Babes at the zoo, mama! A trailer for the upcoming Disney+ animated version of the second book in Jeff Kinney’s famed Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Rodrick Rules, has been revealed, making today a very special one for fans of the series. In the first scene in the trailer, Greg (Brady Noon) and Rodrick Heffley (Hunter Dillon) are left at home while their parents and younger brother Manny (Gracen Newton) leave on a trip. The two brothers had finally driven their mother to the verge of breaking during their public outbursts.
Whatever the reason, Rodrick views this as a chance to mentor Greg and pass on some of the “Rodrick Rules,” the first of which is “No apostrophes or any other geek crap.” Fans of the novels or movies may remember other scenes from the trailer, such as Rodrick’s band Löded Diper playing at a house party, Greg dancing in the hallways of the retirement home where his grandfather lives, and the talent show. Rowley, Greg’s best buddy (Ethan William Childress), also briefly appears in the trailer.
Despite their disputes, the two brothers share a touching moment in which Rodrick reassures his younger brother, “Me and you are going to have our battles, but when the chips are down, I’m going to have your back and you better have mine.” Teens born in the early 2010s are probably aware that this is not the first version of Rodrick Rules to be adapted for a different audience. Four previous live-action films based on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid novels have earned over $266 million worldwide. Starring Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Peyton List, the first film in the original trilogy adapted the novel Rodrick Rules before moving on to the second film, Dog Days (though it did incorporate elements of the plot from the third film, The Last Straw).
The series was revived by 20th Century Fox with a new cast, featuring Jason Drucker, Alicia Silverstone, and Tom Everett Scott in the 2010 film The Long Haul. As a result of the Disney-Fox merger, Disney decided to remake the series with a computer-animated picture directed by Swinton Scott. The film was published on Disney+ on December 3 of last year and ran a very short 58 minutes, especially when compared to the prior live-action flicks.
The film’s theme song, “Can You Smell Us Now,” was also published. Jon Levin composed and produced the song, while Kinney wrote the lyrics and performed them with Jimmy Tatro. On December 2nd, Disney+ will debut Luke Cormican’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.