Harold and the Purple Crayon

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2:32

Harold and the Purple Crayon

PG

Released Aug 2, 2024

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

27%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

500+ Verified Ratings

Inside of his book, adventurous Harold (Zachary Levi) can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life--and that his trusty purple crayon may set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. When the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, it will take all of Harold and his friends' creativity to save both the real world and his own. Harold and the Purple Crayon is the first film adaptation of the beloved children's classic that has captivated young readers for decades.

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Critics Consensus

A high-concept treatment that misses out on the blissful simplicity of its source material, Harold and the Purple Crayon is a tribute to imagination that's content to only color inside the lines.

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

Levi capers around with a big, goofy smile and a squeak in his voice -- but there’s more desperation than humour in the performance.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 12, 2024

Full Review

Jen Chaney

New York Magazine/Vulture

Harold and the Purple Crayon makes the classic Hollywood mistake of taking a story that was lovely because of its concision and simplicity and turns it into a movie that is overly long and complicated for no good reason.

Aug 5, 2024

Full Review

Katie Walsh

Tribune News Service

There’s something deeply strange about [Levi's] performance here, grinning and mugging with childlike wonder in a way that can only be read as disingenuous.

Rated: 1/4

Aug 3, 2024

Full Review

Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

An unimaginative, soulless cash grab that fails to capture the whimsy and magic of its source material.

Feb 4, 2025

Full Review

Dolores Quintana

Santa Monica Mirror

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a joyous celebration of art and love that is kept from being sublime only by the performance of its lead actor. The supporting cast does wonderful and amusing work that would have been better served by a stronger lead.

Nov 11, 2024

Full Review

Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

Nothing on-screen in Harold can overcome the fact this was just a lousy idea. Director Carlos Saldanha (Rio) has a few lovely flourishes, but the simplicity, timelessness and magic of the source material has stayed stubbornly on the page.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 9, 2024

Full Review

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Stacy C

I loved how the movie was similar to the book and the author. And the movie and actors were very funny!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Chris H

I wasn't too much into it, but it was a perfect Sunday morning kids/family movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Martin

Son liked but we need a real magic purple crayon or marker for him.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/17/25

Full Review

Charlenne

Definitely loved this movie more than I thought I would. It was great.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/17/25

Full Review

Jacky G

It has a few funny moments. Nothing more. It’s just another bad movies that fails to be fun like the source material that it’s based on.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

Full Review

Milana S

funny and good story!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/02/25

Full Review

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Carlos Saldanha

Director

Zachary Levi

Harold

Zooey Deschanel

Terry

Alfred Molina

Narrator

Lil Rel Howery

Moose

Benjamin Bottani

Mel

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - You Made A...Spider-Fly?!

2:31

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Jemaine Clement vs Zachary Levi: CRAZY Crayon Draw-Off

7:31

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - My Imaginary Dragon Friend Came to Life?!

1:22

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Finding A Dad Is Hard (And Sometimes Fun) Work!

1:26

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Let's Go To The (Constipated) Real World!

7:19

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - HILARIOUS Department Store Chaos

1:41

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Zachary Levi's WILD Plane Ride!

2:46

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Porcupine's Motorcycle Joy Ride

1:34

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Jemaine Clement Flirts With Zooey Deschanel

0:54

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Official Clip - Zachary Levi Goes To Jail

1:40

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Harold and the Purple Crayon: Trailer 2

2:32

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

Inside of his book, adventurous Harold (Zachary Levi) can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book's pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life--and that his trusty purple crayon may set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. When the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, it will take all of Harold and his friends' creativity to save both the real world and his own. Harold and the Purple Crayon is the first film adaptation of the beloved children's classic that has captivated young readers for decades.

Director: Carlos Saldanha
Producer: John Davis
Screenwriter: David Guion, Michael Handelman
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures, Davis Entertainment
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Mild Action)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2024, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.4M
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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