blu-ray/26239/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
The film topped the box office in its opening weekend ahead of ''[[Rush Hour (1998 film)|Rush Hour]]'' and ''[[What Dreams May Come (film)|What Dreams May Come]]'', earning $17,195,160 for a $7,021 average from 2,449 theatres.<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|title=Antz (1998) – Box Office Mojo|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=antz.htm|access-date=April 22, 2011|archive-date=April 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407064848/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=antz.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It surpassed ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'' to have the highest October opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/10/05/animated-antz-crawls-to-top-in-box-office-debut/|title=Animated "Antz' crawls to top in box office debut|access-date=August 25, 2022|archive-date=August 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825161330/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/10/05/animated-antz-crawls-to-top-in-box-office-debut/|url-status=live}}</ref> This record would last for two years until it was beaten by ''[[Meet the Parents]]'' in 2000.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Reese|first=Lori|title=''Meet the Parents'' tops the box office|url=https://ew.com/article/2000/10/08/meet-parents-tops-box-office/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=September 22, 2022|date=October 8, 2000|archive-date=September 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924161320/https://ew.com/article/2000/10/08/meet-parents-tops-box-office/|url-status=live}}</ref> In its second weekend, the film held the top spot again, with a slippage of only 14% to $14.7 million for a $5,230 average and expanding to 2,813 sites. It held well also in its third weekend, slipping only 24% to $11.2 million and finishing in third place, for a $3,863 average from 2,903 theatres. The film's widest release was 2,929 theatres, and closed on February 18, 1999. The film altogether picked up $90,757,863 domestically, but failed to outgross the competition with ''A Bug's Life''. The film picked up an additional $81 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $171.8 million.

According to DreamWorks, the film's budget was about $42 million,<ref name=NYTPrinceNoKing /><ref name=LATAfterRushHour /> while the numbers $60 million and $105 million were also reported.<ref name=AntzToTitanic /><ref name="SFBTAntzAimsTopHill" /> According to ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', the first figure was doubted by the film industry, considering that other computer-animated films at the time cost twice that amount, and that the budget did not include start-up costs of PDI.<ref name=LATAfterRushHour />

=== Critical response ===
On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 92 reviews and an average rating of 7.60/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Featuring a stellar voice cast, technically dazzling animation, and loads of good humor, ''Antz'' should delight both children and adults."<ref name=rt>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/antz/ |title=Antz |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=July 13, 2010 |archive-date=May 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100519123203/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/antz/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Metacritic]] gave the film a score of 73 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/antz|title=Antz|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=April 29, 2016|archive-date=March 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315014447/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/antz|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url= https://cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= CinemaScore |work= cinemascore.com |access-date= January 19, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180722041238/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= July 22, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] praised the film, saying that it is "sharp and funny". The variety of themes, interesting visuals, and voice acting were each aspects of the film that were praised.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ebert|first1=Roger|title=Antz Movie Review & Film Summary|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/antz-1998|publisher=Roger Ebert|access-date=December 27, 2014|date=October 2, 1998|archive-date=December 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227161244/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/antz-1998|url-status=live}}</ref> Ebert's partner, [[Gene Siskel]], greatly enjoyed the film and preferred it over ''[[A Bug's Life]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Siskel|first1=Gene|title='Antz' Distinctive, Delightful|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/10/02/antz-distinctive-delightful/|access-date=December 27, 2014|work=Chicago Tribune|date=October 2, 1998|archive-date=December 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227153157/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-10-02/entertainment/9810020021_1_antz-star-drone|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Siskel: 'Babe' Is The Best|website=[[CBS News]]|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/siskel-babe-is-the-best/|access-date=December 27, 2014|date=December 4, 1998|quote=A Bug's Life is built more for kids than Antz and may not be as entertaining for adults."|archive-date=December 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227151831/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/siskel-babe-is-the-best/|url-status=live}}</ref> Siskel later ranked it No. 7 on his picks of the Best Films of 1998.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Snow|first1=Shauna|title=Arts And Entertainment Reports From The Times, News Services And The Nation's Press.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-01-ca-59422-story.html|access-date=August 24, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 1, 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824120429/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jan/01/entertainment/ca-59422|archive-date=August 24, 2015|quote=Siskel chose the box-office flop "Babe: Pig in the City" as the year's best film, followed by "The Thin Red Line," "Pleasantville," "Saving Private Ryan," "Shakespeare in Love," "The Truman Show," "Antz," "Simon Birch," "There's Something About Mary" and "Waking Ned Devine."|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
<!-- PLACE EXTRA AWARDS BELOW IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER-->
{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="margin:auto; font-size:100%;"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Recipient(s)
! Result
|-
| [[AFI's 10 Top 10]]<ref>{{cite web|title=AFI's 10 Top 10 – Official Ballot|url=http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/10top10.pdf?docID=381&AddInterest=1781|publisher=AFI|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071937/http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/10top10.pdf?docID=381&AddInterest=1781|archive-date=July 16, 2011|date=2008}}</ref>
| Animated
| ''Antz''
| {{Nom}}
|-
| 1999 [[American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers|ASCAP]] Film and Television Music Awards<ref>{{cite web|title=The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers 14th Annual Film & Television Music Awards|url=http://www.ascap.com/filmtv/filmtv99.html|publisher=The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|access-date=August 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000411131057/http://www.ascap.com/filmtv/filmtv99.html|archive-date=April 11, 2000|date=April 27, 1999}}</ref>
| Top Box Office Films
| [[Harry Gregson-Williams]], [[John Powell (composer)|John Powell]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[27th Annie Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=27th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners|url=http://annieawards.org/27th-annie-awards|publisher=Annie Awards|access-date=August 24, 2015|archive-date=April 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401040333/http://annieawards.org/27th-annie-awards|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in a Feature Production|Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production]]
| [[Eric Darnell]], [[Tim Johnson (film director)|Tim Johnson]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production|Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production]]
| Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production|Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production]]
| [[John Bell (special effects artist)|John Bell]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in a Feature Production|Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production]]
| [[Todd Alcott]], [[Chris Weitz]] & [[Paul Weitz (filmmaker)|Paul Weitz]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[52nd British Academy Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Nomination for the 51st British Academy Film Awards, in Association with Orange|url=http://www.bafta.org/bafta/3_film/3_PAST_nom99.htm|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Artis|access-date=August 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000823002701/http://www.bafta.org/bafta/3_film/3_PAST_nom99.htm|archive-date=August 23, 2000}}</ref>
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects|The Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects]]
| Philippe Gluckman, John Bell, [[Kendal Cronkhite]], Ken Bielenberg
| {{Nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Motion Picture Sound Editors|1999 Golden Reel Awards]]
| Best Sound Editing in Animated Feature Film — Music Editing<ref>{{cite web|title=46 Anniversary (1998) Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Winners|url=http://mpse.org/awards/Winners46.html|publisher=Motion Picture Sound Editors|access-date=August 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010716115402/http://mpse.org/awards/Winners46.html|archive-date=July 16, 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Ryan' nabs Golden Reel|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/ryan-nabs-golden-reel-1117492538/|access-date=August 24, 2015|work=Variety|date=March 21, 1999|archive-date=October 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030075257/http://variety.com/1999/film/news/ryan-nabs-golden-reel-1117492538/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Adam Milo Smalley, Brian Richards
| {{Won}}
|-
| Best Sound Editing in Animated Feature Film — Sound Editing
| ''Antz''
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Satellite Awards 1998]]<ref>{{cite web|title=1999 3rd Annual Satellite Awards|url=http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards1999.shtml|publisher=International Press Academy|access-date=August 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111085240/http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards1999.shtml|archive-date=November 11, 2011}}</ref>
| [[Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature]]
| [[Brad Lewis]], [[Aron Warner]], Patty Wooton
| {{Nom}}
|}

== Other media ==

=== Video games ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! Release Date
! Platform
! Developer
! Publisher
|-
| ''[[Antz (video game)|Antz]]'' || September 24, 1999<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/10/05/antz |title=Antz |last=Harris |first=Craig |date=October 5, 1999 |publisher=[[IGN]] |access-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-date=May 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522222216/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/10/05/antz |url-status=live }}</ref> || rowspan="3"| [[Game Boy Color]] || Panet Interactive || [[Infogrames]]
|-
| ''[[Antz Racing]]'' || 2001|| RFX Interactive || Light and Shadow Production / [[Acclaim Entertainment|Club Acclaim]] / [[Electronic Arts]]
|-
| ''Antz World Sportz'' || November 30, 2001 || M4 Ltd. || Light and Shadow Production
|-
| ''[[Antz Extreme Racing]]'' || August 28, 2002<br />September 5, 2002<br />September 19, 2002<br />November 20, 2002 || [[Microsoft Windows]]<br />[[Xbox]]<br />[[PlayStation 2]]<br />[[Game Boy Advance]] || [[Supersonic Software]]<br />Magic Pockets (GBA) || [[Empire Interactive]]
|}

=== Cancelled sequel ===
A direct-to-video sequel was in development at DreamWorks at the time of the release of ''Antz''. Like the first film, it was planned to be produced by Pacific Data Images, and was also considered for theatrical release.<ref>{{cite web|title=DreamWorks is having a picnic; "Antz II" marching on|url=http://www.awn.com/news/dreamworks-having-picnic-antz-ii-marching|publisher=Animation World Network|access-date=August 26, 2015|date=October 12, 2015|archive-date=March 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319050725/http://www.awn.com/news/dreamworks-having-picnic-antz-ii-marching|url-status=live}}</ref> By early 1999, when DreamWorks closed its television animation unit and merged the direct-to-video unit with the feature animation, the sequel was still planned, but eventually the project was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Amidi|first1=Amid|title=DreamWorks TV shuts down|url=http://www.awn.com/news/dreamworks-tv-shuts-down|publisher=Animation World Network|access-date=August 26, 2015|date=March 9, 1999|archive-date=February 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204235348/http://www.awn.com/news/dreamworks-tv-shuts-down|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Teo|first1=Loenard|title=3D Festival interviews Andy Murdock, the artist behind "Lots of Robots"|url=http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/lots_of_robots_interview|publisher=CG Society|access-date=August 26, 2015|date=November 22, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202032925/http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/lots_of_robots_interview|archive-date=February 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of films that depict class struggle]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=AWNSoonVCR>{{cite web|last1=Amidi|first1=Amid|title=Coming soon to a VCR near you|url=http://www.awn.com/news/coming-soon-vcr-near-you|publisher=Animation World Network|access-date=August 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705072519/http://www.awn.com/news/coming-soon-vcr-near-you|archive-date=July 5, 2015|date=February 4, 1999|quote=DreamWorks will release "Antz" on home video on February 9...|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=TDBStudioNewsDW>{{cite web|title=Studio News – DreamWorks SKG|last1=Hunt|first1=Bill|url=http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/articles/oldstudionews/dreamworks.html|publisher=The Digital Bits|access-date=August 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310121151/http://thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/articles/oldstudionews/dreamworks.html|archive-date=March 10, 2013|date=February 8, 1999|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=TDBTwoCents289912099>{{cite web|last1=Hunt|first1=Bill|title=My Two Cents (Archived Posts 2/8/99 – 1/20/99)|url=http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/mytwocentsa9.html|publisher=The Digital Bits|access-date=August 26, 2015|date=January 22, 1999|quote=...a Divx version of ANTZ is going to be released day-and-date with VHS in early February... I spoke with the studio's DVD production guru today, who assured me that the delay is only due to the added time needed to pack the DVD version with lots of extra material. Look for it to street probably in late March.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310120425/http://thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/mytwocentsa9.html|archive-date=March 10, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=LATDVDPopularity>{{cite news|last1=King|first1=Susan|title=As DVD Popularity Grows, So Do Extras|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-15-ca-56076-story.html|access-date=August 26, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 15, 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826142603/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jul/15/entertainment/ca-56076|archive-date=August 26, 2015|url-status=live|quote=Being the very first full-length CGI [computer generated image] animated film ever released on DVD,...}}</ref>
<ref name=TDBAntzReview>{{cite web|last1=Hunt|first1=Bill|title=DVD Review – Antz: Signature Edition|url=http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/reviews/antz.html|publisher=The Digital Bits|access-date=August 26, 2015|date=March 16, 1999|quote=How much better can a straight-digital transfer of CGI animation be (like that of the forthcoming A Bug's Life), versus a top-flight, telecine film transfer like this one?|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010921/http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/reviews/antz.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=EWBugsLifeReview>{{cite magazine|last1=Daly|first1=Steve|title=A Bug's Life|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/22/bugs-life|access-date=August 26, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=April 22, 1999|quote=That's a far superior approach than outputting the imagery to movie film and then copying that version onto video. (That's how the computer-animated "Toy Story" and "Antz" were transferred to home-viewing formats – and why they don't look as good as "Bug's Life.")|archive-date=August 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826171453/http://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/22/bugs-life|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=NYTPrinceNoKing>{{cite news|last1=Fabrikant|first1=Geraldine|title='Prince of Egypt' Is No King at the Box-Office|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/28/business/prince-of-egypt-is-no-king-at-the-box-office.html|access-date=February 25, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=December 28, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527084912/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/28/business/prince-of-egypt-is-no-king-at-the-box-office.html|archive-date=May 27, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=LATAfterRushHour>{{cite news|last1=Natale|first1=Richard|title=After 'Rush Hour,' Fall's Box-Office Traffic Is Light|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-03-fi-38846-story.html|access-date=February 25, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 3, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204185432/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/nov/03/business/fi-38846|archive-date=December 4, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=AntzToTitanic>{{cite book|last1=Barker|first1=Martin|last2=Austin|first2=Thomas|title=From Antz to Titanic: Reinventing Film Analysis|url=https://archive.org/details/fromantztotitani00bark_0|url-access=registration|date=2000|publisher=Pluto Press|location=London|isbn=0-7453-1579-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/fromantztotitani00bark_0/page/72 72]|quote=On a $60 million budget, Antz had to succeed.}}</ref>
<ref name="SFBTAntzAimsTopHill">{{cite news|last1=Feuerstein|first1=Adam|title='Antz' aims for top of the hill|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/1998/08/31/story5.html|access-date=February 25, 2017|work=San Francisco Business Times|date=August 30, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001218045700/http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/1998/08/31/story5.html|archive-date=December 18, 2000|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website|https://www.dreamworks.com/movies/antz}}
* {{IMDb title|0120587}}

{{DreamWorks animated films}}
{{Eric Darnell}}
{{Tim Johnson}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|1990s|United States|Film|Cartoon|Animation|Comedy|Insects}}

[[Category:Antz]]
[[Category:1998 films]]
[[Category:1998 children's films]]
[[Category:1998 computer-animated films]]
[[Category:1998 comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s American animated films]]
[[Category:1990s children's comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:American children's animated adventure films]]
[[Category:American children's animated fantasy films]]
[[Category:American computer-animated films]]
[[Category:American fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:Animated films about talking animals]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Animation animated films]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Pictures films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:Fictional ants]]
[[Category:Fictional Hymenoptera]]
[[Category:Films directed by Eric Darnell]]
[[Category:Films directed by Tim Johnson]]
[[Category:Films scored by Harry Gregson-Williams]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Powell]]
[[Category:Films produced by Aron Warner]]
[[Category:Films produced by Brad Lewis]]
[[Category:Animated films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Psychotherapy in fiction]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Chris Weitz]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Paul Weitz]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Todd Alcott]]
[[Category:1990s fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:1998 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:Animated films about coups d'état]]
[[Category:Animated films about ants]]
[[Category:Films involved in plagiarism controversies]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure comedy films]]